by wanderfood
( March 9th, 2010 )
One of the most special lunches we’ve had so far on this journey through Vietnam was at the home of a tribal family in the north. This was a Muong family located on the way to Mai Chau. The above is a sampling of the delectible foods we were treated to including stir-fried morning glory (not the same as those at home), eggs and chicken.
For the vegetarians in the crowd, we were treated to potatoes and fried tofu.
We exchanged pleasantries with the woman of the house – the kind of smiles and nods that take place when you don’t have a commong language. Later, however, when trying to bargain for some items she had for sale, we discovered she knew A LOT more English than she let on!
This is the group enjoying tea at the Muong home. With no table or chairs in sight, we simply plopped down next to the matt as we sat in the 95+ heat.
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by wanderfood
( March 6th, 2010 )
Guest post by Shelley Seale
Wine, beer and cocktails have enjoyed increasing popularity in recent decades, but none have diminished the fondness for the traditional alcohols such as baijiu – something that an imbibing visitor to the country must try, but very carefully.
At 145 proof (about 70% alcohol), this liquor distilled from rice or sorghum tastes very similar to paint thinner on fire sliding down the throat, to the uninitiated. Many places in China have preserved old-fashioned distilleries, where workers make the liquor by hand over wood fires and aged in oak barrels the way they have for hundreds of years. In the charming water town of Wuzhen in Zhejiang province, for example, the Sanbai Wine Workshop from the Qing dynasty can be visited, where dozens of pottery casks of baijiu are lined up in the courtyard and the thick, strong smell permeates the air.
Baijiu is traditionally served warm or at room temperature and consumed like a shot, thrown back quickly. Much like grappa, ouzo or absinthe, baijiu is an ancient specialty that should be sampled; but try not to do so among a group of Chinese, who consider it somewhat of a competitive sport. And if you hear the words “gan bei!” – basically meaning bottoms up – switch immediately to beer or run. This is your cue that serious competitive drinking has commenced.
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by wanderfood
( March 2nd, 2010 )
The Tamarind Cafe in Hanoi is one of my favorite spots to eat. It’s a veggie restaurant and, despite all the frantic life outside, it’s got a laid back atmosphere.
Above is a fruit salad that I ordered as a late afternoon snack. It was so large I couldn’t even finish it and never did eat dinner that night. Besides the obvious mix of bananas, watermelon, pineapple and mango, you’ll see dragonfruit. That’s the white fleshy fruit with black specks in it. YUM!
The next day, I couldn’t resist going back to the Tamarind for lunch. I ordered the tofu with vermicelli noodles. I did finish this but was totally stuffed afterward. Well worth the price of about $3.80 USD.
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