Just our luck, the day the typhoon hit Vietnam in September, we had organised a fishing trip with Mr Trung. Despite the down pour, we spent the morning catching shrimps and sardines. Flinging the sacred fish on the back of our bikes, we went to Mr Trung’s family home, where his wife provided a very authentic cooking lesson. We began by making spring rolls: mincing pork, slicing carrots and green beans, crushing peanuts and seasoning with the world and his wife before rolling into rice paper and deep frying. Then we prepared the fish and lemon and garlic marinade before rolling in banana leaves and cooking over an open fire. It was an incredible experience and the family recipies Mrs Trung trusted me with are safely locked up in my diary.
