Hoi An is known for its food so we went to a cooking class.
Someone from the cooking school came to our hotel to pick us up. She rode her motorbike and we followed her on our bikes from the hotel.
She took us to a local market and toured us around. We saw fruits, meat, spices, vegetables and lots of seafood. She pointed out fruits, herbs and vegetables that we had never seen before. She bought some of these fruits for us to try as dessert after our cooking class.
The cooking class took place in a restaurant in the Tra Que village. This 200-year old village grows lots of organic herbs used in many of the restaurants in Hoi An. It was very close to our hotel and we biked on busy roads and through rice paddies to get there.
As soon as we got there, they gave us a welcome drink and asked us to guess the ingredients. We guessed many of the right things- like mint, lemon, ginger and lemon grass. We couldn't figure out what the little seeds/eggs were. Our teacher Jessica got us all when she told us they were "frog eggs". Chelsea's face was very funny because her mouth was full of these seeds when Jessica told us this. In the end, she explained they were seeds from the lemon basil plant.
After we finished our drinks, we went for a walk through the gardens and learned even more about farming, planting and watering the plants. Hoi An reaches 40 degrees in the summer so they have to water the plants up to 5 times daily at this time of year.
After this, we had a head, shoulder, neck and foot massage! We put our feet in hot water that had herbs and fruit in it. We felt relaxed.
Then it was time to cook!
Jessica started by showing us how to carve decorations made from vegetables.
The first thing we made was a bunny out of a grape tomato.
The second thing we made was a swan out of a roma tomato. Then we made tulips out of carrots and cucumbers. The last decoration we made was a butterfly made out of a carrot.
Next we made fresh spring rolls without rice paper! We cooked pork (marinated with 9 different spices) and carrots together.
We cooked spring onions briefly to soften them.
Then we took fresh coriander and mint, and the carrots and pork, and wrapped everything with the spring onions.
Then we ate the spring rolls with a dipping sauce. They were very, very, very good.
Next we made a green papaya salad with chicken and chili sauce. Dad grated papaya and carrots and then soaked them in ice to make them crunchy. Nathan and I had to squeeze out all of the water.
We also got to make a Pho soup! For the noodles, we got to see how they make them from scratch!
The broth for Pho was a beef broth, and it had to cook for 4 hours! Then we added spices, onions, garlic and surprising spices like cinnamon bark and star anise. When the soup was ready we steamed the noodles for 30 seconds and then took them out and put them in the bowls. Next, we took the broth and poured it in the bowls. We ate it with fresh Vietnamese basil, coriander, green onions and chilies! It tasted really good. We ate it with the papaya salad.
Lastly, we made rice pancakes- a Hoi An specialty. They were made of chicken, onions and rice flour. We made them on small pans that were only for the pancakes. First, I thought they were made of eggs because they were yellow... but it was actually the turmeric colour. When we cooked the pancakes, we had flipping competitions. It was super fun. Watch this video and check out my face!!!
We wrapped the crispy pancakes with fresh herbs in a rice wrapper.
Then, we ate our fruit for dessert. We tried custard apple, milk apple, guava and a green orange.
Jessica was a great teacher! We had an amazing day!!!
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| Like our hats? |
Someone from the cooking school came to our hotel to pick us up. She rode her motorbike and we followed her on our bikes from the hotel.
She took us to a local market and toured us around. We saw fruits, meat, spices, vegetables and lots of seafood. She pointed out fruits, herbs and vegetables that we had never seen before. She bought some of these fruits for us to try as dessert after our cooking class.
