Morning .....

It seems the Dutch are pretty adventurous. I've had close friends from Holland who have lived in Hanoi for long periods of time and now, the majority of our current streetfood tour clients are also from that country. They are great to have aboard because they embrace the experience and will give almost every thing a try.

I always try to connect the clients with the market atmosphere, try to involve them with the market vendors. As Holland is a dveloped country very different to Vietnam, the concept of a wet market is something new to them and some of the activities in the wet market can be shocking. Skinning frogs and killing chickens and ducks are examples. I don't see the point in protecting the client from this as it's part of the wet market culture. Generally, after the first few minutes they get used to it and start to understand the difference...or they turn away! When it comes to eating though, they don't mind sitting down on the tiny stools in the middle of all this activity to enjoy a bowl of noodles.

Many people who take part in our street food tours want to try some bazaar food such as duck fetus eggs or tofu with fermented shrimp paste. They like the combination of these dishes and their accompanying herbs. Duck fetus eggs are served with ginger and Vietnamese mint for example. I get a real buzz when people are prepared to try food that may be unusual for them and the Dutch are the most adventurous so far.