Vietnamese are great snackers, and nearly every street corner has a stall selling something, usually delicious, for next to nothing. Whether it's steamed corn on the cob with a sweet and salty sauce, to whole lobster grilled in a pan by the side of the road, it's almost impossible to go hungry. Indeed you get to the point where you become a connoisseur of particular delicacies, comparing Pho Bo in Hanoi and Hue, and seeking out the best fresh spring rolls from the hundreds of vendors in every town.
A particular favourite of my travelling companions is Bun Bao, a fist-sized, mildly sweet dumpling, filled with different meats or pastes. One evening in Hoi An, craving a post-dinner something, we approached a street stall for some of the delicious balls of loveliness. In very broken Vietnamese we established that they were neither beef, nor chicken, nor pork, and that they were not vegetarian. Up for anything, and emboldened by my snake from Laos, I got one and bit into it to reveal a filling of a quail's egg surrounded by a meaty, oniony stuffing. It's strong gamey flavour revealed nothing of its genesis to me. A passing tourist wandered over and peered into my dumpling. Smiling wryly he said, "Ah yes, I've had one of those". He turned to the vendor and barked, "Woof, woof"? The local broke into a friendly but somewhat wicked smile and cried, "Yes! Woof woof"!
1 comment:
Hi Fred. Don't tell Alastair you have been sampling one of Poppy's relatives!! How is the scuba diving going? I'm sure its great fun. Keep well. Mum XX
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