Miến Gà, or cellophane noodles and chicken soup, is a comforting and delectable dish that originated from the Northern region of Vietnam.  It is also one of the essential recipes that contributed to my family's survival - a symbol of adaptability, strength, and resilience... 

On July 21st,1954, the Geneva Accords were finalized, which was the international agreement to divide Vietnam into two states, separated at the 17th Parallel line: the Communist-controlled North and the southern State of Vietnam. 

Just a few days before the fateful deadline took place, which would effectively shut down all travels between the two zones, my great-grandmother quietly planned a successful evacuation of her children out of the Communist-controlled zone. 

She did this amidst the terrifying chaos. She did this without telling a soul, not even the confused children she was guiding. She executed this plan with such calculating composure that no one would have guessed that she had just recently buried her husband, who was shot by French colonizers in cold blood.

As soon they crossed into the safe zone in Huế, she immediately took to cooking and selling Miến Gà on the streets to support her family.  She knew that the locals were curious and would welcome a new alternative to their Bún Bò Huế, the regional signature spicy beef noodle soup, so being the shrewd businesswoman she naturally was, my great-grandmother quickly carved her own niche and did what all immigrants had to do to adapt and survive.   

She did it all with such quiet humility that no one would have guessed that this woman came from an affluent family, who was trained in business and Eastern medicine. Cooking was never her forte. But like the calm river that runs deep, no one could ever guess my great-grandmother’s next move, or what she was capable of.