Bo tai kien dot, or ant-bitten rare beef, is a renowned delicacy of Tam Dao. Quynh Anh, a restaurant owner in Tam Dao, said the dish’s unusual name comes from ant-bitten beef cooked rare.

For authentic flavor and optimal taste, locals meticulously select and prepare the ingredients. The beef comes from freshly slaughtered cows, still warm, with a chewy texture.

The beef is cut into large, 1-2 cm thick slabs and hung on tree branches near forest ant nests. “People poke the nest to make ants swarm the meat. Fresher, warmer beef attracts more ants to bite,” Quynh Anh said.

Depending on conditions or preferences, instead of hanging on trees, the beef can be placed in a large basin, and the ant nest brought down to bite it.

To achieve the desired flavor, Tam Dao locals choose forest ants and only use nests from trees, ensuring cleanliness and a distinctive, appealing taste.

Different ants impart unique flavors. Kien vong den (black ants) give a slightly pungent aroma, while kien vong do (red ants) add a tangy sourness, kien bo nhot ants bring spiciness, and kien ngat offer a fragrance like water bugs.

“For richer flavor, locals hang beef at various ant nests. The fiercer the ants and stronger their bites, the tastier the meat,” Anh added.

After the ants bite, the beef is rinsed in diluted saltwater, drained, and grilled over a charcoal fire. While grilling, the meat is quickly flipped to let heat penetrate each fiber. The beef will release juices and an enticing aroma.

Quynh Anh noted that the beef is perfect when cooked rare, with a slightly seared exterior and pink, juicy, tender interior.

When served, the beef is sliced thinly, arranged on a plate, and paired with ingredients like herbs, sour starfruit, green banana, and soy sauce.

The dipping sauce for Tam Dao’s ant-bitten rare beef is made from corn and soybeans, mixed with a bit of sugar and shredded ginger.

Diners place beef on fresh herbs, add preferred ingredients, roll it up, and dip it in the sauce. The dish is praised for its delicious taste, blending beef and ant aromas with the astringent, sour, and sweet notes of accompaniments.

Visitors to Tam Dao can try ant-bitten rare beef at local restaurants for VND150,000-200,000 per plate, enough for two.

Vinh Phuc’s specialties boast unique flavors, including Lap Thach fermented fish, ant-bitten rare beef, Lung Ngoai rice cakes, Vinh Tuong molasses pancakes, and Tam Dao chayote, rarely found elsewhere.

Thao Trinh