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Tag 11 - The Foodie and the Beach

Argitaratu: 03.02.2023

After a breakfast consisting of self-brewed Vietnamese coffee and two Custas (small biscuit cakes with custard filling - amazing!), I was picked up from my hotel at 8:30 am. The first stop was the market in Hoi An. Our guide Trang explained to us what each vendor offered and what acceptable prices were. We bought pineapple, lettuce, herbs, rice noodles, and meat at the market.

Shopping at the market in Hoi An
Shopping at the market in Hoi An

Afterwards, we were taken to Bay Mau, where we were rowed through the coconut palm forests in the famous round bamboo boats. The boats can spin in circles like teacup carousels. You can also pay an extra fee to be swung around in one of the bamboo boats by one of the rowers to loud music if you want. The atmosphere on the river and in the small boats was very good, and I really enjoyed the fun ride in the sun.

Cheese with hat
Cheese with hat
Basket Boats
Basket Boats
Fisherman throwing his net
Fisherman throwing his net


After our boat ride, the main part of our excursion began: the cooking class. Our guide Trang first showed us how rice was peeled and rice milk was made in the past. Then she demonstrated how to make rice paper, and we were allowed to try it ourselves.

The rice grain is separated from the husk
The rice grain is separated from the husk
Shaking and sieving separate rice flour, rice grain, and chaff
Shaking and sieving separate rice flour, rice grain, and chaff
Mill for making rice milk
Mill for making rice milk
Rice porridge is poured over a cloth over steam
Rice porridge is poured over a cloth over steam
The rice porridge is spread out
The rice porridge is spread out
After a short steaming, the rice paper can be taken off the cloth
After a short steaming, the rice paper can be taken off the cloth

Then, under Trang's guidance, we got to cook four traditional Vietnamese dishes: two types of summer rolls with peanut hoisin sauce, Vietnamese pancakes (banh xeo) with fish sauce, rice noodle beef salad, and a classic Hanoi-style pho. The dishes were incredibly delicious. I am looking forward to cooking them at home. Test tasters can contact me. All in all, this excursion was a great experience and for me, the "foodie," one of the highlights of my trip.


My kitchen workstation
My kitchen workstation
The cooking students at work
The cooking students at work
Two types of summer rolls with peanut hoisin sauce
Two types of summer rolls with peanut hoisin sauce
Banh xeo with fish sauce
Banh xeo with fish sauce
Trang demonstrating the next course
Trang demonstrating the next course
Rice noodle salad with beef
Rice noodle salad with beef
Pho station
Pho station
Pho Bo, Hanoi-style
Pho Bo, Hanoi-style

Back at the hotel, I made myself a coffee to aid digestion - I was incredibly full after the cooking class - and booked flights and a hotel for the second half of my stay in Vietnam. Then I borrowed a bicycle from the hotel and rode between rice fields to An Bang Beach to let my soul unwind a bit.

Buffalo in the rice field
Buffalo in the rice field
An Bang Beach
An Bang Beach


Erantzun

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