The Flavors of Hmong Food

Hmong food is extremely unique as it showcases a fusion of the many settlements they have experienced over the years. Hmong food represents the history of the Hmong people as it exhibits our resilience, adaptation, and incorporating long standing historical techniques to these dishes. When eating Hmong food you can experience the local flavors no matter where you go and allows you to feel a sense of strong nostalgia for their homeland.

Whenever I take a bite of Hmong food I am reminded about my grandma’s hands who grew and nurtured the vegetables that are in the dish. I remember whose hand prepped this meat, because I heard a solid but rhythmic sound at the wooden cutting board. I reminisce about the ladle being stirred around in the pot and how slight smoke filled the kitchen. Hmong food is a reminder of our ancestors that come before us and reminds us of our origins.

The Hmong people are farmers and have always been. They have created a stability to have fresh foods in their diet and cultivate a sense of variety in their vegetables as well. Hmong people have been growing their own vegetables since they lived in Thailand, and they continue to do the same now even in America. Hmong people often grow their vegetables in their backyards. Don’t be shocked when you enter a Hmong household and find yourself surrounded by plants.

Some Hmong elders don’t just garden for their food, but as a way to pass time. Hmong people continue to use gardening as a way to build their livelihood. Many Hmong farmers are prevalent in selling their own produce at farmers markets and building successful small businesses. 

 Some simple dishes formed from these vegetables are squash soup. The specific squash that Hmong people grow is Kabocha or butternut squash. It’s sweet, soft, has a nutty and velvety flavor. Most Hmong people use this dish as sweet tea or a soup. You cut off the green skin and cut it into sizable pieces. You put it in some water and boil it until you get a flavor you like. After it cools, most people put rice in it and eat it plain with the squash. Other people like to add some form of protein.

 Another dish is pickled mustard greens, which is much more popular with the older Hmong people. It is an acquired taste that you gain over the years. We use the classic mustard greens that Hmong people enjoy using. We add salt, peppers, and put it in an air tight container to let it ferment for a while. It’s a commonly served side dish. Everyone makes it differently, some like it sweet, some like it spicy, or some like it super sour or bitter. They can be used for soups, stews, and stir fry dishes. A lot of the vegetables Hmong people cook can be used as the main dish or used as a side dish. 

To explain it truly, Hmong food is a feeling. I will always know which herbs were used, which vegetables are going to be put in this dish, and how long it took to cook this dish. From the most simplest dish to the most complex dish, I continue to eat what my ancestors ate. Now, we get to share our food with the rest of the world.