FLAVORS OF HANOI

• What You'll Experience:

1. Arrival and welcome
Your experience begins with a refreshing drink and light seasonal fruits as you settle into the kitchen and meet your hosts.
 

2. Introduction to the experience
You’ll learn about HerKitchen and the women involved, as well as the inspiration behind this session’s focus on Northern Vietnamese food traditions.

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3. Exploring Northern ingredients and flavors

Before you begin cooking, you’ll be introduced to the ingredients, techniques, and balance of flavors that define Northern cuisine — fresh herbs, careful seasoning, and a sense of refinement.

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4. Optional market or farm visit

Depending on the session, you may visit a local market or farm to connect with ingredients before returning to the kitchen

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5. Meeting the women and hearing their stories
You’ll spend time with the women who co-host the session, hearing a little about their journeys and how food carries memory, identity, and change.

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6. Hands-on cooking session
Working together in small groups, you’ll prepare a signature dish such as bún chả, phở bò, or bánh cuốn, depending on the session. You’ll be guided through the process step by step.​

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7. Tea preparation and tasting

Alongside the cooking, you’ll be introduced to Northern tea traditions. You’ll learn how tea is prepared, served, and shared as part of everyday hospitality and quiet reflection.

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8. Shared meal and conversation

Everyone gathers to enjoy the meal together, creating space for questions, stories, and cultural exchange around the table.

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9. Farewell

You leave with a richer understanding of Northern Vietnamese cuisine and the quiet cultural depth that surrounds it.

• Who This Retreat Is For: