The UNUSUAL Lives of Vietnam's BLACK HMONG People!! | TRIBAL VIETNAM EP2

there is no way there is nothing here how is there something here there is no way oh I see it our journey continues in the remote highlands of northwestern Vietnam right now we are walking this narrow path that surrounds the mountain for generations the

people

here have learned to thrive As we deal with harsh living conditions, everything and this animal will be used in some way today, Andrew and I are going to learn the hard way what is going on, what it really means to live off the land, oh man, look that thing, Andrew yesterday. We have to hang out with the

black

among the

people

and see how a wedding works today.

We can go to a

black

man's house among the family. Awesome. How was breakfast? Breakfast is the first thing we will do, but we have to help prepare it. That's no big deal, we made these eggs and bacon right, it's not that kind of breakfast, oh yeah, you see, we've come to the home of a family of black monks in this region, it's quite possible that this is where the egg was invented. pounded rice. although now an increase has been confirmed, you know, mochi, of course, they don't call it mochi, here they call it the local word banzai, today we are going to make banzai with some local ladies, this is your team member, this is the member of my team.

The goal is to pound the rice faster than the other team. Here are our tools. All we need now is rice. Traditionally, bonsai is a Vietnamese dish made with pounded white rice. Here people have tweaked the banzai recipe by adding their own touch using purple goo. rice growing in this area wow this is beautiful naturally dyed purple rice and we are about to die naturally in a second this sticky rice is considered a luxury ingredient it requires more care and produces a significantly lower yield than white rice so what only a small portion is grown and saved for guests of honor and special events like weddings, it's time to hit it, yeah, sorry, come on, didn't you understand that there are between 9 and 11 million people worldwide?

No mercy this is one of the largest ethnic populations with no country of their own take advantage take the initiative we are taking them here they are known for their ornate dress made of shredded hemp they died in various colors depending on which subtribe they belong to oh no I'm stuck here the black monk wears a traditional black guard these women are so tough i know how they are so powerful we're done we're done it seemed like the punches were the hardest part but now we have this unwieldy, super sticky rice ball this giant, magnificent ball will be divided in portions He put on smaller, more manageable gloves, so he broke off a piece and rolled it on itself like a big ball of mozzarella cheese to prevent the pounded rice from sticking to his fingers.

He covered his hands with hard-boiled egg yolks. She put some egg yolk. in this dish and that will prevent it from sticking, a whole one, the sticky rice is ready to eat like this, but you can also wrap it in a banana leaf and cook it over the fire, ma'am, I was in such a hurry to mash it. rice I didn't understand your name what is your name I miss you you are the head of the family like many others among the people of your community she and her family are farmers here you have made a sticky rice dish the local name is Banzai now Is it the Vietnamese name or them, so what is it called?

Buy cake and the black one is sticky. Before we can bite into the sticky rice cake, it must be cut with a piece of thread. We usually use the hemp thread to cut the cake. It is combined with a traditional sauce made of chili peppers roasted in ashes, how do you say cheers?, we don't say that's amazing, it's like mung tabasco mmm, that's great, I love this texture, you know, I went to Japan, I made their version of pounded rice and the texture. It's a little different The best known pounded rice in the world is probably the mochi found in Japan, but it turns out that pounded rice was not invented in Japan or Vietnam, it originated in ancient China and was introduced to Japan through from Southeast Asia.

What I had in there was much more runny, super sticky, it definitely wouldn't turn solid and crunchy like this strong one, you know, you have to work a little bit to separate these things. You also grilled it here, can we try that? This, oh, it's a big piece, although it's a little spicy and there's just a nice big crispy crust here, okay, let's see, it's got that toasted rice flavor, really delicious. I can't believe how different it is from the unroasted version. If you've ever had crispy rice cereal, that kind of toasted rice flavor that's really captured here, this is a delicious breakfast, I really enjoyed it, I love this spicy sauce.

What's going on here? He has made Jungle Rush Jungle Reds Jungle Another jungle rats and that's what is that for to eat or freeze if your family is very poor you don't have enough cornfield you don't have enough food to feed the chicken or the pig this is the only one you found without money the Hmong are survivors people who were persecuted in China generations ago, so they moved, packed up their

lives

and traveled to lands that most would consider impassable and uninhabitable, but the people here adapted, they dug rice fields into the mountainsides and They really lived off the land of men when they died.

They will go to their jungle and try to catch them. Living here means being resilient and resourceful. It's time to see if Andrew and I have what it takes. Andrew, I haven't told you yet, but today we're going to help them. Get some different foods for the meal we're having tonight. What can Andrew do? What's up with the hashtag on the rice? He seems like he's a good fisherman, but what's going on here? I know you didn't catch any last time. fish guys, I'm quite disappointed nothing, absolutely nothing, okay, let's go catch an eel, okay, yeah, mashed rice, yeah, 100, promise me, yeah, okay, guys, now we're down from the house up there to the Tulare rice fields I'm with. my partner, ha, together we have crushed the Sunny team once and we are going to crush it again, unfortunately, I don't see any fishing rod or anything, I only have this instrument that looks like a traffic cone, speculate a little like that, no, no, maybe as long as andrew is around.

