Seeds and leaves of sea almond from Con Dao stand out in the preliminary round. -

If a doctor concern himself about viruses, a poet dreams about beautiful words and thoughts and a dedicated chef will always be thinking of new ingredients to make the most delicious dish.

Young chef Truong Thi Thuy Nguyen(27) specializes in the bakery at Kim Do Royal Hotel, Ho Chi Minh City exemplifies this statement. However, the way Chef Nguyen combines rustic ingredients from the sea almond tree with expensive fish - such as goby grouper and sailfish - attracted the attention from many guests at the preliminary round of the 2014 Golden Spoon, held in Ho Chi Minh City at Van Thanh Tourist area.

It was even more impressive when this young chef presented himself confidently in front of the experienced judges in a manner of sharing her own experience as the main spirit. She said, “I brought the sea almond from Con Dao to the contest because dishes made with sea almond are easy to make, but have a very new and special taste. They are also nutritious, thanks to the combination of the crispness and the richness of the seeds plus the acidity of the young leaves.”

Each piece of sailfish is wrapped with young leaves of the sea almond

Actually it was a harmonious combination of two opposing ingredients, which are both rustic but also refined and luxurious. It was an all well received having the fresh ingredients and a bowl of delicious sauce. For instance, the salad with rolled goby red grouper filet: only a leaf and a few seeds of the young sea almond tree were used, accompanied by a few thin slices of onion. However uncomplicated, it would still be incomplete without a bowl of delicious sauce.

A mustard sauce was made in Vietnamese style that takes several tries by a chef in order to get right. It includes soya sauce with lemon juice, sugar and blended broccoli greens. This sauce is special because it helps to eliminate a fishy smell and also lightly cooks the fish before it is rolled in a leaf or paper.

The sauce has a strong taste from mustard greens to eliminate the fishy taste of fresh fish. After that the taste turns fatty and tender in aroma. Like that it can mix the texture and natural sweetness of the fish with the strong taste of the mustard greens. Even just a small dollop the size of your thumb is enough to give diners the flavorful rollercoaster: bitter-spicy-sweet-salty-sour.

Boiled or fried sea almond seeds are not only used to make jam and candy

“I am very surprised! This shows great creativity. The fish rolls are very impressive because its flavor is so delicious. If I have the chance to go to Truong Sa island I will share with soldier there about these new dishes made of sea almond leaves!” commented Singer Nguyen Phi Hung - one of the guest judges.

On the other hand, there are dishes that use sea almond seeds to replace lotus seeds, whereby creating a unique and special taste. Instead of using lotus to cook with goat meat, the sea almond seeds are used instead. Chef Nguyen explained it also has a rich flavor, but is different.

Sea almond seeds can also be used in a soup called “Master soup”. It is made more tasty and nutritious by using a dozen of “củ nén” - scientifically known as Allium Odorum L - and “single” garlic - named as such because the garlic has only one clove. It is an honor for Quang Ngai and Vietnam to have this special garlic. According to Chinese medicine these are two spices that prefer “violence” because they need to be pounded before cooking in order to release the aroma. It also aids digestion and eliminates poisonous substances in the body. Some experienced chefs advise that it is better to grill until the skin lightly chars before cooking.

The team of “sea almond leaves” was made up of young chefs

The sweet soup made of sea almond seeds has two options: either boil or fry the sea almond seeds before cooking with with sticky rice and sugar. It should be cooked in the royal style, but some people of Hue disagree. “I haven’t heard any sweet soup cooked in a royal style like that,” said Food Expert Anh Thi Hoang Ho– a member of the judges.

At any rate, Chef Nguyen’s team has contributed to introducing an innovative menu with young leaves and seeds of the sea almond tree- an available ingredient that exists everywhere in our country. In the book written by Dr.Loi Tat Do named “Vietnamese medicine herbs and medicine recipes” has some sentences about this sea almond. “Its leaves are used to drink then it can release the cold or the leaves also can be blended, stir-fried and applied to an afflicted area to treat pain.”

Thanks to that the Vietnamese culinary map has added many new dishes, which may seem very common but still taste different and special - here from the green leaves of the sea almond. It is obvious that planting a Ficus bengalensis or a Ficus religiosa takes more time to have its benefit than planting the sea almond tree.