Once an American friend teased me that I was too salty, I almost wanted to fire back, “Well, I’m also chua cay (which means “sour and spicy”, or “unpleasant”) because I have been eating too much dưa and mắm since I was a little girl,” but I held it back as I didn’t think he […]
Food
I like many kinds of food but I only love Huế food.
Nấm Tràm (Bitter Bolete) and How I Cook It
Nấm tràm (bitter bolete) might be favored by Huế people as much as truffle is to many French gourmets although it is way cheaper than the truffle. Nấm tràm’s season is between summer and autumn and it only appears after a few days of heavy rain. Nấm tràm is very bitter, especially its skin, which […]
How To Make Sugar-coated Pomelo Peel
Markets in Huế are flooded with pomelos now as these fruits are in their season. I love eating this juicy fruit and love its fragrant peel as well. I use its peel to make hair treatment and even snack. I’ve recently made sugar-coated pomelo peel using Auntie Tuyết’s recipe. This is a great snack to […]
Making Wood Fire-baked Bánh Mì in Huế
My mother loves nothing but loaves of bánh mì which are freshly baked in wood-fired ovens and still feel hot in her hands the moment she has them. I’m happy that I could always make her satisfied thanks to the traditional bakeries near our house. Many bakeries in Huế have changed from baking bánh mì […]
How to Make Ambarella Salad in 15 Minutes
When I was a little girl, my neighbors had an ambarella tree. I sometimes came over and asked for some. My neighbors would use a long bamboo stick with a hook at one end to pick up the ambarella fruits for me. I loved it best when they harvested the ambarella fruits for sale. It […]
Bánh Ú Tro – The Once-In-A-Year Treat (or Trick)
In Huế, bánh ú tro only appears once a year on Tết Đoan Ngọ (Duanwu Festival) which is on the fifth day of the fifth month according to lunar calendar. People buy it to offer to their ancestors on this special occasion. It is sold at Đông Ba Market or other traditional markets from early […]
The Nostalgic Bánh Tráng
Mệ Cuộc is an old lady with a gentle smile, fair complexion and her white hair was braided nicely into a bun. She had a small shop which sold everything, from cigarette to bánh mì, candy, spices, rubber bands, toys, etc. I was around three years old when I got to know her. My mother […]
Bánh Bèo Dĩa
“How does it taste, ma?” I excitedly asked my mother the moment she put the first piece of bánh bèo, which I had just made, in her mouth. “Good!” She replied while chewing the smooth and tender bánh bèo made of rice flour and topped with shredded shrimp. Just that single word from her put […]
Fruits You Shouldn’t Miss If You Visit Huế City
You haven’t really known Huế if you come and leave this garden city without trying some of its locally-grown fruits. Fruits are certainly at their best if you taste them seasonally. That said, don’t try to find bưởi and thanh trà (kinds of pomelo) if you happen to be in Huế in the wintertime. Just […]
Photos: The Fresher Side of Đông Ba Market
Đông Ba is the biggest market in my hometown and seriously you can find from a needle to an elephant here. When I was a little girl, my favorite part of this marketplace is the central one where you could find a lot of stuffs that a little girl would love such as clothes, shoes, […]