The Scent Of Green Papaya Eng Sub

[Prince Aboubakar]

Hereis a film so placid and filled with sweetness that watching it is like listening to soothing music. "The Scent of Green Papaya" takes place in Vietnam between the late 1940s and early 1960s, and is seen through the eyes of a poor young woman who is taken as a servant into the household of a merchant family. She observes everything around her in minute detail, and gradually, as she flowers into a beautiful woman, her simple goodness impresses her more hurried and cynical employers. The woman, named Mui, is an orphan - a child, when she first comes to work for the family. She learns her tasks quickly and well, and performs them so unobtrusively that sometimes she seems almost like a spirit. But she is a very real person, uncomplaining, all-seeing, and the film watches her world through her eyes. For her, there is beauty in the smallest details: A drop of water trembling on a leaf, a line of busy ants, a self-important frog in a puddle left by the rain, the sunlight through the green leaves outside the window, the scent of green papaya.

We understand the workings of the household only through her eyes. We see that the father drinks, and is unfaithful, and that the mother runs the business and the family. We see unhappiness, and we also see that the mother comes to think of Mui with a special love - she is like a daughter. As Mui grows and the family's fortunes fade, the routine in the household nevertheless continues unchanged, until a day when the father is dead and the business in disarray. Then Mui is sent to work as the servant of a young man who is a friend of the family.

"The Scent of Green Papaya," which is one of this year's Oscar nominees in the foreign language category, is first of all a film of great visual beauty; watching it is like seeing a poem for the eyes. All of the action, indoors and out, is set in Saigon in the period before the Vietnam War, but what is astonishing is that this entire film was made in Paris, on a sound stage. Everything we see is a set. There is a tradition in Asian films of sets that are obviously artificial (see "Kwaidan," with its artificial snowfalls and forests). But the sets for "Green Papaya" are so convincing that at first we think we are occupying a small, secluded corner of a real city.

The director, Tran Anh Hung, undoubtedly found it impossible to make a film of this type in today's Vietnam, which is hardly nostalgic for the colonial era. That is one reason he recreated his period piece on a sound stage. Another reason may be that he wanted to achieve a kind of visual perfection that real life seldom approaches; every small detail of his frame is idealized in an understated but affecting way, so that Mui's physical world seduces us as much as her beauty.

Some will prefer the first two-thirds of the film to the conclusion: There is a purity to the observation of Mui's daily world that has a power of its own. Toward the end of the film, plot begins to enter, and we begin to wonder when the young pianist will notice the beautiful woman who lives under his roof, and loves him so. There is an old, old movie tradition of the scene where a man suddenly sees a woman through fresh eyes, and realizes that the love he has been looking everywhere for is standing right there in front of him. These scenes can be laughable, but they can also sometimes be moving, and when that moment arrives in "Scent of Green Papaya," it has been so carefully prepared that there is a true joy to it.

There is another scene of great gladness, when the man begins to teach the young woman to read. So deep is the romanticism of the film that we almost question whether this is an advancement for her: Her simplicity, her unity of self and world, is so deep that perhaps literacy will only be a distraction. It is one of the film's gifts to inspire questions like that.

I have seen "The Scent of Green Papaya" three times now - the first time in May 1993 at Cannes, where it was named the best film by a first-time director. It is a placid, interior, contemplative film - not plot-driven, but centered on the growth of the young woman. As such, you might think it would seem "slower" on later viewings, but I found that the opposite was true: As I understood better what the movie was, I appreciated it more, because like a piece of music it was made of subtleties that only grew deeper through familiarity. This is a film to cherish.

I like the Agave syrup as alternative to sugar as it has a milder and better sweet flavor. Love all the veggies that you used on this salad and especially the green papaya. Looks refreshing, Sissi! ?

Sissi, You are so lucky to live in a city that has so many different ethnic grocery stores. I think your salad must be so tasty. I am lucky if I can find ripe papayas but I will be rummaging around through them looking to see if I can find a green one now.

Good timing Sissi! Got my papayas growing but they ll need some more time before I can pick them. I was asking some time back in the social networks for a green papaya recipe, and the suggestions were ok, mostly I had in mind to use it to tenderize beef, but then I feel its too strong and I prefer using ginger instead, so your salad recipe will come handy!

