The scent of flowers - A gentle longing.
No need for tending or cultivation, just waiting for the rain, the delicate purple buds of the flowers push through the soil, signaling the arrival of autumn.
A strange flower emerges from the earth - the Hourflower.
If the flood season in the Mekong Delta brings the linh fish and the water hyacinth, then the Nẫu region proudly boasts the "bong gio" flower – a gift from heaven and earth reserved for the sun-drenched, windswept land of Central Vietnam. The flower is unpretentious, with delicate, pale purple petals and a golden stamen like the first rays of sunshine; its fragrance is subtle yet powerful enough to evoke memories for those far from home.
In a land of sunshine and wind like Dak Lak , it's not easy to recognize when autumn arrives unless you pass by the alley one afternoon and catch a whiff of the fragrant scent of jasmine flowers in your mother's sour soup. For those far from home, just mentioning autumn immediately brings to mind that very distinctive scent.
Some say it's called "bong gio" (hourly flower) because it blooms precisely at the right time, only appearing in autumn. Others say its correct name is "bong giề" (clump flower), meaning it grows in clumps. People in the old Phu Yen province, now Dak Lak, pronounce "ê" as "ơ," hence the name "bong gio." But whether it's "gio" or "giề" doesn't really matter. Because this flower only grows abundantly in this region, and only the people of the Nẫu region gave it its name.
Cotton blossoms – a gift from heaven and earth, bestowed upon the sun-drenched and windswept land of Central Vietnam.
The flowers of the wild spinach plant are not only for admiring; locals have also transformed them into a unique and rustic culinary ingredient unmatched anywhere else. From steaming pots of wild spinach soup and plates of boiled vegetables dipped in anchovy fish sauce, to bowls of sour fish soup with mackerel brimming with the spirit of the countryside – everything becomes more flavorful with the addition of a few wild spinach flowers.
Surprisingly, its aroma doesn't overpower but enhances the flavor of each dish, leaving a lasting impression on anyone who tries it. Locals have also created unique dishes such as adding the flower to pancakes, stir-frying it with bean sprouts, or even adding it to rice or sweet soup, creating a flavor that is both familiar and novel.
The flowers are now in the sour soup that my mother cooked.
For tourists, enjoying the flowers of the "bong gio" plant is a way to experience the soul of the countryside. What's special about the "bong gio" flower isn't just its flavor; its tenacious vitality is also admirable. Bare and withered throughout the summer, yet after just one autumn rain, the "bong gio" flower is reborn, resilient and proud.
It possesses a unique beauty of its own.
The "Bong Gio" flower – a flower that blooms only once a year, for a brief ten days or so, yet it's enough to make autumn in the Nẫu region unique and memorable. It's a fragrance, a symbol of rebirth, and above all, a gentle nostalgia in the hearts of many. The "Bong Gio" flower – a rustic flower that encapsulates memories of the countryside and simple, heartfelt emotions, so that anyone who has tasted it once will feel a pang of longing when far away.
The cotton flower – the flower that makes autumn in the Nẫu region unique and memorable.
Source: https://vtv.vn/bong-gio-noi-nho-diu-dang-100250914172323446.htm
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