Dill, or “Thì Là” in Vietnamese, is a popular herb used in our soup, especially “Canh Chua Cá Thì Là” or sweet and sour dill fish soup. “Thì Là” translates to “Is The” in English, and if you’re wondering why the strange name for this herb, well, there’s a folklore for that. The legend has it…..

Once upon a time, God set out to grant every creation on Earth a name. He started with the animals, and then the plants. All the animals and plants lined up to wait for their turn.

“Your name: Elephant.”

“Your name: Apple.”

“Your name: Rose.”

….and so on and so forth. Dill, a green frond, arrived late so he was far back at the end of the line. When it was Dill’s turn, God was very tired and was dragging his thoughts.

“Your name…your name….is the….” God contemplated.

“MY NAME IS THE!” Dill exclaimed in excitement before God could finish his sentence, and ran back to Earth to tell everyone his new name. And that is how “Thì Là” got his name.

===============

It appears that through this story, the ancestors wanted us to learn the virtue of PATIENCE, for we may be forever stuck with a silly name we may not want.