Today’s A Journey
through Aesthetic Realms
will be presented in
Aulacese (Vietnamese),
with subtitles in Arabic,
Chinese, English,
French, German,
Hungarian, Indonesian,
Italian, Japanese,
Korean, Mongolian,
Persian, Portuguese,
Russian and Spanish.
Pensive refrain
of Hội An ancient town
Revealing the footprints
of passing years
Pealings of temple bell
resonate thoughtfully
Glorious traces evanesce
with time
Pensive refrains
of Hội An’s human love
Flowery wooden shoes,
romantic lanterns
Moon touches
the graceful Hoài River
My love lost
in the pensive refrains.
Night of Hội An
I find myself again,
wandering about
Lullabies of my cradle time
Return me
to the days long ago
Oh, Hội An!
Pagoda bridge stands
contemplating for years
Loving someone,
Cửa Đợi Beach is still
in waiting
How I cherish
the pensive refrain
of the ancient town
Oh, pensive refrains
of Hội An.
How I cherish
the pensive refrain
of the ancient town
Oh, pensive refrains
of Hội An.
Pensive refrain
of Hội An ancient town
Revealing the footprints
of passing years
Pealings of temple bell
resonate thoughtfully
Glorious traces evanesce
with time
Pensive refrains
of Hội An’s human love
Flowery wooden shoes,
romantic lanterns
Moon touches
the graceful Hoài River
My love lost
in the pensive refrains.
Oh, pensive refrains
of Hội An.
You’ve just enjoyed
the song
“Pensive Refrain of Hội An,”
written by
composer Trần Ái Nghĩa,
with vocals by Thanh Trà
and dance accompaniment
by our vegan
Association members.
The song has received
an award from
the Vietnamese
Composers' Association
in 2003.
“Pensive Refrain of Hội An”
reminisces about
the ancient town
in Quảng Nam Province,
central Âu Lạc.
Hội An was built
in the 16th century and
has remained mostly intact
till this day.
Hội An ancient town
was recognized as
a World Cultural Heritage
by the United Nations
Educational, Scientific
and Cultural Organization
(UNESCO) in 1999.
It is representative
of a traditional
Asian harbor town
which has been
perfectly preserved.
Âu Lạc,
a beautiful country
situated in Southeast Asia,
with sub-tropical climate,
is graced by Mother Nature
with green plants
and sweet fruits,
all redolent and
delectable throughout
the four seasons.
Depending on
the weather conditions
and culinary preferences
of each region,
the local people
have skillfully created
many savory dishes.
In our program
about Aulacese
traditional cuisine,
we are pleased to introduce the
specialty foods of a land
known for its freshness
and abundance.
Indeed, at a public lecture
in the United States
in March 1991,
Supreme Master Ching Hai
especially praised
the rich natural resources
of Âu Lạc.
“Âu Lạc is among
the most enriched nations
in this world:
there are mines of gold,
silver, uranium, lead,
zinc, and tin.
Âu Lạc has everything.
There are morals, piety,
harmony, and
four thousands years
of civilization.
It is one of the most
ancient countries
in the world.
Our land has always had
abundant foods and fruits.
I remember when
I was a student there,
there was a great
variety of fruits
when I went to Bình Dương
and Long Thành.
And rice!
Aulacese indigenous rice,
called Tám Thơm,
is the most famous
in Southeast Asia
and in the world.
There are also other
products, dried or fresh,
that are most popular
in the world.”
We are deeply grateful to
Supreme Master Ching Hai
for her
treasured words
and boundless grace
for the nation and people
of peace-loving Âu Lạc.
When the ancient town
of Hội An
in central Âu Lạc
is mentioned,
people would think of
glistening colored lanterns;
pensive, moss-covered
houses where women
in old-style dresses
are concentrating
in their work;
and sidewalks,
where silver-haired elders
contemplating over
a game of chess.
Hội An, however,
is not only attractive
due to its romantic
and legendary charm,
but also known for
its famous cuisine –
namely, cao lầu.
We invite you
to visit Hội An
in today’s program
to find out more
about this specialty food.
For you, dear!
Ah, beautiful kite!
Thank you.
Oh, this mango
is bruised already!
Have this good mango!
I’ll eat the other one.
I’ve asked many people
in our native village,
but until now,
no one knows
where brother Tân is.
It’s so beautiful, honey!
Who knows when we will
visit Hội An again?
Just buy what you like,
so you won’t regret
when you go home.
Lanterns have long become
a cultural element
that helps set the mood
of Hội An Ancient Town.
Lanterns have
simple decoration,
yet still appear elegant
and attractive.
Materials to make lanterns
consist mainly
of bamboo, brocade,
and synthetic silk.
Bamboos
to create lantern frames
are aged bamboos
soaked in saline water.
To complete a lantern,
the wood must be lathed,
varnished
and fringes added.
The soft light from candles
makes the ancient
architectural lines
of Hội An
appear more lively,
shimmery, and mythical.
If only Ngọc Trân wasn’t
too busy to go with us,
that’d be a lot of fun!
Ah, here it is!
You meant
this veg restaurant?
That’s right! I heard
that this place makes
excellent vegan cao lầu.
O Tân!
Please take the cao lầu out
to the guests for me.
I have to go home
for some urgent matter.
Yes, sure!
You...
Is that you, brother Tân?
Brother Tân!
Do you still remember me?
It’s Hoài!
Is that brother Tân that
you often talked about?
Are you not happy
to see me again?
My clothes
are not very clean.
The name “cao lầu” came
from the phrase “delicacy.”