Out fishing, the men and I headed up the mountainside to hunt a mysterious jungle creature. Hopefully we'll have something to bring for dinner right now. She is digging a hole in the side of this dam wall. I think what's going to happen if we. We are literally going to drain this entire rice field. Attach our minnow traps to the hole so that the eels that are here have two options: they come to our minnow traps and eat them or they get stranded in the now dry rice field. There are eels in this rice field. I don't see how they get away with it.

We have to catch them right now. We are walking along this narrow path that surrounds the mountain and under this foliage there could be a hole that a rat or some type of rodent is hiding. We have walked a short path from miss me's house to this forest on the side of the mountain. trying to think if I were a rat what kind of hole I would build if I was left alone here I would probably starve I would probably put it under here I would probably put a small roof over it I would probably have a small porch in front but that would be too obvious but for the locals there is food from everything around us, including a not-so-common source of protein.

Oh, I think he found something there. We have already drained a good part of this rice field and we still have no eels. How can there be eels here? It's a rice field where could they come? It's probably been dry for years and considering our empty trap, I'm really starting to question this, so we run into a hole here. There is no way to know for sure if there is anything inside. The only way to know is to write. from knocking on the door uh he's going to do that now using a garden hoe sir take it leading the hunt today mister zhang is he no he's sticking his hand in there that's the scariest thing you're looking at Oh God, no, empty, there's nothing there, okay?

Just because you find one tunnel doesn't mean there's going to be something there so we just have to keep trying and hope there's something in the next one so that when the water is almost draining you can see the eels and the ripples of the ridge. the fin cuts the surface of the water, so it turns out that you drain all the water. It is quite easy to find the fish. Look, we've already captured one. I can see. I can see something there. This is a great start we just stumbled upon. a hole, you can't even see it, it's completely covered, if there's anything there, it's closed the door on itself, sir, take it in, look, I see an eel that's, oh oh, man, look at that thing locally, they're called eels, but they are actually loaches, a kind of elongated freshwater fish, they have whiskers, something like a catfish, it is slippery, it keeps moving and walks along my hands, which is strange for a fish, how Do you see it?

What do you really see? like everything is sunk there is no way there is no way anything is still here oh i see it i see it i see it oh my god this is the most dangerous part this thing has huge teeth it's grabbing him behind the neck oh no, It's freaking huge, no way, I can't believe he just did this, I thought there was no chance there was anything in there, but he just pulled it out of that hole very expertly, I mean, look at these teeth, a bite this rat and it will take a quarter of your finger off from here.

I think we'll head back to the house and, well, you know what's coming next. Andrew, we just got back from our hunt, my friend. Yes, the results. Oh, look at that. Sunny side That's a lot Can I tell you? I also have something. Can you hear it? Sounds like a glutton Andrew feast your eyes on this What the hell man? He is angry. This is not just any species of large rat. It's called bamboo. rat a rodent found throughout Southeast Asia that feeds on bamboo you caught this I basically caught this I mean you basically caught this I hung out with the local guy okay walk me through this what you contributed exactly to this god, what did I contribute?

I poured out a lot of doubt about the situation. There's no way there's anything here. I described the situation as what was happening in detail. Oh, it's backwards right now. Is he going to come to us? Basically, nothing. I didn't really do anything. It doesn't matter for now we are going to bring this thing we are going to bring this angry little guy to dinner after dispatching the animal the men collect the blood from the bamboo rat and then miss meat drips this newly collected liquid into her daughter's eyes she He believes that since rats live in dark places they must have great vision.

She hopes that this great vision can be transmitted through the animal's blood. It's impossible to know if this is a tradition among the people of this region, the people on this side of the mountain, or just the people of this house, but it doesn't seem to be a widespread practice. Adults, mainly adult men, also seek to derive their own benefits from this freshly shed rat's blood. Andrew, a big part of being in the hunting party is what we're going to do next, these guys mix blood. with a potent rice wine and take a drink in an effort to increase stamina and virility oh, satisfying, huh, it's hard to describe what I like least in that drink, corn wine is really intense and abrasive, isn't it? refined at all, but when you add blood to it. so it tastes like iron, okay, that was a top tooth now we're ready to start making dinner.

The kitchen is underway. Everyone collaborates. The ladies take care of the fire and rice while the men prepare the meat. When the meat is ready. hit the fire we are back here with the loaches that we just caught in the rice field and we are following the story right now they have been sandwiched on these bamboo skewers imagine this is a fairly traditional way of cooking Fish, the meat here is It looks very different, it actually looks more like a beef. I wonder if it tastes a little more protein-like than the white, flaky ocean fish we're used to.

I definitely never ate fish. a rice field before and I am very excited because a lot of rats also come and they are cooking in a very similar way giant rat skewers but not everything is roasted a dish will be stewed with a very special ingredient right now we are going to make a dish with that bamboo rat, it will take the intestine and remove the contents of what's inside, that will be thrown in the trash, not all of it, and this animal will be used in some way yesterday, Andrew and I went to a wedding where we saw them cooking a kind of gastric acid soup from beef intestine.

