Took
a night bus to Hue. I arrived at Trang Tien bridge on Huong river at 6a.m. My
friend gave me a ride wandering around Hue-a rare peaceful sight. We swing by a
street vendor to have a bowl of mussel rice, enjoy the feature famous flavor of
dreaming Hue. This dish seems to be simple but you never know it’s really
complicated and have many parts. The flavors of life seems to be gathered in a
simple bowl of mussel rice. “Com hen” is everywhere, and changed bit by bit in
each area, but sometimes it is not taken as good care as in this place. “Com
hen” in Hue is spicier than the one I’ve tried in Da Nang.
The owner gently drag
the chair to welcome us. She said “Hen” (baby mussel) is a gift that God gave
Hue, Hue people harvest mussel one year round. Therefore, to acknowledge that,
every year people worship at “Con hen” (Mussel isle) in July in Chinese
calendar with flags and ceremonial, really grave.
In other city, “com
hen” store might be just rice and clams. So, the flavor of mussel and mussel broth in Hue is always the best.
Vietnamese usually have dishes that just cooked, but only “com hen” is served
with “com nguoi” (not hot rice). Hot mussel broth with cool rice balances the
dish. One important thing in “com hen” is vegetable mixture. This mixture
includes thinly slice banana blossom or banana stem, star fruit, mint leaf,
basil, bean sprout… On the small table there are bunch of spices: chili sauce,
grill rice cake cracker, salt, sesame, fry pig skin, fry fat, vegetable… All
likes a choir of taste – sour – hot – bitter – acrid – salt… create an
“incredible” spicy of “com hen”. The vendor quickly makes bowls of “com hen”,
her hand can measure all spices for each bowl without thinking. A bowl of
mussel rice with tiny mussels and spices like save every simple things of Hue.
The rustic carries its own mark and has a bit of conservative to maintain the ancient
and taciturn of Hue…
The pot of broth that
used to eat with “com hen”
“Com
hen” is so spicy that will bring tears in your eyes. She said that “the spicier
“com hen” is the more delicious it is”. That is the first time I try a bowl of
“com hen” by all my senses, and listen to her even make me feel like Hue’s
culture is still living through time.
I hold the bowl of hot
mussel broth and taste a bit, and internalize thank people like her who is
keeping for late generation a dish – a heritage cuisine with Hue’s soul.
*Taro**
0 nhận xét :
Đăng nhận xét