8:15 am. Apparently that’s the right pick up time for a tour of the local moonshine still. We walked a mile or so through another mob of High School students (yep, still here) and rice paddies to an adjacent village.
The process: Cook or recycle 50 kg (about 100 pounds) of rice and spread on metal sheets to cool. Add and mix yeast. Package in small kitchen trash cans until fermentation starts – about 2 to 3 days. Dilute this by 50%. Store this in larger plastic trash cans about 30 days. Cook the mash over charcoal, passing vapor through coils of tubing in a cold water bath. Capture filtrate (approximately 80% alcohol). This sits until it gases off to about 50% or 100 proof.
They sell this in plastic recycled jugs to the locals. An average wedding might buy 50-100 gallons. Or they add various fruit and other “things” to soak and impart flavors.
We tried the jackfruit, banana, and jujube. We smelled the cobra but it is still 5 years until it’s ready. The owner poured heavies and insisted we finish them. Whew!
The thick mash (after the two day fermentation) is shared with the kids as porridge. Pretty tasty and the kids sleep great!
Left over mash is fed to the pigs in the back. Beautiful animals sold at a moonshine premium.
As usual, our hosts were pleasant, enthusiastic – just plain lovely.
Time for some low-key drunk packing and then back to Hanoi.
We stopped on our way at a mountainside market in search of a specific local peppercorn we LOVE. While there we were introduced to another weird chicken. “Black Chickens” used for ceremonies and healing, have pitch black flesh (also black feathers, feet, eyes and organs).
Had some fantastic pork skewers with our target pepper (but we passed on the testicle-rat)
Another Cyclo ride through Hanoi, this one arranged by our guide with an English speaking driver. Vin is Catholic, one of less than 1% in Vietnam. Very gregarious and thrilled to be showing his town to folks of an adjacent(?) faith. As we toured the Old City, Vin let me drive for a bit. I’m absolutely SURE that’s the first time that’s ever happened in Hanoi.
Q offered us the choice to take us for street food instead of a fancy dinner – obviously an emphatic yes from here. First stop, Anthony Bourdains favorite spot for Bun Cha – 3 kinds of BBQ pork in a delicious Pho. Then we stopped at Q’s childhood favorite for a fermented pork roll fried in corn flakes, and dried beef papaya salad. We wrapped it up with a take on Ban My including warm pate, pork belly, egg and a white sausage.
I tore my ankle up a bit in Mai Chau so we’re limping home to ice it and get some drinks from room service. G’night.
Mac and Juju explore Southeast Asia 