Blend red curry paste and canola oil in a saucepan and cook over medium heat until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add water and green papaya chunks, stir, then cover with a lid and let it cook for 3 minutes or until green papaya starts to look half-cooked. Add eggplant, yardlong beans and pork and stir, cover and cook for 3 more minutes until eggplant is soft but not mushy.

You can make it yourself by drying Kaffir lime leaves and grind them in spice grinder. Another option is to buy from online Thai grocery store such as import foods.com

_lime_powder.html

Thank you!

An important part of this salad is to have the papaya crunchy, and Viet cooks can soak the shredded papaya in a slaked lime-and-water solution. I prefer the old fashioned method of squeezing on the shreds, which renders the papaya dryish so that once the dressing is poured on, the papaya soaks up all the flavors like a sponge. See tips for buying and using green papaya if you're not familiar with the Southeast Asian ingredient.

1. To make either dress dressing, in a small bowl, stir together all of the ingredients, stirring until the sugar dissolves. If guests are chile heat sensitive, leave the Sriracha out and serve some on the side. Set the dressing aside to develop the flavors.

2. Peel the papaya with a vegetable peeler and then cut off the stem. Halve the papaya lengthwise and use a spoon to scoop out and discard the seeds. Cut each half lengthwise into quarters, and then use a knife (or grapefruit knife or melon baller) to remove the thin white layer lining the cavity. Using a Japanese Benriner slicer or a food processor fitted with the largest shredder blade, shred the papaya pieces. Aim for thin strands about 1/16 inch thick, no more than 3/16 inch wide, and 2 to 3 inches long (about the size of the shredded mozzarella you put on a pizza).

3. Put the shredded papaya in a colander, add the sugar and 1 teaspoons of the salt, and use both hands to massage the sugar and salt vigorously into the papaya. After a few minutes, the papaya will be a little slimy and limp yet still firm. At that point, rinse it under lots of cold running water to remove the salt and sugar.

4. Working in batches, wring out excess moisture from the papaya in a nonterry dish towel: position a mound of the papaya in the center, roll it up in the towel, and then twist the ends in opposite directions to force out the liquid. Do this 3 or 4 times. You want to extract enough water from the papaya yet not completely crush it. Transfer the papaya to a large bowl and fluff it up to release it from its cramped state.

5. Just before serving, add the beef jerky and Thai basil to the green papaya and toss to distribute evenly. At home, I normally pour on about of the dressing, toss and taste, adding more dressing as needed. Or, serve the dressing on the side and invite guests to dress their own salad.

I was craving this after Andrea wrote the jerky post, and I had some pork liver intended for pate so I tried making the liver often used in this dish back home.

Same recipe for marinade, same thickness--I didn't think about the pineapple juice so I used a pear puree instead. The goal is to make the marinade a bit thicker.

I fried the liver quickly in a tiny bit of oil with some garlic, then pour the marinade in, then finish it up under the broiler to really thicken down the sauce and charred the liver a bit. I don't remember how much time--I watched it intensely so I don't end up burning the sauce, probably within 5 minutes. The liver turned out pretty tasty -- chewy and sticky.

My aunt told me they use beef liver in Vietnam. Will try that next time.

Thuy, Vietnamese green papaya salad is not as gutsy/earthy as the Lao or Issan Thai version. No salty fermented crab or long beans (green beans), and definitely not as screaming hot either. Compared to the average Thai som tum green papaya salad, there's no tangy cherry tomato. The Viet salad is not lightweight, it's just a different animal.

Binh, Thanks SO much for the tip for livery goodness. I'm going to try that out. I like calf's liver more than regular full-grown beef liver as the former is more delicately flavored.

Andrea,

What's the basic difference between regular beef

jerky and Vietnamese beef jerky? I'm a big fan

of your website. It not only provides delicious

recipes but, gives us insight into southeast asian

culture. Can I find Jerky in the Dallas/Ft. Worth

area?

Mangia,

Jai

Thuy -- nice idea for blending of fish sauce and soy sauce! Give the soy depth!

Jai -- Thanks for the compliments. Vietnamese beef jerky gets flavored by fish sauce, lemongrass, and chile. In the Dallas area, you'd find Vietnamese jerky at a Vietnamese market. Go to a Chinese market and the Chinese jerky may have some fish sauce and chile, but no lemongrass. But as my dad points out above, the jerky can be flavored with ginger too. If you were to sub a 'teriyaki' flavored jerky -- something you like from a mainstream supermarket -- that would work too!

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