Din Daeng Fish Cakes

I BOUGHT SOME FISH CAKES FROM A STALL IN THE OPEN MARKETS ON THE STREETS OF QUY NHON. I ASKED THE LADY WHO OWNED THE STALL WHERE SHE GOT HER RECIPE FROM. ‘FROM MY BIRTH PLACE, DIN DAENG IN THAILAND,’ SHE SAID. I WAS EXCITED AS I WAS ALSO BORN IN DIN DAENG, AND SHE WAS THE ONLY PERSON THAT I’VE EVER MET FROM THERE. WE HAD SIMILAR STORIES: BOTH OUR FAMILIES ESCAPED VIETNAM IN 1977 AND WE WERE BOTH BORN IN THE SAME YEAR, IN THE SAME PROVINCE. SHE DIDN’T HESITATE TO SHARE HER RECIPE WITH ME.