Noodle party helps cool down summer

Get it while it's cool: Nobuyo Tajawa puts noodle in a bamboo gutter for the summertime tradition of a nagashi soumen party in the central town of Hoi An. — VNS Photo Hoai Nam

DA NANG — Nobuyo Tajawa and her fellow Japanese expats living in the central city of Hoi An took about two hours to prepare their nagashi soumen (Japanese-style noodle) party on Hoang Van Thu Street yesterday.

It's a traditional summer party that the Japanese people use to cool off during the summer heat.

The dish is prepared by putting noodles in a bamboo gutter and then pouring water over them. The others stand along the gutter and use chopsticks to catch the noodles, eating them with Japanese-style soy sauce.

"It's one of Japan's summer traditions," Tajawa said. "We took an hour to prepare the gutter and everyone just used chopsticks to grabbed the noodles that flowed down with the water.

"I see many Japanese people doing business in Hoi An and they often organise traditional cultural events in the city; they bring a new style of culture to the town," said Phan Thi Hao, a Hoi An resident who participated in the party. "It was fun. I enjoyed the Japanese tradition and the taste of soy sauce from Japan."

Tajawa, who is from Tokyo, said she began doing business with a souvenir shop in Hoi An last week and hopes to stay here for a long time.

"I was invited by my friends and I came here, so we organised the nagashi soumen party to cheer the neighbours and residents of Hoi An," she said, smiling. "It's a way that we could introduce our country's culture."

There are an estimated 20 Japanese businesses in the ancient town of Hoi An, where a small Japanese community has existed for centuries. — VNS