Hoi An is a quait place that is huge on charm. An international trading center in the 16th and 17th Century today it is busting with tourists and locals alike. Once Japanese, Chinese, Dutch, and Indian traders once set up emporiums and had their own quarters today it pure a town where one truly can get an honest sense of Vietnamese culture.
I was able to take a Vietnamese cooking class from one of Vietnam’s top chefs and restaurateurs. We began by going to the local market where we observed locals shopping for their meats, vegetables, eggs, spices, and everything else in between. The meat would be lying out in a covered area being freshly chopped by the butcher. Heads, entrails, and all the every other body part imaginable is open to an eager buyer. As a vegetarian I was fairly repulsed by the onslaught of dead smell, but part of me also knows that every part of the animal was being used and most the animals were given far better treatment then the saran wrapped processed meats we see in the all mighty USDA regulated supermarkets. I saw eggs of all sizes and colors. Vegetables I have never seen and fruits that look outright mean with thorns and prickly leaves. Sampling the scrumptious fruits reminded me to never judge a book by its cover.
We then proceeded through the gorgeous lamp lined streets of town to the restraint and cooking school where we would learn how to prepare some of the exact ingredients we saw in the markets into scrumptious items fit for a Vietnamese king and his 300 concubines. We learned the tedious process of making rice paper, of how they roast peanuts, sesame seeds, and fry up shallots. We learned how to shred into fine Juliann slice papaya. Every bite mindfully prepared to the nature to the Yin Yang or balance of texture, flavor, smell, and size. We prepared and ate a full meal of Salad Rolls, BBQ meat (tofu for me), Papaya Salad and Morning Glory.
Food blissed we rolled out of school and hit the streets for some sights, sounds, smells, and shops that are now seared into my memory. Hoi An is a unique treasure trove of a variety of traditional architectures. Monuments, living quarters, and temples are all preserved and intact as if this land was untormented by the many war and colonial occupations that have left their scar in so many other places.
As we entered the Confucianism temple we were immediately engulfed in plumes of smoke from the numerous incense coils, and joss sticks used for worship by followers. We were witness to people asking for blessings for the New Year or Tet as it is called in Vietnam. Statues depicted stories or stood as symbol to this fascinating religion. I was entranced by the peace. I was annoyed by the unruly American tourists calling out the injustice of the proliferation of incense and the lack of understanding they held.
Walking through the streets my imagination went wild with thoughts of past, present, and future Hoi An. What was it like when these lamps were lit by no electrical means. How I longed to walk the romantic streets with loved one by my side enjoying the laid back pace and nature of this enchanting place. How long will Hoi An maintain this old world charm that makes it so beautiful.
Yes Hoi An has taken a place in my heart. It’s timeless beauty, simplicity, and its raw culture fascinate me. Thank you Hoi An and maybe I will see, smell, and savor you again.
Saturday, March 30, 2013
Cooking in Hoi An
Hoi An is a quait place that is huge on charm. An international trading center in the 16th and 17th Century today it is busting with tourists and locals alike. Once Japanese, Chinese, Dutch, and Indian traders once set up emporiums and had their own quarters today it pure a town where one truly can get an honest sense of Vietnamese culture.
I was able to take a Vietnamese cooking class from one of Vietnam’s top chefs and restaurateurs. We began by going to the local market where we observed locals shopping for their meats, vegetables, eggs, spices, and everything else in between. The meat would be lying out in a covered area being freshly chopped by the butcher. Heads, entrails, and all the every other body part imaginable is open to an eager buyer. As a vegetarian I was fairly repulsed by the onslaught of dead smell, but part of me also knows that every part of the animal was being used and most the animals were given far better treatment then the saran wrapped processed meats we see in the all mighty USDA regulated supermarkets. I saw eggs of all sizes and colors. Vegetables I have never seen and fruits that look outright mean with thorns and prickly leaves. Sampling the scrumptious fruits reminded me to never judge a book by its cover.
We then proceeded through the gorgeous lamp lined streets of town to the restraint and cooking school where we would learn how to prepare some of the exact ingredients we saw in the markets into scrumptious items fit for a Vietnamese king and his 300 concubines. We learned the tedious process of making rice paper, of how they roast peanuts, sesame seeds, and fry up shallots. We learned how to shred into fine Juliann slice papaya. Every bite mindfully prepared to the nature to the Yin Yang or balance of texture, flavor, smell, and size. We prepared and ate a full meal of Salad Rolls, BBQ meat (tofu for me), Papaya Salad and Morning Glory.
Food blissed we rolled out of school and hit the streets for some sights, sounds, smells, and shops that are now seared into my memory. Hoi An is a unique treasure trove of a variety of traditional architectures. Monuments, living quarters, and temples are all preserved and intact as if this land was untormented by the many war and colonial occupations that have left their scar in so many other places.
As we entered the Confucianism temple we were immediately engulfed in plumes of smoke from the numerous incense coils, and joss sticks used for worship by followers. We were witness to people asking for blessings for the New Year or Tet as it is called in Vietnam. Statues depicted stories or stood as symbol to this fascinating religion. I was entranced by the peace. I was annoyed by the unruly American tourists calling out the injustice of the proliferation of incense and the lack of understanding they held.
Walking through the streets my imagination went wild with thoughts of past, present, and future Hoi An. What was it like when these lamps were lit by no electrical means. How I longed to walk the romantic streets with loved one by my side enjoying the laid back pace and nature of this enchanting place. How long will Hoi An maintain this old world charm that makes it so beautiful.
Yes Hoi An has taken a place in my heart. It’s timeless beauty, simplicity, and its raw culture fascinate me. Thank you Hoi An and maybe I will see, smell, and savor you again.
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