Spicy Cassava Bites

LOST IN ONE OF THE MANY NARROW STREETS OF HANOI, I CAME ACROSS AN ELDERLY LADY DEEP-FRYING THESE SPICY CASSAVA BITES IN AN OLD WOK, WHICH SHE THEN SERVED IN HAND-FOLDED CONES OF NEWSPAPER. I HADN’T SEEN THESE SNACKS SINCE MY VERY FIRST VISIT. I ASKED HER HOW THEY WERE MADE. SHE POINTED ME UP THE STAIRS AND TOLD ME TO GO UP AND HAVE A LOOK. I WALKED UP THE CREAKY WOODEN STAIRS TO HER LIVING ROOM, WHERE HER SON WAS PREPARING TRAY UPON TRAY OF THEM. HE WELCOMED ME IN AND WE MADE THE NEXT BATCH