Hanoi's Fading Autumn Call: The Vanishing Sound of Rươi Vendors

The street calls of rươi vendors, a traditional harbinger of autumn in Hanoi, are fading amidst urban development. Rươi, a type of palolo worm harvested from the sea, appears for a brief period each year, typically from the 9th to the 11th month of the lunar calendar. It is a key ingredient in chả rươi, an omelet dish with tangerine peel, herbs, minced pork, and the worm itself, deeply ingrained in Hanoi's culinary heritage. Renowned journalist and writer Vũ Bằng fondly described the evocative autumnal scenes and the joy brought by the calls of rươi vendors in his book "Miếng Ngon Hà Nội." His writings capture a time when the clear, high-pitched calls of women hawking rươi would fill the air, sparking a sense of culinary anticipation and abundance. However, in contemporary Hanoi, hearing these distinct calls on the streets has become a rarity. An investigation through markets like Thanh Hà, Ô Quan Chưởng, and Đồng Xuân revealed that many people now state, "Vendors primarily sell in stores rather than on the streets these days," or "They are only seen in specific areas, particularly near the Old Quarters." The practice of vendors carrying rươi in baskets, once a common sight, has largely been replaced by pre-packaged sales in markets and food stalls. The rươi themselves, though visually unappealing with their slimy, hairy bodies, are a delicacy. Vendors and shop owners alike are proud of their freshness and plumpness, with some even mistaking inquiries for content creation for social media platforms like TikTok. The decline in rươi vendors' calls is attributed to evolving eating habits and the process of urbanization. Previously, homemakers would purchase rươi for dinner preparation, with vendors often moving through neighborhoods after their main market sessions. However, modern urban lifestyles have altered cooking practices and food sourcing, leading to a decrease in street sales. Amidst the increasingly noisy urban soundscape of Hanoi, where old architecture meets modern high-rises, the unique calls of rươi vendors may now exist primarily as a nostalgic reminder of a more intimate and poetic past.