Navigating abountiful foodbowl

• Published date: 10 August 2023
• Publication title: Clutha Leader

As we drifted along the delta, a constant sight was the presence of people living on, by or near the water. Fish farms are a signature of the river, where a cluster of houseboats, buoyed by plastic barrels, harbour vast underwater pens of young fish, taking advantage of the nutrients and currents of the river. The houseboats we visited boasted over 100,000 voracious catfish. They’re farmed for eight to 10 months before being sold on the market. Needless to say, they are rather smelly operations

After threading our way through the Cho Gao canal, which was originally dug by the French in 1876 to connect Saigon with the Mekong Delta, Ben Tre made for a memorable stop, nicknamed the coconut kingdom of Vietnam given its vast swathe of plantations. After disembarking the boat, we jaunted to the village of Dat Dua, home to one of the Ben Tre’s famed coconut candy workshops. Vietnamese coconut candy has been a signature sweet for a century, combining the sweetness of sugar with the fragrance and natural fatty taste of coconut.

Initially known as Mo Cay candy, it was first produced as a home-made treat served to guests during festive seasons. Visiting one of the rustic workshops, it’s a powerhouse village enterprise, with malt syrup, sugar and coconut comprising the main ingredients, with a range of flavours added to the mix, from durian to mango. It was fascinating to see the production process first hand, where the sticky mixture is rolled and cut into squares, before several dozen villagers hand-wrap the finished product.

We also were invited to try some locally produced rice wine. For centuries, rice wine has become an integral part of local daily lives. Farm workers will still typically drink some rice wine before heading into the fields to induce energy. I declined the opportunity to sample some Vietnamese snake wine, in which two snakes had been added to the jar to infuse the wine along with herbs, a la traditional Chinese medicine-style. Supposedly it blitzes back pain.

Have you ever been on a Lambro ride? It was a novel experience for me. After feasting on the coconut candy, we boarded a fleet of Italian Lambros, which are three-wheel-ed, Vespa-like farm vehicles, produced by Lambretta and principally used to transport produce, rather than indulgent river cruise passengers. They sure make for a fun ride in the canopied cargo deck.

Zipping through the skinny lanes of Dat Dua, snatching a rich array of vignettes of the fruit orchards and humble village life...