Story by Victoria Ngo, Summer 2019
When my family escaped from Vietnam several decades ago, they were able to cultivate a new home through food. Phở was the bridge between cultures, able to provide familiarity and comfort to displaced families. On top of this fulfilling and wholesome soup, always sat a mountain of fresh vegetables. Despite such variety, I could never find it in myself to eat anything other than a handful of bean sprouts on top.
Bean sprouts are actually the sprouts from mung beans, and their crunchy texture is used to add variety to many Asian dishes. The small, thin, white tubes have a mild and slightly sweet flavor that enhances the cultural dishes that my grandparents were able to bring over from their homeland. The sprouts are easy to obtain, especially with some water, a jar, and some sunlight. Used not just on top of phở, but also in spring rolls and bánh xèo, seeing the bean sprouts soaking in a giant bowl in the kitchen was always the foreshadow for a delicious meal that was yet to come.
When my grandparents knew their beloved grandchildren were coming to visit, they would labour over a stock pot, making a rich and fragrant broth for phở. The significance of such was never lost on me and I knew the love and time that was spent in their preparation. The bean sprouts knew too.
When my family wanted to prepare a special birthday dinner for me, I requested that we make spring rolls together. The ingredients were laid out on the table for us to construct our rolls as a family and the bean sprouts were there to celebrate too.
When my grandmother taught me how to pour the batter into a frying pan for bánh xèo, bean sprouts were there to witness the birth of my newfound skill.
Mung bean sprouts might be very common in Asian cuisine, but within my own family, they have witnessed our every celebration. Whenever there is family visiting, making phở is a celebration of their arrival. When it’s someone’s birthday, spring rolls are an easy dish to feed the plethora of hungry people. When we’re having an especially nice lunch or breakfast, bánh xèo is an awesome way to introduce a version of the crepe into Vietnamese cuisine. Through these, bean sprouts have become an integral ingredient in perfecting such recipes, and they have witnessed our past and future celebrations as a result.
Whether it be uniting my own family, or introducing Vietnamese cuisine into American culture, bean sprouts have served as a bridge between culture and community.