Vietnamese immigrant cultivates a taste of home with herb garden

Vietnamese immigrant cultivates a taste of home with herb garden

2024-01-22

Originally from Vietnam, Tran Hong Mai has created her very own herb garden with the help of her community and the Hsinchu County New Immigrant Service Center. There you can find all kinds of herbs common in Southeast Asian cooking, but rare in Taiwan. The garden not only sates a longing for home, but also serves as a gathering place for the community, Taiwanese and immigrant alike.

A garden stretches as far as the eye can see, packed with over 40 kinds of Southeast Asian herbs. Every stalk was planted with care by immigrant women. Tran Hong Mai runs this garden, putting her all into its maintenance.

Tran Hong Mai
Vietnamese immigrant
When those of us from Vietnam and elsewhere in Southeast Asia get together, we want to cook food from home for everyone to enjoy. But it’s sometimes hard to find the ingredients. So I said, don’t worry, I’ll help you find some land to grow herbs from home.

With help from the Neili community in Hsinchu’s Xinpu Township, they got a plot of land to use free of charge.

In addition to running the garden, Tran plays another important role in this community of immigrants.

She also prepares Southeast Asian food to share with her elderly neighbors. Meticulously selected pork is seasoned simply with black pepper, garlic and salt, then mixed with shredded lolot to enhance the flavor before wrapping in a freshly picked lolot leaf.

Tran Hong Mai
Vietnamese immigrant
My biggest takeaway is, no matter whether Southeast Asian, Taiwanese or Hakka, we all come together as one family. I’m happiest every time I come here.

Lin Feng-yen
Neili community resident
The first time I saw something so novel, wrapped up in natural leaves like this, I was blown away by the flavor!

Feng Yun-yen
Neili community resident
This is just the best, everyone coming together as a family.

Apart from lolot-wrapped pork dipped in a homemade sauce, Tran also makes the vegetable and egg dishes and soup she ate often in Vietnam. When the community eats together, the table is crowded with Hakka, Taiwanese and Vietnamese dishes. Through food, the distance between them vanishes as they become one family.

This story was provided by the program "We Are Family"
Funded by New Immigrant Development Fund

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一畝香草園傳遞家鄉味園長陳香梅帶領姊妹勤耕耘

2024-01-22

住在新竹的越南新住民陳香梅(Trần Hương Mai)，在社區和新竹縣新住民服務中心的幫助下，成立了一個「茗香弄草香草園」，在這裡東南亞特殊罕見的香草應有盡有，不只新住民姊妹可以藉著家鄉香草料理解鄉愁，這個香草園，也成為新住民和在地社區居民，交流互動的最佳場所。

放眼望去，多達四十種的東南亞香料，每一株都是新住民姊妹的心血。擔任園長的陳香梅，對於栽種維護，更是盡心盡力。

[[越南新住民陳香梅]]
“我們越南跟東南亞姊妹在一起，都想煮我們家鄉的東西分享給大家一起吃，我們就很煩惱，有時候在臺灣買不到，督導就講，你們放心吧，我一定幫你們找，找一塊地，給你們種家鄉的香草。”

在新竹新埔內立社區的提協助下，撥出了一塊空地，免費讓新住民姊妹們種香草。

除了帶著大家經營香草園，當新住民姊妹聚在一起的時候，陳香梅還有個重要任務。

親手料理越南美食和長輩們一起分享。剛剛採收的假蒟，精挑帶筋的梅花肉，加上黑胡椒、蒜頭、胡椒鹽簡單調味，再加入剁碎的假蒟葉，加入攪拌，更增添香味。

[[越南新住民陳香梅]]
“最大的收穫第一個是，不管我們是東南亞姊妹或是臺灣，有客家人，我們都是團結在一起，變成一家親的好姊妹，我每次來是最開心的。”

[[內立社區長輩林鳳燕]]
“我第一次看到這麼新奇的東西，而且是天然的葉子這樣包，吃起來好香耶。”

[[內立社區長輩馮雲灧]]
“這個最好了，大家都是一家人。”

除了有假蒟葉包肉，蘸上特製醬料。陳香梅還帶來了越南很常吃到的樹仔葉炒蛋和湯品。社區共餐時間，桌上有客家菜、臺灣菜、還有越南料理，大家透過美食拉近彼此距離，我們一家人的和睦在這展現無遺。

以上內容由《我們一家人》節目提供
內政部移民署監製

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