In Hoi An, we did a countryside tour where we visited a small business that makes rice liquor, an organic farm that supplies about 30% of the greens to Hoi An (no small feat), tofu pudding (more on that later and a chance to experience bamboo fishing boats or basket boats. The last one was entirely worth if for the whole mini tour.
These boats are traditional near shore woven vessels which are circular. Think ladle and you will have it about right. The are made from bamboo strips, sealed with waterproof resin (traditionally from tree sap and cow dung, but these days I think a more easily accessible sealant is used). They are a real symbol of Vietnamese coastal culture. Evidently they were originally built like this to avoid taxes on boats during French occupation. Now you can take a ride in them, and they are a hoot.
Think bumper cars meets tunnel of love. You ride in these boats, and the canal is shaded by a variety of bamboo which likes the water and creates a canopy. Our ‘skipper’ was the grandma and I swear she had about 3 words which she could say to us that she thought we would know: Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh, and I fort the 3rd word. But super sweet. Her teeth are black, which is a result of a long standing tradition of chewing betel nuts, and is done for cultural reasons as well as acting like a stimulant. According to Trinh it is considered culturally (in the rural communities and older generations) a sign of love and beauty.
The man at the vegetable farm was also interesting, he is one of many laborers, and manually waters his portion of the gardens twice daily. We got to try this, and lemme tell you, it’s not easy.
Then on to the tofu place. This was actually super cool, the man who owned this business grinds 5 kg of soy beans each day to make tofu, in a traditional fashion using a stone grinder, and then adding a coagulant to achieve a loose custard ‘pudding.’ This is then served warm with a ginger syrup, making a delicious dessert. Even Karen was convinced.
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