“Lầu” means “castle,”
referring to an elegant,
multi-storied house,
because in the olden days,
the wealthy often
went to the upstairs
of luxurious restaurants
to enjoy cao lầu.
So, after my family moved
to another province,
you drifted to Hội An?
Yes, it’s been 16 years.
This is my place!
Please be seated. (Yes.)
Brother Tân should
open his own restaurant
since he can make cao lầu
that good!
But how did you learn
to make cao lầu so good?
A few months
after I arrived in Hội An,
my mother passed away.
An elder took pity on me,
an orphan,
and adopted me.
He passed on already.
But it’s he who taught me
how to make the
traditional cao lầu dish.
I think it’s the noodles
that make cao lầu special.
Yes, that’s right.
The essence
of the cao lầu dish
is its noodles.
Cao lầu noodles are square,
big, and ivory-white.
The making
of tasty cao lầu noodles
which are crispy, soft
and aromatic, requires
a very meticulous process.
Rice must be
neither old nor new,
so that cao lầu noodles
are not too dry or too soft.
Soak rice in ash solution
for about 6 hours,
then grind it into flour.
In the past, the water
used to grind rice
must be taken
from Bá Lễ well.
This well offered
fresh water without alum,
so that the cao lầu noodles
wouldn’t be sour.
After grinding the rice,
gently pour the water
to obtain solid rice flour,
then cook it.
Add the ash solution
and finest flour.
Put that rice flour
in a pot to steam.
Knead and roll it
into thin pieces.
Cut into long strings
and steam them.
When cooked,
the noodles have
a light yellow appearance.
From that flour,
people cut into
square thin pieces, dry,
then fry them
to eat in the cao lầu dish.
Also, dehydrated cao lầu
noodles can be kept long.
Just soak them
in warm water
for 2 hours,
then steam them,
and the noodles
are ready for use.
Your vegetable garden
is thriving, brother Tân!
I grow these vegetables
to eat with cao lầu.
Tomorrow,
I’ll take you both
for a visit to
Trà Quế vegetable village.
Is that the famous
vegetable village
in the central region?
That’s right.
Fresh herbs and vegetables
make the cao lầu dish
especially flavorful.
Hội An people often use
fresh vegetables
grown in Trà Quế Village.
This village is
along the bank
of the Thu Bồn River,
where the land is fertile,
with a rich source of water,
so vegetables are
very lush and delicious.
Vegetables
eaten with cao lầu
consist of spearmint,
basil, bitter herbs,
lettuce, heartleaf,
and young mustard greens.
Brother Tân!
Yes, brother?
Come live with us, please.
I’ve planned it all.
I’ll open a restaurant
near my house for you
to make vegan cao lầu.
Oh, talking of cao lầu
makes me feel so hungry!
Anyone feels like eating?
Don’t eat out.
Let’s go home;
I’ll make cao lầu
for the two of you.
That’s the best!
The main ingredient
in cao lầu is char siew.
Vegan char siew
is made from gluten.
Gluten is flashed-fried,
then marinated with
soy sauce, dried onion,
finely chopped garlic,
sugar, vegan seasoning,
annatto,
and five-spice powder.
Stir-fry onion and garlic
with cooking oil
until they turn golden,
then put the gluten in.
Add spices.
To make char siew sauce,
soften dried mushrooms
in water, then marinate it
with finely chopped onion,
sugar, vegan seasoning,
pepper,
and five-spice powder.
Stir-fry onion
until it becomes fragrant.
Add five-spice powder,
soy sauce,
and add other spices.
Add marinated mushrooms.
Stir evenly, then boil.
Next, fry vegan “fat”
to eat with cao lầu.
When eating, separate
the cao lầu noodles,
dip them briefly
in boiling water
to make them
softer and pliable.
Add some seasonings
to this water
so the noodles
can taste sweeter.
Parboil bean sprouts,
then put them first
in the bowl.
Add vegetables
and noodles next.
Toppings are
vegan char siew,
vegan “sausages,”
and vegan “fat”.
Pour some char siew sauce
around the bowl.
Add lemon
and chili pepper.
Fresh vegetables
used with cao lầu
are those of small stems
but richly aromatic such as
bitter herbs, basil,
and young mustard greens.
Cao lầu is a cold dish
with little liquid.
Before eating cao lầu,
mix it well
for savory flavors.
How is Ngọc Trân doing?
How many children
does she have now?
She’s a teacher.
She’s not married yet,
so there’s no children.
I remember you used to
spoil her a lot before.
The kite that took you
a week of hard work
to make, but...
May I have that kite?
Where’s your kite?
Why don’t you use it?
Here, take this, dear.
Don’t cry, I love you!
Brother Tân, do you ever
think of getting married?
Honestly, what do you
think of Ngọc Trân?
It’s been 16 years,
life changes...
I don’t know
if Ngọc Trân still...
What’s matter? (Well...)
Tân! (Ngọc Trân!)
To truly enjoy
vegan cao lầu,
perhaps nowhere is it
better than in Hội An.
Picking up a chopstickful
of cao lầu
is like experiencing
a waft of the ancient
town’s ambience,
the gentle tone of midday,
and of pedicabs carrying
visitors to sightsee
the Thu Bồn River.
Suddenly,
the simple cao lầu seems
to contain within it
all the depth and tranquility
of Hội An Ancient Town.
Thank you
for watching our program
featuring vegan cao lầu.
Please tune in
to Supreme Master
Television
for more Aulacese
(Vietnamese) specialty
and traditional cuisines
in the future.
Coming up is
Vegetarianism:
The Noble Way of Living,
after Noteworthy News.
So long for now.