On the full moon day of July, Mrs. Nguyen Thi Ninh's kitchen (74 years old, Tay Ho, Hanoi) is busy with vegetables, mushrooms, tofu and many familiar ingredients to prepare a vegetarian feast.
Ms. Ninh shared that she started vegetarianism about 15 years ago. In recent years, she has maintained the habit of cooking by herself, although old age makes work increasingly difficult.
The children repeatedly advised her to buy a ready-made vegetarian feast to reduce fatigue, but she refused. For her, preparing a meal herself is a way to express sincerity and remembrance to her ancestors and deceased relatives.
Now that I am old, making many dishes is also more difficult, but I still want to go down to the kitchen to prepare and process myself. Every year on the occasion of the full moon of July, I arrange a decent meal for my family," Ms. Ninh said.
She said that the selection of ingredients and processing must be done carefully. There are dishes that are familiar to the family for many years, and there are dishes that she has changed the way of making to make the meal more diverse. For her, the important thing is that the dishes are all made from plant ingredients and contain the care of the cook.
Ms. Ninh said that the habit of making vegetarian feasts started about 15 years ago. Initially, she only made a few simple dishes. When she was healthy, she could prepare more dishes, but now she has to balance her strength.
Before, when I was healthy, I could make a lot. Now that I am old, I am also more tired, but I still try. Making many dishes is not to show off the feast, but because I want to have a full meal when I remember my deceased relatives, my family," Ms. Ninh said.
According to Ms. Ninh, the full moon of July is also an occasion for family members to remember their deceased loved ones. In modern life, each person has their own work and schedule, so these occasions become even more time for families to gather and remember old memories together.
My children keep telling me to work less to get less tired. I also know I'm old, I can't do it like before. But there are things I'm used to, and when it's time, I want to prepare a little myself," Ms. Ninh confided.
For Mrs. Ninh, a vegetarian meal is not just dishes placed on the table. It is also a part of the family's lifestyle, a time when she can personally prepare familiar dishes and remember relatives with her children and grandchildren.
After 15 years, every July full moon season, her kitchen is still on fire with vegetarian dishes prepared by her own hands. Although she is old, she still tries to keep this habit within her ability, as a simple way to take care of her family and preserve familiar memories.
