Duc's Vietnamese Christmas

Duc and I have been together about two and half years.  Because I'm from Alabama, and now living in Oregon, I don't go home every holiday.  I've been an official member of this Vietnamese family for a while now.  His aunt asked me on Christmas Eve this year if I knew why she loved me.  "Because I'll try anything?" That's one reason! She told me.  At these big dinners traditional Vietnamese dishes are common. I've had all kinds of food there.  His mother and aunts think its hilarious: "Try this Madison, try this!!"  I give it a good look over and try it.  Chew, swallow, "OK, what was that?" Sometimes I ask beforehand, but I always try it. 

Turkey and ham are not common place at this table.  This year was no different.  Sitting down there was pasta, shrimp skewers, and lamb in front of us.  Duc's mother brought everyone soup and it was delicious! It was take on chicken and dumpling soup with crab meat.  I wasn't feeling 100% this year and that soup was so good!!

That lamb was so good!!  I've still got it on the brain.  I want more!  I think it was just grilled.  I'm not even sure, but it was delicious!

Duc passed me a piece of meat covered in tomato sauce.  I took one bite and it was so chewy that gave it back to him.  He ate the rest of it, and later he said, "I think that may have been beef tongue."  Later His uncle confirmed it that was beef tongue.  It had a good flavor, but it was just the texture I didn't like.  If it were more tender I could have eaten more.

When Duc's mother and aunt found out I was sick, his aunt made me ginger tea with honey and his mother suggested a Vietnamese dessert that was good for your health.  I'm not a huge fan of ginger, but I'll have it every once in a while.  With honey, the ginger tea wasn't too bad and it made my throat feel better.  The dessert was a tapioca and bean pudding type dessert.  I don't think you'll get the scale picture of this dessert from the photo.  It looks weird!! 

  

I had to take a second, close up picture hoping to see the texture better.   That spoon is not resting on the bottom.  The viscosity is so thick that it is resting on the pudding. I don't think it would pour out if you tipped it over.  Or maybe it would, but it would be a pretty gross sight.  The first things you have to overcome when you eat this is the look of it and the way it moves.  It jiggles, yet it's firm and the beans and suspended in it, they don't move.  You have to see this stuff first hand to understand what I'm saying! Enough with the the looks and consistency.  The taste is actually pretty good.  It goes in a bit sweet, then you chew, and the bean flavor comes out. Quite a bit off putting the first few bites but then good later.

The next dessert was a Vietnamese cake made with tapioca flour.  (I had no idea tapioca was so versatile!)  Most cake gets moist in your mouth and sticks to the roof of your mouth.  This cake is a bit more chewy, but the flavor is great and it doesn't stick.  I loved the crunchy crust of this cake!