Among traditional food in Vietnam, Moc Van Am is the most refined and
sophisticated dish. Therefore, it’s so hard to make this dish that it seems to
disappear at present.
Moc Van Am is a colorful delicacy with 5 colors including the red of Gac fruit, yellow
of Gardenia seeds, green of Bim Bip leaves (scientific name: Clinacanthus nutans),
black of minced fungus and mushroom and white. These colors symbolize for Five
Elements consisting of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth
frozen naturally. When it’s ready to serve, the dish looks like a jelly block with a
transparent appearance showing colorful ingredients inside.
When eating, you can feel soft and fragrant ingredients combine with a bit spicy
flavor of pepper. This is an ancient dish of Ha Noi people to express the desire for a
happy and sufficient life.