The Creator gives each land its own characteristics to identify and also to keep people's hearts. If the Southwest region is famous for spring rolls that are made with shrimp, vegetables, herbs, and rice noodles wrapped in rice paper, ‘tam huu’ dish (three friends spring onion rolls) in Central Viet Nam with a distinctive flavour makes a name for a long-standing and famous vegetable-growing land called the Tra Que Vegetable Village.
Delicious 'tam huu' dish
Seen from above, the Tra Que Vegetable Village in Cam Ha Commune, Hoi An City, Quang Nam Province, looks like a colourful brocade sheet woven from dark and light green patches stretching to the horizon.
From the centre of Hoi An ancient town, about 2km to the northeast, the 300-year-old village is nestled on the Co Co River.
Blessed with the year-round cool climate, along with the love of the profession and the long-term suffering of farmers in Central Viet Nam, Tra Que has become one of the most famous craft villages in Viet Nam.
The village is well-known as the freshest and cleanest herb and vegetable supplier in Hoi An. It is now home to more than 40 kinds of leafy green vegetables cultivated by traditional organic methods under the meticulous hands of locals and the fresh air and favourable weather conditions.
Water for vegetable irrigation is carried by people with buckets from clean undergrounded water, whilst fertilisers are made from green seaweed of the De Vong River all year round.
Every January, Tra Que villagers organise the Cau Bong Festival to pray for bumper crops, and happiness and prosperity throughout the year, as well as introduce local vegetable products to visitors.
In the ceremony tray, there is always a plate of ‘tam huu’ arranged neatly and solemnly. ‘Tam huu’ means three friends and the “three friends” are the main ingredients. It is a type of Vietnamese spring roll which uses the ingredients of prawns, pork and herbs. To make the spring roll, instead of using rice paper, spring onion leaves are used to wrap around the prawns and pork.
It is quite simple to make the dish. Select the fresh pawns, pork belly and native herbs in the village. Boil the prawns and pork, and then slice the boiled pork and peel the prawns. Take a blanched spring onion leaf and pinch some mint and coriander at the base. Add in a piece of pork and prawns. Wrap around it with the rest of the onion leaf.
The dish is best served with sour and sweet sauce, giving a great taste of Tra Que village to every visitor.
Reporting by Le May - Translating by M.Dung