Simple things: Autumn scent, sticky rice, human love

Remembering the scent of late autumn, Hanoi is as gentle as an old song. The wind carries the scent of milk flowers, creeping through each street, touching the memories of those far from home. In the hustle and bustle of life, just a glimpse of the sticky rice stall at the beginning of the street, people seem to be pulled back to the memory where simple things are still intact.

I stopped and bought a package of green rice. The heat spread through the lotus leaves, carrying the pure fragrance of heaven and earth. Each sticky green rice grain mixed with green beans, grated coconut and a bit of roasted sesame, simple but complete. In the middle of the modern city, this rustic dish still retains its rustic, familiar features like a part of the soul of Hanoi .

Eating sticky rice with young rice in the chilly morning, I suddenly remembered my student years away from home. Early mornings on the way to the lecture hall, breakfast was just a package of sticky rice with young rice bought in a hurry in front of the school gate. At that time, I didn’t have much money in my pocket, but just a handful of hot sticky rice was enough to start a long day full of energy. The fragrant sticky rice aroma, lotus leaves with the faint scent of sunshine, the familiar cries in the heart of the small street… all became unforgettable memories of my simple yet beautiful youth.

Today, in the heart of Hanoi, I found that feeling again, so warm, familiar and full of love. Without the need for flashy advertising, sticky rice still quietly tells its own story. It is a story about the perseverance of the workers, about the simple lifestyle of Hanoians and about the way people here give each other warmth through each small gift. A package of sticky rice is not only a breakfast dish, but also a symbol of humanity - the kind of affection that makes visitors from afar feel the friendliness and closeness.

Hanoi is probably most beautiful in the fall, when everything slows down. In the scent of green rice spreading, we can hear the breathing of the streets, feel the subtlety of the people here, gentle, deep and imbued with human love. Every step through the old town, every time we hear the call “hot green rice here…” makes our hearts calm down. It turns out that in the midst of modern life, what holds people back are not high-rise buildings, but traditional flavors, the feeling of touching one’s own memories.

Amidst the bustling footsteps of the city, I realized that the scent of green rice is not only a taste, but also a memory, a way for Hanoians to preserve their soul in the midst of the modern flow. Like me, many people come to the sticky rice stall not only to eat, but also to find a sense of peace, to slow down amidst all the worries. Perhaps that is why Hanoi, despite changing every day, always makes people miss it. Because in each grain of green green rice, there is not only the scent of autumn, but also the sweetness of human love, of small things that are enough to make a city full of Vietnamese soul.

I left the street corner, carrying the warm sticky rice package in my hand. The scent of lotus leaves still lingered on my fingertips, reminding me that there are simple things that can make people's hearts sink. The scent of autumn, sticky rice and human affection - three flavors blend together to create the identity of Hanoi, making anyone who has ever visited want to return, just to find a bit of peace in this busy life.

Hang My

Source: https://baodongnai.com.vn/van-hoa/202511/dieu-gian-di-huong-thu-xoi-com-tinh-nguoi-71908bf/