Eating Our Way Through Viet Nam [p.2]

Day 6: Hue.
Moving right along, we took the bus to the Imperial City through the Hai Van pass. The breathtaking scenic route through the mountains is not a sight to miss. The endless coastline is dotted with square patches of rice fields. We wound our way down the formidable mountain pass through low clouds you could almost touch. The four-hour trip passed effortlessly and we arrived in Hue hungry, again.

We checked into the Morin Hotel, which was built in 1901 by a French businessman. This famous hotel built during the French colonial period functioned as a university in the late 1950s up until 1990. The hotel had witnessed important historical events; it hosted famous foreign diplomats and was the site of many student demonstrations. After lunching on local fare such as banh beo, banh nam, and bun bo Hue, we took a leisurely xich lo ride along the Perfume River.

Day 7: Hue.
More sightseeing in the historic city, including the Citadel, Thien Mu Pagoda, and Emperor Tu Duc's tomb. The afternoon was reserved for a vegetarian cooking class at a small Buddhist temple, where we made 10 different dishes from soy products. It was one of the most delicious meals we had! That evening we sat on the rooftop of the hotel and imagined all the historic events that took place in this charming and romantic city of Hue.

Day 8: Sai Gon or HCMC.
Traveling south, we lingered on the mystique of Hue. Just as soon as we stepped outside the airport in Sai Gon, a sea of people waiting for friends and loved ones took us by surprise. There were hordes of people on the streets, talking, eating, selling, and conducting business as usual. This densely populated city is home to roughly seven million people with approximately another one million migrating from surrounding provinces to work. The sights and sounds of bustling Sai Gon threw us into a whirlwind of excitement and exhaustion. My students asked a dozen questions about where people lived when they saw the endless retail stores lined up one next to the other. I explained that most people live above their store with several generations all under one roof. As we checked into our hotel rooms, the students were amazed by the number of English-speaking locals. With 65 percent of the population under the age of 35, Sai Gon is a young and ambitious city. Saigonese youths are not only fluent in English; most have college degrees and are very well-informed about current events around the globe.

Day 9: Mekong Delta.
We set out early the next morning for the Mekong Delta. This was one of my favorite stops on the tour. On our way to the delta, we saw many interesting roadside activities: a wedding ceremony, a live snake vendor, and a wide array of local fruit stands. We boarded a small fishing boat and cruised along the Mekong River, which offers a wonderful glimpse of life on the river. There were traditional "boat houses" scattered throughout the river with people cooking inside. The floating market is held on one section of the river, where boats filled with fresh fruits and vegetables gathered to trade. In the distance, fishermen pulled in their daily catch.

Our cooking class was held in a fruit orchard of an old farmhouse. To get there, we used canoes to travel through the shallow water canals. We paddled through a narrow path where rose apple and mango branches drooped low, bearing bright red fruit. The old farmhouse was made of yellow brick and wood and had a beautiful veranda. We cooked banh khot, a southern rice cake favorite, and sat down to devour yet another scrumptious lunch. Our day was complete with a visit to a coconut candy and rice paper-making village.

After our tour of the Mekong Delta, we returned to Sai Gon for more sightseeing and feasting. From Sai Gon we flew to Cambodia for a two-day tour.

By the end of our culinary tour, my students were exhausted but elated. We learned a great deal about Vietnamese food and culture, immersed ourselves in the natural beauty of the land, and enjoyed friendly hospitality. As for me, I left with a mixed feeling of nostalgia and hope.

To find out more about culinary tours to Southeast Asia, go to: www.eastwest cooks.com.