The Legend Of Vietnamese Kitchen Gods

Kitchen God's relationship to the "ong dau rau" is explained in a Vietnamese folk tale about a couple named Trong Cao and Thi Nhi

. Though married for many years, the pair remained childless. One day they got into an argument and Trong Cao beat his wife, who moved away. She later remarried a man named Pham Lang. Saddened by Thi Nhi's departure, Trong Cao set out to find her. He grew so poor that he was forced to beg to survive. By chance Trong Cao came to Pham Lang's home, where his former wife recognized him. As her new husband wasn't home, she took pity on Trong Cao and served him a feast, then hid him in a sack of straw behind the house. Unfortunately, Pham Lang and a servant unwittingly burned this sack of straw to make ash to fertilize the rice fields. Seeing her ex-husband engulfed in flames Thi Nhi threw herself into the fire and died. Pham Lang and the servant were so distraught that they followed suit. Witnessing this sorry scene the God of Heaven decided to transform them into Kitchen Gods.

Pham Lang earned the title Tho Cong, responsible for the kitchen. Trong Cao became Tho Dia, who cares for the home. And Thi Nhi became Tho Ky, in charge of shopping. Collectively they became the three "ong dau rau". The servant, meanwhile, was turned into nui rom, or the handf ul of straw kindling used to re-ignite the flames. Even at night, people tried not to let their cooking fires go out. Each evening, householders would place a clod of earth over a pile of lit rice husks that would smolder until morning. View more kitchen information of fishermen here: halong bay cruises

Up until the 1960s and 1970s, peasants in northern Vietnam often used straw for fuel. "Ong dau rau" were commonly used. ln some houses iron trivets named "kieng" replaced the earthen ones. More convenient than "dau rau", the kieng has a similar, sturdy structure. The poet To Huu wrote the line: "No matter what people say, my mind is as unshakable as a cooking trivet".

The traditional kitchen was not just the place where meals were prepared and cooked, but also the place where the whole family gathered after a hard days work. ln cold weather the kitchen was cozy. Even if the food was meager, the atmosphere could be pleasant, as described in a folk song that states: "A soup of shrimp feelers and gourd guts (a dish that is far from tasty) can be delicious when the husband and wife enjoy tasting it together".

Everyone who grew up in the countryside has special childhood memories: swimming in ponds, fishing, baking sweet potatoes and cassava in the fire... Over time, new stoves were invented. Nowadays some poor families have no choice but to use peat stoves, although they are dirty and polluting. ln the city, many people cook with gas. They now spend large sums on redecorating their kitchens. Rice cookers and microwave ovens make it easy to prepare meals while listening to music or watching TV. But many families no longer gat regularly, despite - or maybe of - these modern conveniences.

Nowadays peasants don't feed their stoves with straw. They use peat marsh-gas, or electricity or gas. But to this day people still recall the legend of ong dau rau and still worship the Kitchen God, inspires all of us to be kinder and more charitable.


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