Bitter melon soup is full of memories.

I remember my student days in the capital, where we always had to be frugal with our food. Yet, every meal was incredibly enjoyable, especially when we all slurped up bitter greens soup.

The bitter greens soup cooked by my roommate is an unforgettable dish. It's a simple soup, but if I haven't eaten it in a while, I miss it terribly. My roommate, who's from Hanoi , told me many stories about this humble dish.

In the countryside, people still call this vegetable "bitter greens" because it tastes bitter; that's all. Simple and refreshing, it's a popular soup to pour over rice every day.

Bitter melon soup is simple to make but delicious.

Thanh Trung

Bitter greens are grown almost naturally when wild vegetables are scarce. Back in the days of the subsidized economy, when food was scarce, my aunt would often go and pick these wild bitter greens from barren land, wash them, and cook them in soup. My aunt said this vegetable originated in central Vietnam, but people in the outskirts of Hanoi brought it back and cultivated it to grow naturally.

It's as simple as that, yet a bowl of soup is so comforting. Especially for someone returning to the capital from afar, being treated to rice with bitter greens soup, plus some eggplant, is simply wonderful.

It's a simple soup, but it's not easy to cook well. At the time, I was quite surprised because I thought it was just a simple vegetable soup, just boil the vegetables and you're done. But bitter melon soup also has its secrets. My friend said that bitter melon must be thoroughly washed and soaked, otherwise it will have an unpleasant taste.

This dish is best made with perch. The fish fillets are carefully cleaned, washed, and cut in half. Perch tastes best when its meat is marinated with just the right amount of seasoning. This method may sound greasy, but it's the secret of those who make delicious fish soup, even though it's a bit elaborate.

The secret here is to use very little oil or fat; the fish cooks mainly through careful simmering over low heat. Some people prefer to leave the fish whole, while others prefer to cut it in half.

After marinating, the fish looks very appealing. Take the fish out and place it in a bowl or plate. Sauté some shallots until fragrant, then add water and bring to a boil again. Bitter greens are added last. This cooking method preserves the rich flavor of the bitter greens. That slightly bitter taste spreads and harmonizes with the rich, fatty flavor of the perch, creating a perfect combination.

The flavor of that bitter melon fish soup still lingers to this day. I remember one day, an aunt who had left her hometown and gone abroad to start a new life long ago. She only remembered that simple bitter melon fish soup. For her, this simple bitterness was unexpectedly subtle.

Sometimes, you don't need fancy dishes; just the feeling of home and familiar, traditional food is enough.