Discovering Hmong Cuisine

FoodFeature SPICY, SWEET, AND TOTALLY SATISFYING, Hmong cuisine is the most flavorful food you’ve Fresh, earthy never tried. The Hmong people have had to be resourceful to survive their turbulent history, Hmong cuisine is and their dishes reflect that sensibility.F resh, little-known but vastly bright colors and pitch-perfect spices are intriguing; its fiery flavors trademarks of the cuisine. The Hmong have a draw from the tropical far more detailed understanding of herbs and vegetables than most Westerners, and their nations of Southeast Asia. cuisine, like Thai food, is enhanced by flavors By Roseanne Pereira like basil, lemongrass, chile peppers, mint, and Recipes by Sheng Yang cilantro. Traditional Hmong food also includes bamboo shoots, banana blossoms, cassava plants, roots, and bark. Historically, Hmong cooking and eating practices are connected to their belief in animism. Like Native Americans, many Hmong believe that certain aspects of nature, like rocks, hills, trees, and streams, have spirits. Hmong-American families who don’t retain the ancient beliefs are often still more reflective of their natural surroundings because of the influence of animism on their culture. Information about Hmong food is difficult to find since recipes have most often been passed down orally—written Hmong language did not even exist until the 1950s. However, in 2009, Sheng Yang, a Hmong-American woman, and her friend Sami Scripter released a cookbook, Cooking From the Heart, showcasing traditional and more modern Hmong recipes for the general public. HmongHistory The Hmong are an ethnic group from areas including Laos, Vietnam, and China. The first written record of the people believed to be Hmong occurred more Discovering than 4,000 years ago in China. Much later, when the Vietnam War broke out, the Hmong were allies of the Americans. They became America’s secret army in Laos, often placed in the war’s most dangerous jobs. When the US left Hmong Vietnam, the Hmong were left behind and became targets for persecution, causing thousands of families to flee to Cuisine refugee camps in Thailand. Many later resettled in the United States as well as other countries. In the US, there are large populations of Hmong people in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and California. 48 VegNews Think. Eat. Thrive.™ January+February 2010 Stir-FriedNoodles &Peppers Fawm Feev Choj Plua do xyaw Kua Txob Loj This stir-fry retains the bright colors and crunch of the vegetables. You can substitute your favorite Asian noodles, but the alimentary paste noodles are the ones that Sheng likes best. Make sure to eat right away. Serves 6 package (4 ounces) alimentary paste noodles, or rice noodles 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 4 cloves garlic, chopped 3 cups -inch tofu slices, fried 1 cup red bell pepper, thinly sliced 1 cup yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced 1 cup green bell pepper, thinly sliced 1 cup white onion, thinly sliced 1 cup bamboo shoots, thinly sliced 1 tablespoons salt 1 tablespoons soy sauce 1 teaspoons white ground pepper 1 teaspoons sugar cup scallions, thinly sliced 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice 1. In a large pot of boiling water, cook noodles as directed. Rinse noodles in cold water, drain, and set aside. 2. In a large frying pan over high heat, heat oil. Add garlic, and cook until golden brown. Add tofu, red pepper, yellow pepper, green pepper, onion, bamboo, salt, soy sauce, white pepper, and sugar into the pan. Allow all the ingredients to cook for at least 7 to 10 minutes, making sure not to overcook the vegetables. 3. In a large bowl, combine vegetables and noodles. Add scallions and lime juice, and mix everything together. Hmong children in traditional dress VN celebrates 10! vegnews.com VegNews 49 FoodFeature ThaiEggplantSoup JuicingYour SoobTxhiaj Lws Thaib Hau ua Kua This hearty soup is chock-full of delicious veggies Vegetables and herbs. Try it on a cold day; the intense sour Cool and refreshing drinks are quite and spicy broth will warm you right up. popular among the Hmong. Common Serves 4 “juices” include rice, cucumber, and SweetPeppersinSalt pumpkin. Cucumber juice is often what 4 cups water Kua Txob QabZib Kib women drink while preparing dinner. 4 slices galangal (Thai ginger) To make it, take several large, ripe, Remember to leave these peppers whole. They lemongrass stalk, cut into 2-inch pieces are fun to eat by the stem and are packed with a yellow Hmong cucumbers, cut in half 4 lime leaves salty, sweet flavor. lengthwise, scrape out the flesh, and 2 cloves garlic, chopped blend with sugar and ice. The result is Serves 4 4 Chinese boxthorn leaves similar to an agua fresca. 