A Dig Deep in Cu Chi Vietnam

Nov 2
07:38

2011

John Mayer

John Mayer

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The tourists who flock to Cu Chi outside Ho Chi Minh City mainly come to see the infamous tunnels, but some are also tempted by a dish of grilled mice Thanh Thuy reports.

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Besides climbing down into the skinny tunnels, or firing an AK47, there is another activity for tourists: hunting mice. The rodents in the rice field are gathered anyway by local farmers who are fond of thit chuot nuong (grilled mice).

I'm slightly troubled by the thought of this Coming from the city, when I hear the word  "chuot", I think of big, ugly rats climbing up smelly drains, no doubt carrying a million germs or some kind of infectious disease. But my well-informed colleague assures me that in Cu Chi, the word "chuot” also used for field mice. These critters feed off the rice grains in the fields rather than rubbish or waste, and thit chuot nuong is something of a delicacy only the wealthy can afford.

 Early one morning, our office staff decides to head to Cu Chi to find out more. The plan is to see how the farmers catch and process the mice, and enjoy a grilled treat on the field. Joining forces with local farmers, we set off at 9am with all the necessary equipment: raincoats, firewood, spices, peppers and beer!

The farmers also carry hoes, shovels, cages and other tools for catching mice. Mice are concentrated in rice fields covered by water and far from local communities. So first, we jump on a small boat and make our way towards the rice fields. The district is peaceful and picturesque with a clear blue sky and a gentle breeze blowing across the yellow fields. White ducks leisurely swim down the canals, which are covered by water hyacinth ferns dotted with their violet flowers.

Soon, we land and our team immediately gets to work. One group from our office spread out raincoats to sit on and prepare wood for a fire. Meanwhile, the rest of us join the farmers in the hunt for mice. With years of experience, the farmers quickly find "hot spots" where they know mice will be in abundance. They dig soil by the mouth of the caves to scare the mice into abandoning their haven; whenever a mouse runs out of its cave, it's caught by hand, sometimes with the help of a dog.

If a mouse runs into the trees or hides in the rice fields, farmers use a kind of homemade taser to jolt the mouse with electricity. There is an excitement in the air as the farmers and dogs round up mice in spite of the rain, which starts to fall as we walk through the field. I look around for somewhere to take shelter but there is nowhere to run, nowhere to hide, for me or the mice.

 One of the farmers laughs at me cowering in the rain. "Cu Chi residents are very strong as we eat mice," he says. "Maybe you'll feel better after you eat some."

After our cages fill up with mice and the rain stops, we head back to meet the others. Unfortunately, the downpour has laid our plans of a barbeque to rest, but one of the farmer's kindly invites us to his house instead.

One of the female farmer's kindly lends some dry clothes, while the mice meat is prepared for grilling. This involves charring the mice on a bed of straw to make it easier to remove the fur and skin. The mice are then cleaned with water and ready to go. A farmer tells me that a kilo of mice sells for VND200,000 ($9.7). He adds that after each hunt, his family keeps about 20 mice to make a meal and sells the rest. The mice end up on restaurant menus around Cu Chi or in Ho Chi Minh City.

The seasoning includes garlic, shallots, lemon grass, chilies, fish sauce, black pepper and turmeric. The meat is marinated then placed on a grill and cooked. The meat cooks quickly and soon we are ready to eat. I'm astonished by the taste. Mouse meat is sweet and tender, better than quail or frog in my humble opinion. We devour the meat with slices of “banh mi” and “rau ram” (Vietnamese coriander). Who would have guessed its so delicious?

Field mice in Cu Chi are considered to be a local delicacy. Local farmers sell cleaned and prepared rodents for VND200,000 a kilo

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