When
settlers arrived in Vietnam’s southern Mekong Delta they found a wild and
fertile land. Lanh Nguyen from Vietnam Heritage Travel reports on the development
of their distinctive cuisine and culture
Some rivers in southern Vietnam are
immense, their water clouded with red silt. Tiny canals run in all directions.
Different topographies have given rise to all manner of boats and junks. Young
girls row tiny sampans across the waves. Large wooden barges move slowly
towards Cai Rang Floating Market
Long ago, settlers pushed down dark
canals in the marshes of U Minh Ha and U Ming Thuong. Learning on their swords,
they stood before the vast forests around Chau Doc and Long Xuyen, listening to
the cries of tigers. In this wild land they struggled to survive, break new
ground and till their fields.
In the North, and elaborate system of
dykes protected the farmers’ fields. In the South, the famers faced countless challenges.
They were so focus on practical matters that they had to eliminate many of the
old customs and rituals. A new southern culture developed
In their new land, new cooking
techniques evolved. People would catch a fish, cover it in river clay and grill
it over burning straw. People’s lives revolved around the rivers.
A Ca Rang, a type of rustic terra cotta
oven used to grill food – was found on every boat. The name of Ca Rang comes
from the Khmer language. Even today, the sight of a Ca Rang reminds us of the
settlers who explored and tamed this wild region three centuries ago.
As they drifted with the current,
huddled against the northeast wind and sat in their canoes waiting for low
tide, the early settles ‘ thoughts would turn to the comfort of their ca rang.
The nights were long and lonely. Mosquitoes buzzed. Their rice jars were often
empty. To ward off hunger, the settles created Mam Kho Quet – a dish of
leftovers and fish sauce cooked over a low fire. Eaten with cold rice and herb,
this dish is simple but tasty. Little crabs or Lim Lim leaves might be added or
fish and shrimp. When the tide is high, people in An Giang joyfully greet the Ca
Linh, a type of tiny fish that swim down from Tonle Sap Lake in Cambodia. When
the high tides flood the land around Dong Thap, farm work ceases. The famers
hunt for rats and snakes fleeing towards higher ground.
Living on the river, houses must be airy
enough to let the wind pass in and out easily. The roofs are made of Nipa Leaves.
Visitors are greeted with glasses of wine and some dried mullet fish, which has
been grilled over cajuput branches. The people don’t think about the distance
pass or worry about the future. The southern mentality seems more relaxed and
intimate than further North. The people are frank but friendly.
Thanks to the weather of shrimp and
fish, the people in the delta have created many dried and salted dishes. Guests
from city are often left speechless when surveying the bounty of herbs and
vegetable arranged beside a southern hot pot. There are dozens of types of vegetables
in shades of yellow, red and white. Water hyacinth is eaten. China tree leaf
salad with dried fish is delicious with some dry rice wine.
So long as there is firewood for the Ca
Rang, a delicious meal can be made. Little fish swim in the canals and tasty
plants line the banks. When they meet, people on one boat may offer a few
mangoes to those on another, then pass over some fresh – caught shrimp, then
some wine. Over a casual meal, people soon become great friends. Despite
countless changes, the lifestyle of the early southern setters endures in their
beautiful region.
This
article written by Lanh Nguyen from Vietnam Heritage Travel
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