2 cups vegetable oil to 1 whole jalapeño, thinly sliced and 1 pound sweet peppers deseeded teaspoon salt cup okra, chopped Stir-FriedCabbage 1. In a medium-size frying pan over medium- 1 cup Thai eggplant, sliced withGarlic high heat, heat oil. Lay peppers one by one 1 cup bamboo shoots, thinly sliced into the hot oil until fully cooked, but not cup fresh basil, chopped Zaub Pob Suam Kib xyaw Qij overcooked. cup fresh mint, chopped This simple cabbage dish will surprise you. The 2. Place peppers into a drain basket to get cup fresh Vietnamese cilantro key is to shred the cabbage into thin strips, the rid of as much oil as possible, then sprinkle cup cilantro, chopped way you would lettuce. It’s so light and refreshing, with salt. you’ll just want to keep eating more and more. cup scallions, chopped teaspoon salt Serves 4 CilantroCondiment teaspoon black pepper 1 tablespoon vegetable oil Kua Txob Zaub Txwb teaspoon Sichuan pepper 3 cloves garlic This infusion of cilantro, onion, and lime will In a medium-size pot over high heat, add medium-size cabbage, thinly shredded make your mouth water, literally. Enjoy with any 1. water and bring to a boil. Add galangal, teaspoon salt dish you want to have a bit more kick. lemongrass, lime leaves, garlic, Chinese teaspoon white ground pepper 1 cup cilantro, chopped boxthorn leaves, jalapeño, okra, eggplant, and 1. In a medium-size pan over medium-high cup scallions, chopped bamboo shoots. heat, heat oil. teaspoon salt 2. Allow the vegetables to cook for about 10 2. Add garlic, and when it begins to turn light teaspoon fresh lime juice minutes. Add remaining ingredients and cook brown, add shredded cabbage, salt, and white for 5 minutes more. Serve hot. In a medium-size mortar and pestle, pound pepper. Continue to stir for about 5 minutes. all ingredients. The smashing and grinding Serve hot. heightens the aromas and flavors as they mix CoconutTapiocaPudding together. If you don’t have a mortar and pestle, Nab-Va Kub combine in a food processor. This dessert is warm, soothing, and sweet. The tender coconut, tapioca pearls, and taro give it a mix of different textures. SearchforSichuan Serves 12 Most of the spices in Hmong cooking cup small tapioca pearls can be found at an Asian grocery store, cup medium tapioca pearls however one may be tricky to locate. cup two-tone tapioca cubes Sichuan pepper is not related to black 1 cups sugar pepper or to chili peppers. Instead, it 1 (19-ounce) can coconut milk refers to the flower pods of the prickly ash 3 cups fresh taro, sliced into 1-inch cubes tree. Sichuan pepper has a sharp lemony 1 (24-ounce) can coconut jelly and woody fragrance. It is a favorite 1 (20-ounce) can young coconut meat Use purple cabbage spice in Hmong cooking, so if you want to track it down, try The Spice House at (9 ounce) can jackfruit, cut into bite-sized for a punch of color. pieces thespicehouse.com. 1. Fill a large pot halfway with water (about 50 VegNews Think. Eat. Thrive.™ January+February 2010 Chef’s Tip Preparing Bamboo Hmong cuisine includes a lot of bamboo. Maybe it’s karma that giving Bamboo shoots are available in Asian grocery stores in two ways, fresh and red carpet service has put us on one. cooked. Fresh shoots must be boiled By putting our shoppers first, we're delighted that VeganEssentials.com has been approximately 30 minutes before being voted Best Online Store three years running. Thank you, VegNews readers! eaten and tend to be sweeter and crunchier than canned bamboo. In Laos, Hmong people often gathered bamboo shoots in the wild. In the US, this type of “bitter” ntsuag xyoob iab bamboo is only available in cans. 6 cups), place over high heat, and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down to medium high, and slowly pour in tapioca pearls and cubes, while continuously stirring. Cook for about 5 minutes and remove from heat. 2. Drain half of the water from the pot and replace with fresh water (about 3 cups). Place the pot back onto the burner and bring to a boil. 3. Add sugar, coconut milk, and taro. When the taro and pearls are soft, remove from heat. Add coconut jelly, coconut meat, and jackfruit, and stir to mix well before serving. Sweet and hearty, tapioca pudding is perfect for chilly nights. Roseanne Pereira is a writer living in San Francisco, where she is a first-class taster of little- Pudding photo by Ernesto Andrade photo by Pudding known cuisines. VN celebrates 10! vegnews.com VegNews 51.

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