Here he's making a similar preparation, but with the rat intestines I can see that there's kind of a pattern where one uses every part of the animal, but two appreciate these really bitter parts. sour flavors, let's try it friends, thank you very much for inviting us here, it is an honor to join you for dinner right now, let's do a quick tour of the table, we have jungle rat here, we have the eel soup with gastric acid andthen This looks like a delicious dessert we have in the US. What is it? Actually, this is your snack, uh, snake, yeah, for these snake cakes.

The snake meat is minced and fried until it turns a desirable shade of golden brown. When was the last time you ate a snake? she had never really held her life when was the last time you had a snake, can you change nine he is very afraid of snakes, does anyone have any snakes here? The interesting thing about a video like this is that everyone will see everything here and assume that this is what they eat all the time every day, not true, two people here have never even had the snake, one guy ate it often last time a year ago so stop making assumptions on the internet ok we should try it regards I will tell you just put some herbs in there a little seasoning it's rich and fried it's almost impossible to eat it it's full of little hard bones but the taste is good of everything here what's your favorite queen like they're in little brother oh the jungle wrap that's all I need Andrew, yeah, so let's try it, take one, shall we eat this guy's bones too?

Yes, shut up, he's serious, he's with us, he's ripping his head off right now, he's putting it in his mouth, oh my lord, it's. very crispy very good, okay, people at home know, no, no, no, no, we have to eat it. It's about having an open mind. I'm open minded. She tried it. We don't all need to try it. What's wrong with it? You, that's the goal of this program, oh yeah, okay, okay, yeah, so we turn our heads until our neck gives out. Test it. I must say it's not bad. A wonderful smoky flavor from the way they cook it.

I can't believe how juicy it is. It's inside it's really quite tender and soft I think I have a brain in there it tastes smart yes the brain is the rats are smart you know what oh this one tastes very smart Andrew I think we should try the fish you so bravely cut, it's a great idea, the grilled rice loaches start with chillies with garlic and lemongrass, everything finely chopped, then pepper, salt and message, it doesn't have much fish, no, that's good, it's juicy, it's delicious, the seasoning you put there It's coming out and the bones are so fine, it has a nice texture, I don't mind the bones, Andrew, well done, well, thank you sir, yes, and you know the woman who actually did all the work, but well done, we have a final dish that we prepare. a bamboo rat gastric acid soup made from the digestive fluid in the intestines of rats.

Bamboo rat gastric acid soup. After the intestines of bamboo rats are removed and washed, they are cut releasing their contents, including gastric acid. Think of it as delicious, deeply bitter stomach acid. Mix that with chopped ginger and chillies and add it to a pot, wait until it cooks completely, add water and chopped lime leaves. Oh, that was interesting. They had put so many herbs in there, they gave it a little bit of that livery flavor, but other than that. It's really that leaf that shines, yes, there is a little bit of bile, but it's behind all these other spices, they've mixed it with so many other intense flavors that the bile is having a hard time shining, yes, this one scared me. when you look at the rat when you look at the preparation and your gut is like, oh my god, what have I gotten myself into?

What are we doing right? But I can see that they don't see it as much different. of any other creature and they definitely use everything I have to say, it's very surprising to me to see how resourceful everyone here is and how much you can do with what you have and it seems like the way you live is very sustainable growing your own food by raising to your own animals, what kind of things do you still have to buy with money? It makes more sense that what you need to buy is salt or oil. If you have a little more money, you can buy meat.

Yeah, I'm curious if you had unlimited. resources, what might you want to buy, I love buying a rice flouring machine, fill if you have the machine, you don't waste entire years to follow the water buffalo just to flour the rice, the people here are the definition of clever this is the only one you found with no money they are not waiting to be saved in any way they are not waiting to be taken care of by a charity or government organization these women are so tough I know they wake up every morning counting on the Only the people with the They can count on themselves and others and would rather like to open a store to sell things to local people.

Miss Me's dream is to one day have a simple convenience store on a main street so she can finally free herself from working in the fields and let customers come to her. I hope one day she gets there. We have seen that living off the land is not for the weak but next time learning to live off water becomes a problem what we have to do is use your mouth to cook it buddy what's going on to be an influencer doesn't require millions of fans all you need is this t-shirt, entertain and inspire at your own pace, don't be an influencer, be a micro influencer, get your t-shirt.

Now they're making a miniature. Are they making a miniature without me? What are they doing Kai? Are they posing? They say they are intelligent. They were making like a miniature. We are literally going to drain this entire rice field. Any eel that is in this lake. and they have two options: we catch them or they drown, no, they don't drown or whatever, they leak, the intestines are separated into two different parts at the moment, these are the large intestines that are full of excrement. We don't want to eat that, it's disgusting, guys, we did it in another episode in the bowl.

I hope you had a great time, I sure did guys. I really want to thank Andrew for joining me too. Andrew is my good friend who

lives

here in Vietnam and he also has his own social media platform here on youtube, you can follow him and see what he is up to, as always guys, thank you very much for watching, I will see you next time.