Saigon tamarind ice cream

It's a simple, everyday drink, not often mentioned by culinary experts. Tamarind is mixed with water, stirred, ice is added, and then it's enjoyed.

It's that simple, yet surprisingly delicious. When working in Saigon, alongside days spent in luxurious hotels and lavish banquets with famous dishes, Saigonese people far from home often think of familiar street-side refreshments. It's a distant image, yet so close; you can be served it instantly just by stepping out onto the street.

Tamarind iced tea is probably because it's the quickest drink to prepare.

Tamarind ice is a traditional drink often sold from pushcarts. Gradually, wherever there's a crowd and good sales, vendors find a way to set up a fixed stall to make a living. People come and go, passing by and then turning back, not because they begrudge the time, but because the tamarind ice is simply delicious.

I've been back several times like that too. When a customer comes to the tamarind ice cart, the vendor pulls down her scarf, revealing a bright smile. Spending all day making a living on the streets, her hard life and beautiful dreams are her motivation. She pours, stirs, and makes a refreshing, mildly sour glass of tamarind ice.

That beverage cart sells many things, but I usually order tamarind iced tea. Perhaps because it's the quickest drink to prepare. It could be considered an instant drink, since the tamarind iced tea is already mixed in the container; customers just need to pour it out, add water, and ice. A sprinkle of crunchy peanuts on top makes the tamarind iced tea even more appealing, creating a unique and delicious flavor.

Occasionally, the little girl beside her would try to help her mother. Her legs were unsteady due to a lingering effect of an illness, yet she still busied herself helping her mother earn a living. Seeing her struggling to open the large box lid, the mother didn't scold her but gently helped her twist it a little so she could open it herself. The little girl grinned widely, and with both hands, handed me a glass of homemade tamarind juice.

At times like these, I suddenly feel the urge to give more than the price of the tamarind juice to help the mother and daughter a little. Once, I gave her a twenty-thousand-dong note for the tamarind juice and told her not to bother with change. She shook her head, and the little girl urged her mother to give the change to the customer. I quickly came up with a solution that would satisfy both sides: I would make another glass for myself to take away.

The tamarind ice drink is already prepared; customers just need to pour it out, add water, and ice. A sprinkle of crunchy peanuts on top makes the tamarind ice drink even more appealing, creating a unique and delicious flavor.

The poor eking out a living on the streets of Saigon all have their own hardships. Who wants children to endure the scorching sun alongside their mothers? Children are innocent; they just want to help when they see their mothers suffering. Saigon, with its crowded streets, is fortunate for this mother and daughter selling drinks; they manage to save enough to send the child to school. The child also has dreams and desires: to eat well and dress well. She wants to become a teacher someday. But that's a distant dream. The tamarind juice cart continues its clatter from dawn till dusk; just maintaining a livelihood is already a great achievement.

The little girl kept pestering her mother to let her help out when it was busy. Her mother reluctantly let her do the simple task of receiving and giving change to customers. One afternoon, when I went to buy a cup of tamarind juice to support the business, I noticed she seemed taller. It turned out she was wearing red high heels. She proudly showed me a pair of her daughter's old shoes that a customer had given her. She also had a new item: a large wallet with a strap, also a gift from a customer. Each time a customer gave her money, she would politely receive it with both hands and give them change, "bonus" with a bright smile.

Children only need small joys like that. Helping Mom makes her happy. The little girl's purse was bulging, seemingly indicating she'd sold more goods today. Perhaps her smile attracted more customers, or perhaps it was simply because this was Saigon.

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