When the
scorching and sweltering atmosphere of summer days have gone, tenderly replaced
by a sweet breeze at dawn while falling leaves dying yellow the street, it is
Autumn, a graceful and elegant lady has come and brought along her own miracles
to Hanoi.
Young
green rice, ripen dracontomelon, fragrant Gold apple and daisy blossom all signal the
most beautiful season in Hanoi to come. When the last summer rains fall down, carrying purity and cool
atmosphere along, it is also the moment that autumn has arrived, knocking every
door or corner of Hanoi. Specialties of this mild season are also brought along
subsequently.
Hanoi reminds people of its beauty through the memories about autumn. Autumn, however, never falls on a certain day that
we can surely know when it comes. Just when a whiff of slightly fragrant milk
flower blossom or a sweet breeze streams through the window every morning, or
when we come across a street vendor carrying Gold apple or young rice green, it
is the autumn that people finally realize it has been there - in their daily breath.
Dracontomelon
is closely connected with the capital land, where the tree rows impressively
stretch along Phan Dinh Phung or Hoang Dieu street. Hanoi is full of sunshine in
summer, but pedestrians or motorbikes never feel intense heat whenever passing
these streets, since Dracontomelon trees have fulfilled their role, creating not
only a peaceful landscape but as much shade as possible also. In autumn, the
streets wear a different shirt – the yellow color of falling leaves. Dracontomelon
beauty, as a result, is captivating even the most difficult photographer.
Autumn is also the season of ripe dracontomelon when such final yellowish fruits are harvested. As its flavor is no longer too sour but a little bit sweet inside with crunchy outer skin, sugared dracontomelon become a daily treat of students after school and even a simple but powerful gift that a romantic man needs to convince his sulky girlfriend.
Original Hanoians will find it difficult to
fill their missing piece when it comes the autumn without having a pack of
green rice to make offerings to the ancestor. Green rice is carried by pole on
shoulders of street vendors, originally wrapped in lotus leaves, creating a
very pleasant fragrance and slight sweet flavor like fore-milk. Green rice cake,
green rice sweetened porridge or green rice flakes are among the best dishes of
Hanoi with very distinct flavor.
 |
| Young green rice made by Vong villagers |
 |
| Banh com or Green rice cake is a special gift of Hanoi, which can be found in engagement ceremony. Just small and thin like a palm of hand, the cake has a light fragrance of green rice, a little bit sweet with green bean inside and several coconut shreds. |
Vietnamese people in general and Hanoians
in particular all feel so familiar with the image of Gold apple, though not to
be eaten, it symbolizes the inner flawless beauty, faithfulness of Vietnamese
women. In autumn, little girls are often bought a gold apple as a gift from the
Mother to teach her child about beauty respect and looking up for miracles in
life.
 |
Once upon a time...a very beautiful and good-natured girl named Tam after being killed by her cruel stepmother revived and lived in a Gold apple.
|
Early autumn is also the season of daisy
blossom, whitening around Hoan Kiem lake, creating a new look for the capital
city. Sitting on the pavement, having a hot cup tea in the middle of such cool
days would be the best peaceful experience ever of any peoples.
 |
| Sunshine, daisies, butter mellow, ... |
Ps. Autumn is also an ideal time to start
enjoy some hot bowls of boiled snails
