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Communion: A Culinary Journey Through Vietnam Paperback – May 1, 2010

by Kim Fay (Author), Julie Fay Ashborn (Photographer)
4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 40 ratings
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Living in Vietnam for four years in the 1990s, Seattle native Kim Fay fell in love with the romantic landscapes, the rich culture, and the uninhibited warmth of the people. A decade later, she grew hungry for more. Inspired by the dream of learning to make a Vietnamese meal for her friends and family in America, Kim returned to Vietnam and embarked on an unforgettable five-week culinary journey from Hanoi to Saigon.

Joined by her sister and best Vietnamese girlfriend, Kim set off to taste as much as possible while exploring rituals and traditions, street cafés and haute cuisine, famine and feast, and Communism and the legacy of war. Together, the three women discovered a society shaped by its ever-changing relationship with food. Every encounter serves up an enticing morsel, from uncovering the secret world of ragu in the French hill town of Dalat to bonding with the Julia Child of Vietnam in Saigon. Epicures and culture buffs will delight in markets, restaurants, farms, fisheries, and cooking classes as Kim assembles her dream meal and shares recipes such as banana flower salad and clay pot fish. Examining how we eat reflects who we are as individuals and as communities, Communion: A Culinary Journey Through Vietnam offers a feast for armchair gourmets, as well as a colorful guide for travelers hungering for their next adventure.  
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Previous page
  1. Print length
    296 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Things Asian Press/Global Directions
  4. Publication date
    May 1, 2010
  5. Dimensions
    7.24 x 0.73 x 9.58 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    193415914X
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1934159149
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Fay writes a poignant, funny and engrossing tale of food, culture and tradition in a country obviously so dear to her heart." --Zester Daily, September 3, 2010

"An extraordinarily personal book." - Evan Kleiman --KCRW's Good Food, August 7, 2010

"Kim Fay has literally written the book on Vietnam (twice)." --NBC LA's Feast, August 4, 2010

"Kim captures the nugget of great food writing. Ingredients are important--yes--but context is so much more so." --Rambling Spoon, June 16, 2010

"Fay evokes her favorite dishes with language that lingers in the mind as beloved tastes linger on the palate." --Gastronomica, Spring 2011

In Communion, Fay takes readers on a more personal culinary journey. There are a handful of recipes, but the focus is on her delicious prose, which will leave the reader yearning for an authentic taste of Vietnam. --Library Journal, March 1, 2010

About the Author

Kim Fay
Pacific Northwest native Kim Fay first traveled to Southeast Asia in 1991. She spent four years living in Vietnam and has traveled back frequently, writing about the region. As an expert on travel literature and Vietnam, she has been a guest speaker on NPR and has written for numerous publications, including Travel + Leisure. She is the creator and series editor of the To Asia With Love guidebooks. She lives in Los Angeles.

Julie Fay Ashborn Julie Fay Ashborn’s travels through Southeast Asia inspired her photography in To Asia With Love, To Vietnam With Love, andThe Little Saigon Cookbook. She was raised in the Pacific Northwest and now lives in Los Angeles with her husband Clive, daughter Charlie, and son Oliver.  

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Things Asian Press/Global Directions; Illustrated edition (May 1, 2010)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 296 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 193415914X
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1934159149
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.76 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.24 x 0.73 x 9.58 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 40 ratings

About the authors

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Previous page
  1. Kim Fay

    Kim Fay

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    Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

    Born in Seattle and raised throughout Washington State, I am a former indie bookseller and former travel writer living in Vietnam for four years. I am the author of the historical novel THE MAP OF LOST MEMORIES, an Edgar Award Finalist for Best First Novel; COMMUNION: A CULINARY JOURNEY THROUGH VIETNAM, winner of a World Gourmand Cookbook Award; and LOVE & SAFFRON, a historical, epistolary novel written during the pandemic. I am also the creator/​editor of the To Asia With Love guidebook series. I live in Los Angeles with my husband Jim and dog Mabel. I am represented by Kate Garrick at Salky Literary Management: kgarrick@salkylitmgmt.com

    See more on the author's page
  2. Julie Fay Ashborn

    Julie Fay Ashborn

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    Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

    I am a mom, wife, foodie: loving life & snapping pics of it along the way. I photographed "Communion: A Culinary Journey Through Vietnam," winner of the World Gourmand Cookbook Awards' Best Asian Cuisine Book in the United States; "To Asia With Love"; "To Vietnam with Love" and "The Little Saigon Cookbook".

    I was born in Seattle and raised in the NW. I now live in Los Angeles in a quirky home that we call Lark, with a wonderful garden and amazing views. Photography and food are my passion and I blog about this at sundaysatlark.com.

