My childhood grew up with clusters of pure areca flowers spreading their fragrance by the window. Summer afternoons, hiding from my parents, I picked up the fallen areca flowers in the garden; moonlit nights, I opened the window wide and dreamily sat listening to the gentle breeze blowing the scent of areca... I still remember the fragrant dish of mixed areca roots in my mother's kitchen.

My family planted a garden of areca palms, which not only provided shade but also improved the lives of the whole family during harvest season. We children rarely got to enjoy the areca palm tubers, because, to get them, the whole tree had to be cut down. We only got to enjoy the areca palm tubers when the areca palm was infested with worms or when it was too old and too tall, and our parents cut it down to plant a new areca palm.

Not rare, but rarely encountered, so every time there was a areca nut, my mother cherished it as if she had found a precious delicacy. She showed me how to get the areca nut quickly and with less effort.

After being cut down, the top part is chopped off, the skin is peeled off, and the areca nut is revealed with a milky white color, soft and crunchy. Not only delicious, this ingredient is also clean, containing lots of fiber and minerals that are good for the digestive system.

My mother transforms the cau root dishes in many different ways, such as cooking them in shrimp soup, stewing them in soy sauce, or stir-frying them with shrimp. All of them have a special flavor, both rustic and attractive. But my sisters and I still like the salad the most. My mother's salad dish is as beautiful as a painting with the ivory color of the cau root, the light yellow color of the meat slices, the green of the herbs, and the yellow of the roasted peanuts.

Whenever we have betel nut at home, my mother and I meticulously sit and cut the betel nut into bite-sized pieces, then soak them in a mixture of water mixed with vinegar or diluted salt water to keep them crispy and white.

Remove the taro strands and drain, continue to saute the shallots, garlic, and crushed fresh chili, then add the taro. Heat on high, stir quickly and turn off the stove so that the taro is just cooked but does not lose water.

Mom usually uses a large bowl to mix the pre-processed betel nut, sprinkles in the fish sauce; adds chili powder, herbs, and basil, mixes well, and then serves on a plate. Betel nut salad is simple to make, with a crispy exterior and soft, cool interior, mixed with the smell of roasted peanuts, basil, herbs, and the spicy taste of chili.

On days when we were feeling a little more “fancy,” Mom would add thinly sliced ​​pork belly or pig ears, or peeled boiled shrimp to mix in. For my sisters and I, just the sour, spicy, and sweet taste of the fish sauce was enough to make our tongues tingle with delight.

Now, among all the delicious dishes, I still can’t stop craving for the areca nut salad. Just like this afternoon, I came back to my hometown just in time for my parents to change the areca nut variety, so I could enjoy my hometown’s specialty. Seeing my mother diligently, her skinny hands quickly tearing each strand of areca nut, my heart suddenly felt heavy. Time flies so fast!