Home-cooked meals are never boring.

Harvesting rice in my hometown - Photo: NGUYEN PHONG CHAU

"This time of year, back home, we're preparing to harvest the winter-spring rice crop. I remember when Dad carried those sacks of rice back to the drying yard; the aroma of ripe rice and straw is an unforgettable memory," she said. Then she showed me a picture of the golden rice fields, with mountains in the distance.

"My hometown is in the mountains, and only in the last ten years or so have we had irrigation canals brought to the fields. Before that, the villagers relied solely on the weather and the land for farming..."

Perhaps that's why I cherish simple, rustic dishes from my hometown, valuing every fragrant, sticky grain of rice in the bowl. Every time we eat together, I still use the broth to rinse away any leftover rice grains in the shared bowl.

"In the old days, when my grandmother was alive, she used to tell us not to throw away a single grain of rice because it was 'a precious gift from heaven'. My grandmother lived through the war and the subsidy period, enduring many hardships and difficulties, often going hungry and lacking clothing, so she cherished every grain of rice and every bite of food."

Listening to her story touched me deeply. Even more so, I felt a longing for my mother's home-cooked meals. "For me, home-cooked food is never boring." I love home-cooked meals just like her. Perhaps that's why I developed feelings for her. And then, I fell in love!

I remember the time I visited my hometown, my mother cooked a simple, rustic meal for guests. Central Vietnamese cuisine tends to be a bit salty, probably because they're trying to save on food?

She didn't explain, but agreed. I told her I liked my mother's braised young jackfruit, and she said it was a popular dish. The young jackfruit is peeled, cut into large pieces, placed on the stove with a little oil, seasoned to taste, then water is added and simmered over low heat until the liquid evaporates. The spices permeate every fiber of the jackfruit, creating a rich, fragrant, salty, and sweet flavor that's very appetizing with rice.

Homegrown water spinach, harvested and cooked with a handful of fried shrimp, makes an irresistible soup. In the hazy afternoon, after the first summer thunderstorm, everyone gathers together.

The chopsticks clattered softly in the bowl, then my mother reminded me, "Eat well, okay? When your aunt comes to Saigon tomorrow, you should invite her to eat with you." The whole family smiled brightly and happily. "She said that, but it's unlikely she'll go there," my friend's sister-in-law said.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/com-nha-an-khong-bao-gio-chan-2024033009140043.htm