We had several options today, among them spending a full day in Hoi An or enjoying the morning in My Son. But the real winners of the group were the ones who chose a cooking class in Hoi An; it was spectacular! We started out visiting a local market with our guide who showed us how to choose a good mango for desert today, versus a good mango for lunch tomorrow. We were able to sample some of the incredible local fruit, including green oranges – only green on the outside and perfectly sweet on the inside – dragonfruit and rambutans. Then we went to the herb stand where we smelled a variety of fresh herbs, and learned the difference between French and Vietnamese garlic. (Vietnamese is better.) We were soon off to the cooking school, taught by the lovely Lulu. We made our own spring rolls, savory rice pancakes, and even a marinade for chicken. Though she didn’t trust us to cook the chicken over charcoal ourselves, we each ate our lunch made with a vast variety of local ingredients, topped off with a mango and mint salad. The best food in Vietnam so far. Here is the recipe for the spring rolls.