Warm wisps of smoke in the early chill of the season.

Here, the seasons have changed. The streets suddenly seem to sway and tremble, the tiled roofs appear darker and more somber, even though it's only the end of October. However, thanks to the early arrival of the cool season's breeze, the warm, fragrant smoke that permeates the streets has become a delightful human experience.

Warm plumes of smoke fill the air, dispelling the first chill of the season. Photo: Ky Lam

Waking up early on a cool late autumn morning is truly beautiful. Under a banyan tree, a cloud is rising, sometimes clear, sometimes hazy, around a crowd huddled together, murmuring in amazement. It's not a cloud or fog, but steam rising from a basket of sticky rice.

Nothing is as comforting as the steaming hot rice on a "chilly early morning in the heart of Hanoi ." That steam is fragrant with the aroma of golden glutinous rice grains that once grew in the fields of Me Tri and Phu Thuong, steamed until plump and juicy like the rear end of a bee, seemingly ready to burst with a light bite.

But no, those plump grains of sticky rice didn't break apart as imagined; instead, they were soft and fragrant, warming the entire mouth the moment it entered, followed by a simple yet captivating aroma that captivated all the senses. The more you chewed, the softer and sweeter it became.

Sticky rice served with sesame salt, peanut salt, shredded pork floss, or, for a more luxurious option, pork sausage or fatty pork sausage, used to be a popular breakfast food in winter. The Hanoi-style sticky rice packet is just as appealing as other sticky rice packets in other cities of North Vietnam during the cold season. They all evoke a feeling of warmth and satisfaction.

For example, in the city of Nam Dinh, there's sticky rice with a "skull" (xôi sọ), still with fragrant sticky rice grains surrounding a skull-shaped container filled with a piece of pork fat and mashed mung beans. While eating, you suddenly hear a "pop," and a puff of hot, fragrant steam rises, infused with the aroma of pepper and mung beans. Oh, there's no culinary sensation more delightful and satisfying than that.

But it had to be the simple morning sticky rice, not the savory kind with all sorts of toppings like braised meat, braised sausage, braised eggs, and hot pâté drenched in sauce. Because savory sticky rice seems more modern and "fancy," unsuitable for the older generation, and especially, it doesn't give off that fragrant steam in your hands.

Sticky rice packets were a lifesaver for students during those difficult times. They were cheap, but on those chilly mornings going to school, having a handful of sticky rice, steaming warm as you walked, provided a delicious, hot treat to ward off the early season chill – it was truly a heavenly reality.

Even better is when that steaming hot sticky rice is wrapped in freshly picked, gleaming banyan leaves. Banyan leaves are thick and soft; no matter how hot the rice gets, it won't become soggy like with other leaves. Sticky rice wrapped in banyan leaves has a unique flavor, offering a delightful and clean sensation.

But the warmth of the cold season isn't just found in baskets of sticky rice or handfuls of sticky rice. The savior of the cold winter streets also lies in those 50-liter pots, which, when the lid is opened, release a cloud of warm, fragrant beef bone broth simmered with ginger, cardamom, and cinnamon, overwhelming the entire street.

The steam from Hanoi pho. Photo: Trang Vu

The warm smoke rising from the pho pots evokes a nostalgic feeling of early autumn in everyone. Above all, the warm steam of the pho broth, of the bowl of pho itself, gives the cold season a unique charm. Almost every nation has a dish to ward off the cold, one that is both hot, delicious, and distinctive. For Vietnamese people, that is pho.

Imagine a broth simmered over charcoal for 8-9 hours. The heat from the ingredients and the cooking time are transferred into every drop of broth, and then into every bite of pho, into every cell of the person eating it.

The Buddha once said that each drop of water contains countless worlds . So, does a single drop of pho broth also contain countless cold winds? Those cold seasons have risen into warm smoke, captivating the souls of countless people, becoming a longing on chilly mornings along the long streets.

What could be more delightful than enjoying a delicious bowl of pho on a chilly day? Despite the biting wind outside, inside, you're sheltered by the warm steam rising from the simmering broth, by a bowl of pho as steaming as the surface of Dam Dam Lake on a winter's day. And then, savor the warmth and deliciousness of a meal forged from the heart and soul, nourished by thousands of calories.

However, those warm wisps of smoke can sometimes be incredibly romantic. Imagine sitting with your loved one in a small cafe, gazing longingly at a steaming pot, beside a woman—whether fat or thin, beautiful or not—who possesses the power of a fairy.

With a flick of her wrist, warm smoke rose like a coiled dragon. Suddenly, the vendor scooped up a ladleful of powder, swirling it around the cloth to create a perfectly round ball. Then, with another flick, she covered the pot with a lid. The warm smoke vanished, leaving only a few faint wisps of smoke, like a fleeting moment of doubt.

A few minutes later, he waved his hand again, the lid swung open, and the magic trick resumed, sending warm smoke rising. But this time, the smoke wasn't just a bland wisp of water; it was filled with the fragrant aroma of cooked rice flour, finely chopped cooked wood ear mushrooms, and cooked minced meat.

The smoke rises like the ancient sorrow of Thang Long, and with fingers using thin, sharpened bamboo chopsticks, they slip under the dough, transforming the round into a square, then spreading it out into a roll, and finally lifting it to place on a plate. Wherever the hands go, the smoke follows, until it is cut into bite-sized pieces, sprinkled with golden fried onions, and then steaming hot before the diner.

That hot rice roll, dipped in a slightly spicy sauce with fresh chili and black pepper, eaten with cinnamon pork sausage and cilantro, is truly the perfect treat on a chilly night. The moment the rice roll enters your mouth, the feeling of contentment lingers, and as you open your mouth slightly, you ask your loved one, "Is it delicious?"

How many rice roll stalls are there in this northern land of Vietnam? How many people have sat eagerly watching the warm steam rising from the rice rolls at Hoè Nhai slope, in the mountain town of Cao Bằng, or in the old market of Đồng Văn? Those are the many people who have enjoyed the pleasure of savoring the warm steam, making the cold season a cherished memory.

Laodong.vn

Source: https://laodong.vn/du-lich/am-thuc/nhung-lan-khoi-am-mua-chom-lanh-1601128.html