LADY CAM'S Snail Shop
Without a word, only muffled sounds, the mute owner's snail shop is considered one of the strangest places to eat in Hanoi . That "wordless" snail restaurant is located in Tong Duy Tan food street, a gathering place for snail addicts in this land.
“Eating snails and talking nonsense” is a proverb related to snails and speech. But that's just a play on words, because snails live underwater and their mouths are covered with scales, so what can you say? If you want to eat snails, you have to go looking for them in the pond or in the fields. If you want to eat snails, you can also say gro, so the same sounds have different meanings, so eating snails means you can say "crap".
But never mind, those who are looking for snails just keep looking for snails, those who say they are looking for a "scandal" just keep talking about it. As for me, I went to eat snails in a place where "sounds are as powerless as words". Eating snails here doesn't need to say anything. Language is redundant, sounds are powerless, there are only gurgling sounds and strange gesticulations.
But that's enough, we will still be served bowls of hot boiled snails, including jackfruit snails as big as a big toe, thin, yellow shell, succulent, fragrant body and screws as small as a finger. the meat is firm, crispy and rough. But it's not the only type of snail.
Hanoi has many ponds, rivers and lakes, so there are countless snails. As for West Lake, every day, tons of snails are provided to animal addicts, including bamboo snails, stone snails, screw snails, jackfruit snails, stuffed snails, and apple snails... So, even though Whether in poverty or prosperity, Hanoi's sidewalks are never short of boiled snails.
The same goes for the mute lady who owns this snail shop. Her original name is Khanh, a very beautiful name, not her nickname. She was not born deaf and mute, but due to complications from an overdose of antibiotics, and both husband and wife had the same problem. To make a living, she chose to sell boiled snails.
With nearly 25 years of experience selling snails, the reputation of "mute lady's snail shop" has become familiar in the world of "who loves eating snails and hates shelling". The owner cannot speak, of course the wait staff is also deaf or mute, but sometimes there are also a few aunties who can speak clearly and hear well and come and apply for jobs because it is so difficult.
All of them were brought home by Mrs. Khanh and her husband to rely on each other to overcome the difficulties of a silent life. The master and servant both mumbled and waved their fingers, but they understood each other better than anyone else, because they could listen to the messages from their hearts to each other.
ENGINEERING SOAPING AND BOILING Snails
To get delicious snails, Mrs. Khanh will never buy snails on the days of the lunar new year, when the moon wanes into a crescent shape or completely disappears at the beginning or end of the lunar month. The nursery rhyme "The first day of a pearl's tongue, the second day of a rice leaf" in addition to describing the cycle of the moon, is also used to calculate which days to eat snails or not to eat snails.
Because snails often breed during the summer or moonless days, the snails are skinny, have little meat, and are not fragrant. Besides, there are still many baby snails that are crunchy and not delicious to eat. Therefore, snails must be delicious when the moon is full. The snail was fat and full, the whole body was smooth, the whole snail came out of the shell, the intestines were clean but there were no baby snails.
Mrs. Khanh took the snails at dawn from an acquaintance to ensure the quality, then soaked the mud in rice water until 2pm before "lighting the fire" to boil them, so the snails were very clean and fresh. tasty. Every time a customer calls, they start boiling, so the snails are very fresh and crunchy.
Even though we have to rush to make products, according to the elders' teachings, soaking snails must be more thorough, meticulous, and elaborate. Hey, before boiling, the snails must be soaked for a few days at least. Soak in condensed rice water so that the snails still have something to eat, not skinny but fat. Change the soaking water once every half a day.
Then, when the soaking water is no longer filled with mud emitted by the snails, soak it in clean water mixed with vinegar and add a few chopped hot peppers. Sour and spicy will cause the snails to close their mouths as if releasing the remaining slime in their body. This is also the time to pick up any snails that show signs of death, otherwise they will ruin the snail pot because of the strong smell.
Because snails have cold properties, if they eat a lot or eat at night, it will cause stomach pain in people with weak stomachs. Therefore, people who sell boiled snails like Ms. Khanh often use leaves rich in warm essential oils such as ginger leaves, grapefruit leaves, and lemon leaves to boil with the snails to reduce the coldness.
She lined the bottom of the pot with a layer of grapefruit leaves, ginger leaves, and lemon leaves, then poured in the snails and a few grains of salt, then spread the leaves and the next layer of snails. Turn on the heat and after just a few minutes, the smell of grapefruit leaves and ginger leaves will give off a very warm and attractive aroma. The industry of boiling snails for 25 years has made her know how much time is enough to boil snails, so the snails here are never overcooked, the whole body is cooked, and they are not "broken in the middle of the road".
The bowl of snails is hot and steaming like a sauna, giving off the strong aroma of grapefruit leaves, ginger leaves, and lemon leaves, but still has the faint scent of the lake. If only there were a grapefruit thorn or a male locust thorn to properly twist the snail. Just twist it well and the whole snail's body will come out, winding, curling, and fluctuating. But that's okay, the restaurant has to be content with a sharp piece of corrugated iron to scoop out the snails and dip them into the bowl of dipping sauce.
IT'S LIKE A Snail
Mrs. Khanh's dipping sauce is also very delicious, mild but has enough sour, spicy, salty and sweet to not drown out the bland snail meat and not overwhelm the very light aroma of boiled snails. Dip it into a bowl of water with a variety of salty, sweet, sour, and spicy flavors, then put it in your mouth and chew it, making it crunchy and satisfying.
In addition, the dipping sauce is always served in a white ceramic bowl painted with green enamel flowers, so it accentuates the warm amber color with ginger and fresh chili, making it very pleasing to the customer's eyes. The same goes for the bowl containing salted figs or snail water, all creating a feeling of cleanliness, deliciousness and peace of mind without worrying about stomach problems.
If you want to be more confident, you can order a plate of vermicelli leaves, as small as a coin, to eat with it. The white vermicelli leaves go very well with that wonderful dipping sauce, creating a rustic dish. And finally, end with a bowl of delicious snail water, as delicious as a sip of wine.
In addition to boiled snails, Ms. Khanh's other side dishes are also very good quality such as steamed clams, fried spring rolls, chicken feet soaked in vinegar, quail stir-fried with tamarind. That's why the restaurant is always crowded, both locals and tourists admire the reputation of Ba Cam snail restaurant.
Sitting there on a late afternoon, we will enjoy absolute "no disturbance". If the owner is not busy cutting chili, chopping figs, steaming clams, and boiling snails, she is also dancing with her hands like a rowing actress in front of the iPad screen. That's her directing staff to prepare ingredients, or ship goods to customers who order online.
As for her staff, after inviting customers to sit, they immediately pointed to the tray of screws, jackfruit snails, clams, quail eggs... to know what the customers wanted to eat, then went out and waved their arms and legs to convey "order" to them. mistress. They quickly but quietly set up food, clean up the finished tables, and pull out their iPhones to report the bill to customers. A very attentive working attitude.
The customer smiled softly, secretly wishing that maybe he could also be "silent" in a world full of gossip. Just like a boiled snail.
