During a sabbatical to Hanoi in Vietnam I wrote a top ten list of my absolute must-try street food haunts; all of which were throughly researched (well eaten at) beforehand. It’s a treasure trove of a list if you’re ever going to visit there. But there was one thing that my daughter reminded me of recently that I’d not mentioned in my writing, but something that was a revelation.
It was mango…but not just mango; it had been enhanced with more sweetness, a slight saltiness, a punch of citric tartness and a lovely warm kick of heat. Sold by vendors in the Old Quarter of Hanoi it was a veritable treat – but the balance of flavour was amazing. It elevated a fruit of which I was already fond of to a truly great.
Back home a few years later I have adapted this approach for cantaloupe/rock melon – I find the taste and flavours complement this type of melon wonderfully.
