Canh Bau Tom

Let me tell you a story about this Long Melon dish.

When I was 16 the Government sent most of young people to the Economic Zone to do Labour works for our communistizm education.
It was in Quang Ngai Province ( about 150km from my home). It usually took me about 1/2 day to get home by bus.
On one trip one of the Village girl in our camp (I could be a Village girl too but my family moved to the City when I was young) gave me a lift with her army brother's truck. She invited me to stop by her family for lunch. I used to love simple Village life when we went to visit our relatives.
I didn't know after driving for 3 hours. We stopped the car and continued on foot. We walked and walked for another 2.5-3 hours dodging between dry & wet land on the edge of rice field banks. It was hot and the sun was intensive.
By the time we got to her family I was exhausted and starving. They lived at the bottom of a mountain and nowhere. They were very poor a Straw & mud house on a clay floor.
They were extremely happy to see us. The mother climbed up on top of their Straw hut to pick a Long Lemon & gathered some spring onions and coriander from their garden. She got some dried prawns and cooked this Long Melon dish (Canh Bau Tom) for me.
It was the best dish I had ever have in my entire life. I still remember the taste and how delicious & sweet it was.
Every year I try to cook this Canh Bau Tom with the best ingredients I could find. It's still not good enough. There we are.

Happy New Year. Wish you were here to share this dish.

1.2.2022

❤Hue