Not afraid to explore new lands.
In 2003, Ms. Le Thi Hai Yen (41 years old, originally from Ho Chi Minh City) and her two daughters (children from her previous marriage to a French national, now divorced) emigrated to France. Two years later, she met and married her current husband. She has two more sons; the eldest is in 9th grade this year, and the youngest is only 2 years old.
She and her husband lived in Marseille, France, for 10 years before moving to Toulouse so her husband could start his own company. Because her husband's job required frequent travel to many countries, she and her children also embraced the "nomadic" lifestyle.
Ms. Hai Yen is currently living in Senegal.
"During the Covid-19 outbreak, traveling abroad was very difficult. My husband and I couldn't go to countries with a red status. At that time, we were planning to go to Ivory Coast, but a week before departure, that country switched to a red status, so we couldn't go. In Africa, Senegal was one of the two countries with a green status, so the whole family decided to go there," she recalled.
For her, life in Senegal is quite peaceful.
One might have thought that the decision to move to Africa with her husband would be difficult for the Vietnamese bride, but in reality, it was quite comfortable.
"When I first arrived, I was quite surprised by the infrastructure in Senegal. The people's lives are quite simple; people in remote areas still don't have electricity or running water, only those in big cities or the wealthy have it," the Vietnamese bride said.
The restaurant staff assisted Ms. Yen with the cooking.
A few weeks after arriving in the new country, the woman began going to the market by motorbike or horse-drawn carriage. Finding Vietnamese food and ingredients here was difficult, and tropical fruits were not abundant. Her family bought a house near the coast, exactly to their liking, and intended to settle there permanently.
Introducing Vietnamese cuisine to diners in Senegal.
Ms. Yen adapted to her new life through the food. She noticed that the locals often used hibiscus leaves to make soup and steeped the flowers in water to make a drink. The woman tried it herself; at first, it tasted strange, but gradually she got used to it and found it delicious.
Hoi An-style chicken rice prepared by Ms. Yen.
"Where I live is about 80km from Senegal's main city, and there are Vietnamese restaurants there. However, finding rice paper and fish sauce is very difficult because there is little Vietnamese community here. For eight months, I couldn't find fish sauce; some ingredients I had to import from France. Besides new dishes, authentic Vietnamese dishes are always present in our meals," the mother of four confided.
Dessert soup
Besides locals, Senegal also has many Europeans living and working there. Since there are no Vietnamese restaurants in her area, she often cooks traditional dishes and invites people over for meals to strengthen connections.
Spring rolls are a favorite dish among many diners.
On one occasion, a French friend praised her cooking skills and suggested she cook for a nearby restaurant. She agreed and started cooking at the restaurant once a month. In Senegal, it's common to have "houses without numbers and streets without names," so she couldn't cook at home to sell online. She usually prepares a menu in advance for customers to order from.
"Spring rolls, fried spring rolls, braised pork... these are dishes that the locals here really enjoy. The first time I made them for about 40 people, it was a success as they praised them a lot. I still remember one time I made sweet potato dessert; many people thought the dessert would be cakes, butter, or milk... but they didn't expect the main ingredient to be sweet potatoes. Another time, I made banana ice cream, and they were very surprised. Seeing them enjoy the dishes I prepared myself makes me very happy," she shared.
Ingredients for Vietnamese dishes are difficult to find in Senegal.
According to her, restaurants in Senegal are quite expensive, costing up to 20,000 francs per dish, equivalent to 30 euros, due to high ingredient and cost expenses.
"Senegal cuisine typically has 8-10 main dishes. Vietnamese cuisine makes me proud, and I want to introduce it to more countries," the Vietnamese bride confided.
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