Is the star fruit ripe in Hanoi this season?
Saigon's tamarind trees are in the season of changing leaves.
The faint sour taste makes my heart miss you so much,
Remember the season of falling crocodiles on Trang Thi street.
(Le Giang)
The crocodile season adds to the beauty of the capital's summer.
Not long ago, the streets of Hanoi were covered with dry leaves, people on the street were shivering from the cold, but then the early morning sun suddenly made the trees come to life. On the sidewalks, the white dracontomelon flowers fell as if someone had accidentally scattered rice. The scent of dracontomelon flowers was only faint, sweet, and light, but if it mixed with the wind, it was like the last scent of a perfume. Quiet but memorable, simple like that but enough to make many diners come and remember forever the dracontomelon season in the capital.
On the busy Phan Dinh Phung street, I saw someone displaying a stall filled with plastic bags of crocodile apples, big and small. It was an old woman's crocodile apple stall, filled with plastic bags of crocodile apples stacked on top of each other like a small tower. The crocodile apples were green, still young, full of life, as if beckoning summer to the street.
Hanoi in crocodile season
Looking at the "still growing" star fruit, Hanoians' hearts suddenly flutter and flutter. Because star fruit is not only a common fruit, but also a symbol of the capital's summer. Looking at the green star fruit makes Hanoians who are busy with many things startled by the beginning of summer. The star fruit season comes, bringing with it a sour, crunchy taste, awakening people's taste buds after long days of being bored with familiar dishes.
Crocodiles are sold all over the streets and sidewalks.
The cry "Delicious star fruit here!" echoes throughout the street, like a greeting signaling the arrival of summer. Hanoians, no matter how busy they are, cannot ignore that cry. They stop, look at the star fruit stall with eyes of delight, recalling the beautiful memories of their childhood associated with the sour taste of star fruit.
Some people buy star fruit to cook sour soup to cool down on hot summer days. Some people buy star fruit to make pickles to eat with fried rice or braised fish. Some people buy star fruit to soak, make star fruit salad, or make sweet and sour star fruit jam. Each person has their own preferences and ways of enjoying star fruit, but they all share the same feeling of excitement, looking forward to tasting the sour and crunchy taste of Hanoi star fruit.
Hanoi’s Sau is like a gift that summer gives to the people here. Every summer, the streets are decorated with the green color of Sau leaves, and dotted with clusters of pure white Sau flowers. When the flowers fade, the young Sau fruits begin to sprout, grow bigger and fall to the sidewalk, signaling the arrival of Sau season.
A simple, thoughtful but extremely precious gift
Hanoi star fruit has a sour and crunchy taste, and is an ingredient to prepare many delicious dishes such as sour star fruit soup, star fruit pickles, star fruit salad, star fruit jam,... Each dish has its own flavor, but they all have in common the coolness and heat-relieving properties, suitable for hot summer days. Star fruit is a summer fruit, but people do not classify it as a fruit like jackfruit, apricot, plum, pineapple, lychee, pear, peach.
For Hanoians, star fruit is not only a common fruit but also associated with beautiful childhood memories. In the old days, children often gathered together to pick star fruit that had fallen under the trees, brought it home to make dried fruit, pickled star fruit or cooked sour soup. The sour taste of star fruit mixed with the sweetness of sugar and the spiciness of chili creates an unforgettable flavor, making anyone who has ever enjoyed it remember it forever.
Crocodile soup with lean meat - A refreshing gift for a summer day in Hanoi
When talking about Hanoi summer, we cannot help but mention the dishes that have the typical flavors of this land. Among them, crocodile soup with lean meat is a simple but extremely attractive dish, loved by many people. This is a "legendary" dish that often appears in the meals of many Northern families on hot days.
Unlike other sophisticated and luxurious dishes, sour plum soup with lean meat has a simple and rustic beauty. The clear broth, the sour taste of sour plum blends with the sweet taste of lean meat, creating a refreshing and cooling flavor, very suitable for hot summer days.
Crocodile soup with lean meat - a simple dish but full of Hanoi flavor.
To cook delicious star fruit soup, you need to choose young, green star fruit that has a slightly sour taste but is not too astringent. The lean meat should be soft, with a balance of lean and fat so that the soup does not dry out. The secret to making the best soup is to sauté the shallots before adding the star fruit, then add water to cook. Season to taste, turn off the stove and sprinkle with green onions and Vietnamese coriander to enhance the flavor.
Soup with lean meat is not only a delicious dish but also a gift that summer gives to the people of Hanoi. The soup appears on the family dinner table as a beautiful culinary culture, a symbol of coolness, heat relief and irresistible deliciousness.
Each star fruit is a memory of Hanoi people
Enjoying a hot bowl of star fruit soup with lean meat in the middle of a summer afternoon or after a tiring day at work, we can feel the coolness spreading throughout the body, dispelling all fatigue and heat. The sour taste of star fruit blends with the sweet taste of lean meat, creating an unforgettable flavor, making anyone who has enjoyed it remember it forever.
The season of crocodile fruit not only brings delicious dishes but also adds to the vivid and brilliant picture of Hanoi's summer. Among the high-rise buildings and busy streets, the old lady's small crocodile fruit stall is like a rustic and simple highlight, reminding us of the traditional cultural values of Hanoi.
