Wikipedia

Shaking beef

Shaking beef or bo luc lac (Vietnamese: bò lúc lắc, French: bœuf lôc lac) is a Vietnamese dish that consists of beef that has been cut into small cubes the size of playing dice (hột lúc lắc) marinated with soy sauce, fish sauce and oyster sauce, then sauteed with red onion and pepper before being placed atop a bed of fresh lettuce and slices of tomato and cucumber. Prior to French colonization, beef was considered a luxury ingredient in Vietnam, as cows were rarely slaughtered for food and were kept as working animals to be used for labor instead. This dish was, therefore, mostly reserved for formal events, such as wedding banquets and anniversaries, although now it has become a common food.[2][3][4]

Shaking beef
Alternative namesBo luc lac
Place of originVietnam
Region or stateSoutheast Asia
Associated cuisineVietnamese and Cambodian
Serving temperatureHot
Main ingredientsBeef, cucumber, lettuce, tomatoes, red onion, pepper, soy sauce, fish sauce, and oyster sauce.
Food energy
(per 240 serving)
655 kcal (2742 kJ)[1]
Nutritional value
(per 240 serving)
Protein39 g
Fat52 g
Carbohydrate6.4 g
Similar dishesLomo saltado

Etymology and Origin

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In the Vietnamese language, bò means "beef" and lúc lắc means "shaken" or “shaking”.[5][6]

The dish originated from the sidewalk eateries of old Saigon.[7]

Another meaning of the word lúc lắc can be traced to hột xúc xắc (dice). The beef is cut into cubed pieces like dice, with the word lúc lắc also being a play on traditional Vietnamese games involving dice[8] called xúc xắc[9], more specifically a game called "đánh lúc lắc".[10][11]

The reason why the beef is cut into smaller cubed pieces resembling dice is because the use of chopsticks in the eastern Asia culture of the Vietnamese, being better suited for picking and eating smaller sizes rather than larger strip pieces.[12][13]

Popularity

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Its popularity reached the United States where it is called shaking beef, a literal translation of Vietnamese bò lúc lắc.[14]

 
Cambodian lok lak

Outside of Vietnam, shaking beef is widely enjoyed in neighboring Cambodia. The beef is cut into strips in Cambodia, unlike in Vietnam.[15] Here, the dish is known as lok lak or loc lac (Khmer: ឡុកឡាក់) and is often considered a national dish, even though it originated in Vietnam.[16][17] The etymology of lok lak is perhaps the most telling evidence supporting its out-of-Vietnam origin. The word lok lak derives from Vietnamese bo luc lac which means shaking meat.[18]

When shaking beef did enter Cambodia's culinary repertoire from Vietnam, the initial version consisted of high-quality steak cut into cubes and pan-seared in French butter, which stems from Indochina's French colonial past. Later, a simpler version influenced by Chinese culinary techniques emerged using cheap cuts of beef and Chinese oyster sauce. This is the version enjoyed in Cambodia today.[19]

References

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  1. ^ "Shaking Beef: Nutrition Facts". Nutritionix. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
  2. ^ Le, Helen (2014). Vietnamese Food with Helen's Recipes. CreateSpace. ISBN 9781500529710.
  3. ^ Le, Tam (31 August 2020). "Shaken Beef". Delish. Retrieved 27 February 2021.
  4. ^ Ngo, Tristan (5 September 2018). "Bo Luc Lac - Cubed Beef". Asia Life. Archived from the original on 25 January 2022. Retrieved 27 February 2021.
  5. ^ Livingston, Rika (24 March 2021). "Bo Luc Lac Recipe (Vietnamese Shaking Beef)". Posh Journal. Retrieved 13 April 2023. Bò Lúc Lắc is a famous Vietnamese beef stir fry. In the Vietnamese language, bo means beef, and Lúc Lắc means shaken.
  6. ^ Trinh, Philippe (4 November 2024). "Bo Luc Lac - Vietnamese Shaking Beef Recipe". Whiskey and Booch.
  7. ^ "Các làm món Bò lúc lắc thơm ngon, hấp dẩn". Mami Farm. 2024-04-20. Retrieved 2024-11-29.
  8. ^ "Bò lúc lắc - Món ngon đậm chất Âu". Dân Trí. 2022-11-08. Retrieved 2024-11-29.
  9. ^ See Hội Khai Trí Tiến Đức, "Việt-Nam Tự-Điển", Trung-Bac Tan-Van, 1931.
  10. ^ "Bò lúc lắc, Tây bậc thầy của Việt". Sài Gỏn thập cẩm. 2024-04-10. Retrieved 2024-11-29.
  11. ^ Huinh, Paulus (2018). Đại Nam quấc âm tự vị [Dictionnaire Annamite]. Nhà xuất bản Tỏ̂ng hợp TP. Hồ Chí Minh. ISBN 6045873572.
  12. ^ "Nguyên liệu, tẩm ướp và hướng dẫn cách làm bò lúc lắc ngon tài nhà". Việt Giải Trí. 2021-08-11. Retrieved 2024-11-29.
  13. ^ Gérard, Sabrina (2018-09-24). "Lok Lak". Retrieved 2024-11-29.
  14. ^ "Nguyên liệu, tẩm ướp và hướng dẫn cách làm bò lúc lắc ngon tài nhà". Việt Giải Trí. 2021-08-11. Retrieved 2024-11-29.
  15. ^ Gérard, Sabrina (2018-09-24). "Lok Lak". 196 Flavors. Retrieved 2024-11-29.
  16. ^ Emmerson, Miranda (2014). Fragrant Heart. Summersdale. ISBN 9781783720545. The classic Khmer dish loc lac (shaking beef) derives from the Vietnamese standard thit bo luc lac, yet in Cambodia it is regarded proudly as a home-grown national dish.
  17. ^ Gérard, Sabrina (24 June 2018). "Lok Lak". 196 Flavors. Lok lak is so popular in Cambodia that you could think it is originally from there, but it actually comes from Vietnam, where it is called bò lúc lắc. Bò means "beef" and lúc lắc means "stir" or "shake". This term evokes the movement of the diced meat in the wok.
  18. ^ "Beef Lok Lak". Visit angkor. 2024-06-06. Retrieved 2024-11-29. It is said that the name lok lak goes back to the Vietnamese bo luc lac, which means "shaking meat".
  19. ^ Parkinson, Charles (1 April 2016). "Meet the London Chef Serving Cambodian Dishes That Escaped a Genocide". Vice. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
 

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