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| Buying bean sprouts |
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| Very narrow pathways |
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| Meat, meat and more meat |
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| Picking new fruits |
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| The noodle lady |
The cooking class took place in a restaurant in the Tra Que village. This 200-year old village grows lots of organic herbs used in many of the restaurants in Hoi An. It was very close to our hotel and we biked on busy roads and through rice paddies to get there.
 |
| Biking by the rice paddies |
As soon as we got there, they gave us a welcome drink and asked us to guess the ingredients. We guessed many of the right things- like mint, lemon, ginger and lemon grass. We couldn't figure out what the little seeds/eggs were. Our teacher Jessica got us all when she told us they were "frog eggs". Chelsea's face was very funny because her mouth was full of these seeds when Jessica told us this. In the end, she explained they were seeds from the lemon basil plant.
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| Our welcome drink with a lemongrass straw |
After we finished our drinks, we went for a walk through the gardens and learned even more about farming, planting and watering the plants. Hoi An reaches 40 degrees in the summer so they have to water the plants up to 5 times daily at this time of year.
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| Tra Que Village Garden |
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| Lots of fresh herbs to taste and smell - checkout the papaya tree! |
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| Nice flowers too |
After this, we had a head, shoulder, neck and foot massage! We put our feet in hot water that had herbs and fruit in it. We felt relaxed.
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| Time for a foot soak |
Then it was time to cook!
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| Ready to start cooking |
Jessica started by showing us how to carve decorations made from vegetables.
The first thing we made was a bunny out of a grape tomato.
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| Tomato bunnies |
The second thing we made was a swan out of a roma tomato. Then we made tulips out of carrots and cucumbers. The last decoration we made was a butterfly made out of a carrot.
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| Carving a carrot |
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| Finished products |
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| So much fun! |
Next we made fresh spring rolls without rice paper! We cooked pork (marinated with 9 different spices) and carrots together.
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| Frying marinated pork and carrots |
We cooked spring onions briefly to soften them.
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| Spring onions ready to use |
Then we took fresh coriander and mint, and the carrots and pork, and wrapped everything with the spring onions.
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| Ready to wrap |
Then we ate the spring rolls with a dipping sauce. They were very, very, very good.
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| So yummy- fresh spring rolls |
Next we made a green papaya salad with chicken and chili sauce. Dad grated papaya and carrots and then soaked them in ice to make them crunchy. Nathan and I had to squeeze out all of the water.
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| Squeezing out the water |
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| Delicious marinated chicken for the salad |
We ate the salad with rice crackers. It was delicious!
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| Green papaya salad |
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| Clay oven |
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| Rice paper drying |
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| Grinding some rice |
The broth for Pho was a beef broth, and it had to cook for 4 hours! Then we added spices, onions, garlic and surprising spices like cinnamon bark and star anise. When the soup was ready we steamed the noodles for 30 seconds and then took them out and put them in the bowls. Next, we took the broth and poured it in the bowls. We ate it with fresh Vietnamese basil, coriander, green onions and chilies! It tasted really good. We ate it with the papaya salad.
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| My favourite- pho soup |
Lastly, we made rice pancakes- a Hoi An specialty. They were made of chicken, onions and rice flour. We made them on small pans that were only for the pancakes. First, I thought they were made of eggs because they were yellow... but it was actually the turmeric colour. When we cooked the pancakes, we had flipping competitions. It was super fun. Watch this video and check out my face!!!
I can flip!!
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| Check out that flip! |
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| Crispy rice pancakes- ready to roll |
We wrapped the crispy pancakes with fresh herbs in a rice wrapper.
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| Crispy rice pancakes- finished product |
Then, we ate our fruit for dessert. We tried custard apple, milk apple, guava and a green orange.
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| I didn't really like any of them but Mom and Dad both really liked the orange and the custard apple |
Jessica was a great teacher! We had an amazing day!!!
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| What a feast! |
You obviously had a terrific day. What a fantastic story you have told about all the preparations that you did for your meal. We especially like the way you presented the food on the plates. What an experience you had seeing, doing and learning that day.
ReplyDeleteMatt and Sue
Thanks for reading guys! It means a lot to me! We had an epic day!
DeleteLooks yummy! And love the hats!
ReplyDeleteIt's Parker! Thanks for reading! The hats were really cool!
ReplyDelete