Andrew Fraser is an Australian YouTuber who has been living and working in Vietnam for many years. He has a YouTube channel with more than 80,000 followers, where he regularly posts videos about travel and culinary experiences in many provinces and cities that attract millions of views.

Most recently, Andrew came to Mu Cang Chai in Yen Bai province and visited the enchanting Mang Mu Village, where people live in harmony with nature.

Mang Mu, in Andrew’s eyes, is a pristine village, with traditional wooden houses and subsistence activities. On the strip of land, he immersed himself in the rich local cultural heritage, learning about the significance of bamboo trees in locals’ lives, from making utensils to nourishing people.

Mang Mu is located on a high mountain in   commune, Mu Cang Chai district, about 7 kilometers from the town center. This is considered the best place for visitors to fully admire the beautiful landscape in Mu Cang Chai.

Local residents there are mostly H’Mong ethnic minority people, living on agricultural works and forestry. Andrew commented that   is one of the most beautiful villages in Vietnam that he has ever set foot in. Though the village is located high on the mountain and it took him one hour of walking to reach, he still had a good impression about the trip, attracted by the beautiful landscapes and locals’ hospitality.

There are many beautiful bamboo forests in Mang Mu. Locals told Andrew that bamboo is not just a kind of tree, but an indispensable part of the life of H’Mong people. He  witnessed how locals making musical instruments and learning how to process traditional dishes from bamboo.

One of the reasons that prompted him to come to Mu Cang Chai was that he expected to taste a very delicious dish there, called ‘sau tre’ by locals, or bamboo worm (Omphisa fuscidentalis).

Bamboo worm is a species of parasitic insects in bamboo stems, mostly seen in some Northwestern mountainous provinces. This creature is small in size, two-knuckle long, and pure white in color.

The appearance of bamboo worms may threaten people as it is ugly, but it can be used to make a lot of delicious dishes.

Andrew’s journey to taste bamboo worms began when he came to see a local resident named Bla and collected worms himself. He was astonished when seeing so many plump bamboo worms scrabbling on all fours in the newly chopped tree stump.

Andrew once tasted many species of insects before, but he still felt a bit hesitant when seeing the worms.

Before coming there, Andrew was ready to taste the dish, but when harvesting bamboo worms and seeing them clinging to small pieces of bamboo, he was a bit concerned and could not imagine how he would eat them. The expectation about the food when coming to the mountainous village disappeared.

But the Australian man was reassured by local residents that bamboo worms are very tasteful and nutritious. And Andrew, though still feeling a bit nervous, persuaded himself that bamboo worms may have the attractive flavors like the other insects he once tasted before.

After collecting bamboo worms, Bla guided him how to treat worms preliminarily. Bamboo worms can be used to make various dishes, such as fried bamboo worms with bamboo shoots, banana inflorescent salad, and deep-fried bamboo worms. However, roasted bamboo worms with lemon leaves are the best.

First, bamboo worms need cleaning. After that, they soak the worms in salt water or lime water to eliminate impurities. When the work is done, they roast the worms in a hot pan, stir until cooked evenly, and then spray spices. Then they sprinkle lemon leaves on the worms. The fleshy, greasy taste of the worms and the aroma of lemon leaves blended together create a wonderful dish.

Andrew took a daring move by trying some worms and realized that they were more delicious and easier to eat than initially imagined.

Phan Dau