Cooking Class at Hoa Tue, Saigon

We met the chef at the main food market at 8:30. He carefully explained that the market was one of the cleanest anywhere - no flies or maggots. That was good to know, and we were off following him through stalls piled high with brightly colored tropical fruits, lotus leaves, buds and stalks and sheaves of morning glory tendrils (a delicacy). Crabs made to march in rows in baskets frantically waved pincers at us, and one fish jumped from his bowl and tried to get away. Inside the main building we learned the ins and outs of selecting rice paper and passed by displays of pigs ears, snouts and other parts. Two of our participants decided they were vegetarian.

The class was held above the restaurant which is housed in an old opium refining plant. Four expats, a Brit, two Aussies and a girl from Taiwan.

Two Germans, a Frenchman, two more Aussies and yours truly were in the class. A fun international group, and the tales of living in Saigon from the ex-pats really interesting. The only incongruous item on the table was peanut butter in jars. "The American's are gone but they left their peanut butter," quipped one of the Germans.

Turned out the peanut butter is an important ingredient for a favorite dipping sauce. We prepared Spring Rolls, Salad of morning glory tendrils, and lotus fried rice which we wrapped in lotus leaves. I have a folder of recipies, but somehow it was the international aspect of the morning and hearing from expats which made it all so interesting. TTFN