Mothers Without Means

By: Timothy Nguyen

“Although my hands were getting tired, the aroma of the lemongrass was all I could think about..”

My mother grew up in a very poor family. She remembered it was 1975. She was only 10 years old at the time. Back then, she would follow her mother and help her with cooking for the family everyday. Her mother noticed that she liked to eat lemongrass roasted with chilli peppers. This was a dish that people who did not have the necessary means to buy more expensive ingredients such as meat or seafood could make. Because my mother loved it so much, her mother decided to teach her how to make it. She told my mother to wash the lemongrass and mince it really finely and to leave the chilli peppers for her to cut up since she was afraid that the peppers would burn my mother’s hands. Finely mincing the lemongrass made my mother’s hands really tired, but all she could think

about was how the product would turn out. After chopping the two ingredients, her mother then put it on the stove. Her mother gave her the task of stirring everything until it was dry and crunchy. This was a long and tiring process but my mother loved the aroma that the lemongrass gave off. Because my mother’s family was very poor back then and her mother did not have the money to buy meat, fish, or shrimp for the whole family to enjoy, her mother thought that this

dish would be something delicious but also affordable and could help them save some money. My mother and all of her siblings loved this dish and especially loved eating it with rice. They would just eat one bowl after another. Although her mother is no longer with us, every time my mother would make this dish, it reminds her of her mother, who she misses very much.

This story that my mother told me really made me realize how although my mother’s family did not always have the means, they still knew how to be happy with what they have. It makes me appreciate everything that my family has done for me to be here today. Hearing her stories also made a part of me regret some of

the things that I have done or things that I have asked for. I feel like I’ve sometimes gone out of line and only thought about myself. Although they might

have been poor, my family were still happy and got by. If there was a system of mutual aids where my mother grew up, maybe things would’ve been different. People could have exchanged food and produce that certain families did not have for something in return. Maybe more people could have more special dishes every now and then, instead of always having to worry about how economical a dish would be.

“It was a dish that was economical, but still delicious. My siblings and I would have one bowl after another.”

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Crispy Lemongrass and Peppers on Rice

Ingredients:

Lemongrass (can use frozen chopped lemongrass)
Cooking oil
Small pan
Chili peppers
Chicken powder

Directions:

Step 1. Wash lemongrass and mince finely.

Step 2. Finely chop peppers.

Step 3. In a pan on medium to medium-high heat, add cooking oil.

Step 4. Add in minced lemongrass and chili peppers.

Step 5. Stir until the lemongrass and peppers are dry and crispy. Add more oil if needed.

Step 6. Enjoy with a bowl of rice.