When guests come to the house, the Hue host brings out jam and invites them to show off their specialty. Photo: shutterstock
The land for growing ginger in Hue is at Tuan’s junction, where the two branches of Ta Trach and Huu Trach of the Perfume River meet before pouring into the delta. Ginger here is small, has a light yellow color, is spicy and has a strong aroma and taste.
In the past, when she was still studying in Hue, in the winter, she went to Ben Ngu market, An Cuu market, and still saw people pickling ginger and making jam at the market. Ginger is soaked in rice water in aluminum pots. The pots of yellow ginger are warm, fragrant, and feel hungover like Tet has come. Those memories are so beautiful.
Tet in Hue probably starts from the beginning of December, starting with heavy rain and north wind, which is also when people start harvesting, unloading, and cutting ginger in the fields. Hue people boil ginger with firewood and use that charcoal to make jam. When the jam slug hears the smell of smoke, the smell of rain, the smell of Tet, the Hue people’s way of soaking, processing, decorating and enjoying jam is also different.
Hue people make jam on the charcoal stove, rim for hours and hours, slowly, slowly. Hue people make jam with a mind, peace and passion. And when enjoying is also different. In Saigon, people can go to Tet, travel, but in Hue, until now, Tet is an opportunity for relatives to visit each other, show their concern and joyfully welcome the new year.
Photo: shutterstock
When guests come to the house, the Hue host brings jam to invite to show off their home’s specialties, their way of making, as a way to show off their daughter well…
Hue people appreciate affection, so when guests visit their home during Tet, they want to invite guests to the best and most delicious things. It is also a performance of the ingenuity and housework of Hue girls. Hue people make jam on Tet holiday to start a sweet new year. As for ginger jam, “spicy salted ginger, please don’t leave each other”.
There! All wrapped up in the word love.
Hue also has lotus jam, lotus is grown in Tinh Tam lake. Hue lotus jam, suck it and melt in your mouth…
Hue also has bowl buu jam, which is the crystallization of precious jams such as lotus seed jam, kim kumquat jam, apple jam, longan jam, red bean jam… along with roasted pork, and is a type of jam used only in important ceremonial occasions. All are special jams, in the past only for kings.
Photo: shutterstock
Now, on New Year’s Day, Hue people do it to treat each other and give each other gifts.
Talking regarding jam, in Vietnam everywhere, supermarkets sell all kinds. Places can invite each other with jam sold at supermarkets, but Hue people have to invite each other and give each other with homemade jam, right Tue Minh?
Every year, I make kumquat jam to give to those I love and respect.
Many times, in the process of making a batch of jam that takes a lot of time and enthusiasm, I clearly feel my overwhelming affection for the recipient.
Hue jam melody – both familiar and strange… Really good!