Forgotten Foods: Sprouted Spinach and Pork Ear Salad (Vietnam)

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Sprouted Spinach and Pork Ear Salad
Prepared by Nguyen Thi Phuong
Viet Nam Farmers’ Union (VNFU)
Vietnam

Years ago, Nguyen Thi Phuong embarked on her journey of cultivating sprouted spinach, but at that time, many were unfamiliar with sprouts and their culinary possibilities. With dedication and thorough research into the nutritional value of sprouts and innovative cooking methods, she generously shared her knowledge within her community. Over time, her efforts bore fruit as people acquired the skills to create delectable dishes using sprouts, resulting in a thriving market for her produce.

Ingredients:

• Pork ear
• Sprouted spinach
• Yam bean
• Red cabbage
• Carrot
• Peanuts
• Spices: Fish sauce, sugar, lemon juice, chili, lemon, garlic

Instructions:

Preparing the ingredients

1. Clean the pork ear and then boil it with water and salt.
2. After boiling, slice the pork ear thinly.
3. Shred the carrots, yam bean, and red cabbage, and cut the herbs.

Making the sauce

1. Add 2 spoons of sugar, 2 spoons of fish sauce, 2 spoons of lemon juice, 2 to 3 chopped cloves of garlic, and chopped chili (depending on preference). Mix well until the sugar is dissolved.
2. On a plate, mix the shredded vegetables, sprouted spinach, and sliced pork ear. The herbs absorb the sauce quickly so do not add them to the mixture yet.
3. Pour the sauce over the mixed vegetables and pork ear. Mix thoroughly then set aside for a while to allow the vegetables to absorb the sauce.
4. Meanwhile, you can prepare decorations for the salad (optional).
5. Once the vegetables have soaked up the sauce, add the herbs and mix them with the other ingredients.
6. Transfer to another plate, add decoration, and serve.

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The “Women Ensuring Food Security and Nutrition: Forgotten Foods Cooking Contest” is organized by the consortium Asian Farmers’ Association for Sustainable Rural Development (AFA) and La Via Campesina (LVC) through the Asia-Pacific Farmers’ Program (APFP) – Farmers’ Organizations for Asia (FO4A) and Assuring Resiliency of Family Farmers (ARISE). APFP-FO4A is supported by the European Union (EU) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). ARISE is supported by IFAD.

More info at https://asianfarmers.org/women-ensuring-food-security-and-nutrition-forgotten-foods-cooking-contest/