The fable of Spicy Beef Noodle Soup and the lesson of preserving the soul of the countryside

Once upon a time, in a land full of sea breeze and salty scent, which is now Bac Lieu , there was a small restaurant under a banyan tree by the river. The restaurant only had a few wooden tables and a shabby thatched roof, but it was always crowded. People came not because of luxury, but because of a strange dish: spicy beef noodle soup.

Mrs. Sau, the person who cooks this dish, has gray hair, but her smile is always as warm as the late afternoon sun. Her spicy beef noodle soup is like no other: the beef stew is tender, the lemongrass is fragrant, the chili is red as fire but sweet, not harsh at all. The broth is clear, rich, and you will remember it forever after just one bite.

One day, a field mouse named Khoang stopped by the restaurant. After eating, he praised: “Mrs. Sau, this dish is not like Hue beef noodle soup, nor is it beef pho, and certainly not like Korean spicy noodles. What is it?”

Mrs. Sau just smiled: “It’s Bac Lieu spicy beef noodle soup. Spicy but not angry, salty but not harsh. Just like the character of coastal people, my child.”

Uncle Khoang pondered: "So what is so special about this dish that keeps people coming back?"

Mrs. Sau looked out at the river and slowly said: “It’s the soul. Each piece of beef is marinated with memories of the Western grasslands, each chili is grown with the sweat of the people under the sun. A bowl of noodles is delicious not only because of the spices, but because the eater can feel the love of the countryside.”

Illustration: VT

The story reached Mr. White Owl - the owner of a fancy restaurant in town, always looking for new dishes to sell. He went to Mrs. Sau's restaurant and asked for the recipe. She did not hide it and shared everything. But when he came home to try cooking, the taste was somehow... still lacking. Even though he used foreign beef, imported broth, the restaurant had air conditioning, and Wifi was full of bars, the customers just sighed: " Yeah... it's similar but why don't I remember it!"

One day, Mrs. Sau’s shop closed. She said: “I’m old now, I want to retire. But this dish cannot die!”

She passed on the profession to her granddaughter Nhi, who just graduated from tourism school. Nhi is young, smart, has a Fanpage, TikTok clips, takes artistic photos of noodle bowls, and tells stories about her grandmother and the journey of spicy beef noodle soup through each region of Bac Lieu.

So the dish came back to life. Not just alive, but spreading. But Ms. Nhi did not call it “innovating the dish”, but “keeping the soul of the dish in the shape of the times”.

Lesson learned: Every hometown dish is not just a combination of ingredients, but a crystallization of land, people, memories and emotions.

If you want to develop culinary tourism, don't just ask for the recipe. Ask where the soul of the dish comes from.

Like Bac Lieu spicy beef noodle soup: spicy is the taste, but love is the lingering aftertaste. And so, in this bustling world, there are still warm bowls of noodles, not only to eat, but also to remember home!

Le Minh Hoan (adaptation)

Source: https://www.baobaclieu.vn/van-hoa-nghe-thuat/cau-chuyen-ngu-ngon-bun-bo-cay-va-bai-hoc-giu-hon-que-101046.html