" Hue -Style Cooking" was printed for the third time at Lien Hoa Printing House in Hue in 1965. The book is featured on the website https://www.sachbaokhang.vn

That's the book "Hue-Style Dishes" (Volume 1) by author Hoang Thi Kim Cuc, introduced by a collector. The book was printed for the third time in 1965 at Lien Hoa Printing House, Lam Son Street, Hue, and sold for 50,000 VND.

Over time, the spine of the book is no longer intact. The cover is also torn and yellowed in many places. The illustrations, however, are very simple, featuring two shrimp drawn very crudely, probably with watercolors. The book is old, but the bright red color of the drawings creates an eye-catching, fresh highlight, as if it weren't nearly half a century old.

A version of the book printed at Khai Tri Bookstore before 1975 is featured on the website https://www.oreka.vn

It's a strange feeling to pause before pages faded by time. The author, Hoang Thi Kim Cuc, has also passed away. While posterity may be vague about the Lien Hoa Printing House in Hue during the 1960s, a familiar, intimate feeling evoked by the book keeps creeping in, in a peculiar way.

The name Hoang Thi Kim Cuc evokes so much, about a young lady from Hue in the early 20th century, and also a student at Dong Khanh Girls' School. Ms. Kim Cuc was also a teacher of domestic skills for students at Dong Khanh School, the only girls' school in Hue.

Familiar with Hue-style cooking, this cookbook features a variety of dishes including dry dishes, soups, fried dishes, and stews, along with pickles, tomatoes, fish sauce, and salt, as well as articles about the harvest seasons of vegetables and beans. The book is not just a cooking guide, but also a journey of discovery into culinary culture, with dishes like Hue beef noodle soup, banh beo, banh nam, and clam rice... Each page evokes the feeling of Hue itself, from the phrase "Hue style," to the simple introduction written by the author himself, accompanied by the note: "Vy Da in the autumn of the Year of the Goat."

Like me, the old book on Hue's domestic skills has received special attention from its followers. Everyone longs to own a copy, not only to practice cooking Hue-style dishes. Over time, along with the special association with the name of Kim Cuc, a girl from Vy village, mentioned in Han Mac Tu's poetry, the book has become a heritage.

This is the 5th edition of the book printed at Khai Tri Bookstore, bearing the inscription "Dedicated specifically to female students" and the author's initials, Hoang Thi Kim Cuc (kc). (Photo courtesy of the publisher)

Upon further investigation, it turns out that there are quite a few online stores specializing in selling used books. There, one can find a different edition of "Hue-Style Cooking" printed for the fifth time at Khai Tri Bookstore (Le Loi Avenue - Saigon) before 1975, or the first edition published by Tan Dan Publishing House in Hue.

It turns out that old books still have a fascinating life of their own. Many people still cherish the knowledge of the past, preserved on the pages of books. Perhaps, keeping old books, loving old books, and collecting old books is also a way of living slowly, amidst a life that is becoming too fast and too hurried, to realize that books are never truly old.

Little Sister