A "strange" way of eating rice with a Western flair

In my childhood memories, the summer afternoons lying in a hammock listening to the wind beating banana leaves, the rustling of coconut trees, listening to my grandmother slowly chewing rice made my heart strangely peaceful. I still clearly remember my grandmother's small figure, her tanned face marked by time, her calloused hands faintly smelling of kitchen smoke and coconut leaves. My grandmother often sat by the dinner table, eating rice with ripe mango and spicy fish braised with pepper. The first time I saw her, I was surprised and asked: "Grandma, why do you eat so strangely?". She smiled kindly, her eyes shining with the story of her life: "We are poor, we only eat whatever is available. It's so simple but delicious!"

A simple meal with some fried dried fish and a plate of watermelon. Photo: TU MINH

Listening to my grandmother's introduction, I tried to eat it, and unexpectedly, it gradually became my favorite dish. The soft, sweet ripe mango mixed with each grain of sticky white rice made my heart suddenly feel light as if floating in a cool breeze. That feeling was not only taste but also the warmth of family love and cherished memories.

Ripe bananas and watermelons are also often eaten with rice. It may sound strange, but the saltiness of the braised fish, the sweetness of the fruit and the richness of the rice combine to create a unique, rich flavor of the homeland. Ripe bananas are soft and sweet, eaten with rice with a little salty soy sauce, and a little spicy chili, creating a simple yet "delicious" bowl of rice. Watermelon is juicy and sweet, and when eaten with rice, it is even more refreshing and pleasant, especially on a hot summer day.

My grandmother once explained that Western rice is sticky and a bit dry, so when eaten with juicy fruits, it has a sweet or sour taste, easy to swallow and not boring. The fruits that are often available in the home garden become "close friends" on the daily meal tray. Westerners eat like this not because it is "strange" but because they love - love the land, love the people and love the simplicity in the meal. The simple way of eating shows a peaceful, simple, uncomplicated way of life.

Rice with mango is a favorite of many people in the rural areas of the West. Photo: TU MINH

On days when there was no soup, Grandma would call Uncle Ut to the garden to pick coconuts, chop them up, and pour the juice over the rice. The sweet, cool coconut juice seeped into the rice, making it softer and more fragrant. Add a piece of dried fish grilled to a crisp, with a spicy chili flavor, and you have a full lunch filled with the love of the countryside in the kitchen. A friend once commented that people in the West love sweets, from the food to the way they talk and love each other. But that sweetness is not just the taste on the tip of the tongue, but also permeates every way of life, sincere feelings, sweet but not salty, honest and warm.

My mother also likes to eat rice with fruit. I once asked her: “Why don’t you eat properly, have enough soup, stew, stir-fry?”. She smiled, chewed the rice mixed with banana and said: “If there is fish, meat then eat, if not then pour coconut water, eat with fruit. As long as it is delicious, that’s all. Who is eating for you, why do you have to make a fuss?”. When I was little, I didn’t understand. When I grew up and went far away, I realized that the best thing is not the food but who you eat with and whether your heart is at peace in that moment or not.

A friend in Rach Gia ward once laughed: “Rice with fruit? Both rustic and lovely!”. For those who have never experienced it, eating rice with coconut water or with fruit may sound strange. But for people in the West, it is a part of their identity, a habit formed from the days of poverty, from the years spent around the fields and gardens. A meal just needs a little coconut water, a few pieces of fruit to be enough to satisfy the stomach, not fussy, not complete but warm.

Nowadays, many people in the West still have the habit of eating rice with fruit. They keep that way of eating not because they are poor but because they miss the taste of their homeland, preserve their memories and roots. Occasionally, I also recreate that “strange” meal. My children look at me with surprised eyes and ask: “What kind of strange food do you eat, Mom?”. I just smile, because there are simple things that cannot be explained in words, but can only be felt with the heart. There are simple dishes, but they raise us to be good people. And there are simple memories, which nourish us for life.

TU MINH

Source: https://baoangiang.com.vn/kieu-an-com-la-doi-dam-chat-mien-tay-a461840.html