Nhat Le in the misty season - Quang Binh Electronic Newspaper

(QBĐT) - The misty season in Nhat Le usually begins around late spring to the end of April. It is not long but moving. From midnight to morning, mist falls and spreads everywhere. The river is covered in white mist. The city is immersed in a deep obscurity. Under the yellow light of the early morning, one can see the ultimate etherealness of the mist particles wandering in the night. Mist gently falls on the canopy of leaves. Mist covers the streets. Mist drifts on hair, eyelashes, clothes... Very real. Very unreal.

Wearing a thin coat and stepping out into the street at this time is really wonderful. Not too blinding in the rain, not enough to make you wet, just enough to let you feel the purity of the earth's essence. Not enough to make you cold, just enough to let you feel the coolness of a fresh morning. Nothing to see. The river disappeared. The sea surface disappeared. Even the bottom net very close to the river's edge disappeared.

We only realize the rhythm of life is starting by the sounds echoing from around. There are sounds but no images. The rumbling sound of the boats staying up all night to catch squid and docking at the river mouth echoes. The bustling sounds on the wharf and under the boats. The clattering sound of bicycles of women going to the market early. The glimpse of a strong young man, a plump young woman. The long strides on the street then gradually disappear into the mist. Extremely magical. Walk quietly. Listen to the sounds. Imagine the faces, the smiles. Imagine the river, the shore. Imagine everything that is very familiar to us according to our own feelings, until the sunlight spreads down, the mist gradually dissipates, everything appears clearly under the warm sunlight, it will be an extremely yomost experience.

Dong Hoi city in the early morning mist. Photo: Cuong Bui

In the foggy season, many kinds of seafood are floating after the cold winter days. The first days are the days of the sea expansion. The expansion reaches the river mouth, so much so that just rowing a boat a short distance from the shore can scoop up a lot. The fish are fresh and clear. Picking up a few clusters of tamarind scattered on the flower pot will immediately make a delicious and clean bowl of soup. These days, the whole riverbank is bustling, noisy, busy from dawn to dusk.

Large shrimp are dried on large nets. Stretched along the sidewalks and embankments. Dyed pink. Smaller shrimp are used to make shrimp floss. Pressed. Fake. Salted... The mist dissipates. The sun rises. The shrimp smell spreads. The wind from the river blows in, spreading to the small alleys from Hai Thanh, Bao Ninh to Quang Phu. The shrimp smell is very distinctive. Those who are used to it will be addicted. Those who are new to it will find it hard to love. However, if you endure for a few more months, when the shrimp in the jars has been naturally baked by the summer sun and hot Lao wind, even the most fastidious people will not easily ignore Dong Hoi shrimp floss. Pink red. Smooth. Sweet. And very fragrant. The fragrance cannot be described in words. Just say that, if anyone happens to smell that fragrance, they will really want to eat it and imagine a plate of hot noodles in front of them. Shredded pork is a food that stimulates all senses in a comprehensive way: color, smell, taste... without the need for makeup by industrial chemicals.

After the khuyec comes the rice snail, many places also call it the ceremonial snail or simply the snail. But I still prefer to call it the rice snail because the name sounds familiar, rustic and very beautiful. I don't know when it was born, but the rice snails in Dong Hoi beach, Quang Binh are so abundant. It's amazing, nature and the ocean are so generous. Like the khuyec, the rice snail collector doesn't have to invest much, just need an iron rake with a net to catch the snails to be able to earn a decent amount. However, only someone who understands the snail's living habits and the laws of the tide can do this job.

Rice snails often gather and breed under a thin layer of sand, 1-3 meters from the shore. People often go raking snails when the fog is thick, from midnight to morning. That is also the time when the tide is low. When the fog is thick, rice snails boil up in layers. Place the rake on the sand, pull back a short distance, and if it feels heavy, you know you have hit a snail nest. Rice snails are small and pretty like buttons. Colorful but not flashy. Just looking at them is adorable.

Eating rice snails is another story, elaborate and somewhat meticulous. The snails must be soaked in sea water to release all the sand inside before the processing stage. A little bit of pork fat fried with lemongrass and chopped chili. A little bit of sea shrimp. Salt. Lemon leaves. The smell and taste all come from nature. The aroma intoxicates the whole neighborhood. That aroma is an invitation. A lively chat begins. The snail worshipper is like an embroiderer, patient and skillful. Each wrist shake to pull the snail out of its beautiful shirt is an art. I am not fond of this dish because I am impatient, but seeing people worshiping each small snail and eating with pleasure, I can see the reason for their passion. Many women have reached the threshold of skill.

In the morning, the mist covers the bottom of the nets along the banks of the Nhat Le River, appearing and disappearing. The city has a truly different beauty. It seems like a scene that cannot be touched or entered. I often stop by the riverbank to watch the nets being cast early in the morning. When the fishing rod on the watchtower starts to cast the net, the water surface, which is still under the white mist, is awakened. At first, there are only small disturbances, the higher the net is cast, the louder the sound of the fish splashing in the net. From illusion to reality. Bursting with excitement and wonder. The fish splashing in the mist sparkle. Silvery white sardines. Golden sardines. Mullet flickering in the light...

Seeing this scene, food lovers will immediately think of a pot of fresh fish stewed with green chili and a plate of fresh green vegetables. Delicious beyond words! It has become a habit, the storks also waiting on the top of a tree quickly swoop down, standing precariously on the edge of a net or on a pole in the middle of the river, raising their small heads, raising their long beaks, looking around to sniff out the fish. Looking at the long necks and skinny legs of the storks makes me feel sorry for them. So no one chases them away. Strangely peaceful!

Nhat Le in the misty season, a lyrical and charming city. Every morning, just putting on a thin shirt, walking in the mist to watch life bustlingly waking up is an immense happiness.

Essay by Truong Thu Hien

Source: https://www.baoquangbinh.vn/van-hoa/202503/nhat-le-mua-suong-2225286/