By Joan Tan
Along the bustling streets of Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam, I came across a woman on the sidewalk selling fresh made-to-order Vietnamese
salads. I thought it was so fascinating, that all she needed to make this unique salad were just a few items and ingredients all comfortably packed in two baskets that she carried hanging from a long stick on both ends of her shoulders. I ordered one serving of salad, and watched with a childlike curiosity as she put the ingredients together.
The finished salad was served in a mini plastic bag which also served as an eating dish. A translucent spring-roll skin cut up into long pieces served as the base, that when dampened with water, resembled a noodle. The base was then dressed with dried shrimp, fresh mango, a variety of Vietnamese sauces and spices, quail egg, Thai basil, coriander herbs, and a dash of lime. I’d never tasted anything so delicious and at the same time so good for you! It was a balanced mixture of spicy, sour, and sweet flavors, mingled with fragrant and zesty herbs, mango and lime. A definite Wise Gourmet must try!
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