Food from the Motherland

So this past summer '07, I travelled to Vietnam. I have been there two times before this third trip, but never have I experienced the food like this. I guess when I was younger I just never truly looked at food in the same way that I do now. And now, well now, I worship it as a second god. Not really...I just really, really love it, and true love lasts a lifetime. It's one of those things that I need to live, literally to nourish me but also because it makes me eternally happy. And if that's not enough, what is?

So anyways this trip to Vietnam was culinarily fantastic! Here are some pictures:

Freshly caught and steamed scallops off the coast of Mui Ne, topped with a garlic and scallion oil. Not lying here, this was the best scallop that I have ever encountered. You can give me scallops done by Ripert or Wolfgang any day but I dare-say, these will top anything they have to offer. They were simple and fresh; nothing could be better.

Fried Soft Shell Crab: crispy and refreshing when wrapped in lettuce. When dipped into the sauce, it was a delicious salty explosion. But honestly, what isn't good fried? 

Handmade coconut and caramel candies. They made it right in front of us by handpicking week-old coconut, shaving the "meat", and squeezing it to extract the milk. Then they reduce it and let it harden in shaped wood trays.

Freshly made Vietnamese desserts, named Che, made on a wet, sandy street (dirty by most standards) fresh every morning. And yes, I do realize that that does not provide the best of images for you to think about, but trust me, the intensity of the freshness made my knees weak. It's one of those situations where you were always content with what you had because that was all you had ever known, but after finding something better, you never knew how much you were missing out.