    See more on the author's page
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Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
4.2 out of 5
40 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Bend FIction Reader
5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful culinary trip through Vietnam
Reviewed in the United States on March 31, 2024
Verified Purchase
Author shared her love for Vietnam culture and country with a delightful narrative. Just wish there were more recipes and the font larger!
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ChefKaren7
5.0 out of 5 stars A MUST READ before you travel to Vietnam!
Reviewed in the United States on May 13, 2011
Verified Purchase
I always think that the planning and preparation for a big trip is half the fun, and Communion played a huge part in making my recent trip to Vietnam truly memorable. Kim Fay doesn't tell you about Vietnam, she takes you there. You can see it, smell it, taste it. I also bought the usual travel guides that told me what I should see, how to get there, and where to stay. Fay told me why I needed to go in the first place.

Fay's travels with her sister, Julie, and friend, Huong, are a quest for the real Vietnam, not the one in the travel guides. Since she had lived there before, she knew what she was looking for. When I was researching for my trip, Communion opened my eyes to so many unforeseen things. How so much of the traditional cuisine was being lost, and the valiant effort of some to keep it alive. How difficult it was for the "winners" of the Vietnam war. We came home and continued living the American dream. They were just beginning to realize how hard their lives were to be in their victory. She brings many people to life, sharing their struggles and triumphs after the war. She relates how significant food is to the average Vietnamese person - the choice of every ingredient in every dish is purposeful, meaningful, and personal. I consider myself to be a foodie but this was a revelation to me. This intimate relationship between people and the true nature of every ingredient. I will never just sit and eat again.

One of the main reasons for my trip to Vietnam was to go to cooking school. I did a lot of research on various schools but after reading Communion, I knew I had to meet Ms. Vy at the Morning Glory Cooking School in Hoi An. Fay's account of Ms. Vy was so compelling and interesting. After spending time in the kitchen with Ms. Vy, I can say that Fay's impressions of her were spot on. She was as delightful and amazing as Fay portrayed her. Thanks, Kim, for a great find!

The book gave me a great laundry list of places to go, things to do, people to see, and helped me compile the most important list - Things to Eat. And, for the most part, I did find and eat the wonderful dishes Fay recommended. Her descriptions were so good that when I finally did get to eat one of those much anticipated dishes, I didn't experience surprise, just a deeply satisfying, "I knew it would be that good."

The book is now on my cookbook shelf, a handy reference for some of the mainstays of Vietnamese cuisine. Only instead of just a recipe with a list of ingredients and directions, I know what it is like to struggle to make the perfect spring roll, having heard it first from Fay's own personal experiences in the kitchen with her adopted Vietnamese family.

One thing I regret about the trip was that I decided not to take the Communion book with me. I had read it twice, taken some great notes, but I always travel as light as possible. I was constantly wishing I had Communion with me to get Fay's take on something. Her account feels like a dear friend telling me about her trip, personal and intimate. It would be exactly the trip I would want if I could take my closest girlfriends to Vietnam.

If you are planning a trip to Vietnam, read this first. If not, read Communion, then head to the nearest Vietnamese restaurant. Everything you eat will taste amazing!
6 people found this helpful
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LTR
5.0 out of 5 stars A "must read" before touring Vietnam
Reviewed in the United States on March 23, 2013
Verified Purchase
We toured Vietnam from north to south just like the author. The book is not just a culinary journey, but a cultural and historical one as well. The gorgeous photographs in the book illustrate of the beauty of the landscape and the the uninhibited warmth of the people, as well as unique, mouth watering food and recipes. The author explores everything from street cafes to haute cuisine as well as farms, fisheries, and cooking classes while touching on the history of a society shaped by its relationship with food. Communion is a book for gourmets and travel adventurers alike.
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DB
5.0 out of 5 stars A GREAT GIFT FOR FOODIES & BACKPACKERS
Reviewed in the United States on October 20, 2010
Verified Purchase
Filled with lovely photographs, fantastic recipes and wonderfully detailed anecdotes about travel, cuisine, history and cultural mores, this is a great book for anyone with an interest in Vietnam. I saw it on a friend's shelf and borrowed it. It's provided me with many great, authentic recipes and piqued my interest in making the trip myself.
2 people found this helpful
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Ann
5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect book for a Traveler, Foodie, or someone who wants to learn about another culture.
Reviewed in the United States on June 22, 2014
Verified Purchase
Well written and Easy to read. Great photos. I Could almost smell the food and feel the heat and humidity. A perfect book for a traveler and foodie!
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ray of sunshine
5.0 out of 5 stars FUN READ AND MAKES A GREAT GIFT!
Reviewed in the United States on May 3, 2011
Verified Purchase
Beautiful photographs, delicious recipes and descriptive details about cuisine, history and traveling through Vietnam - you feel like you're there with the author! Fun read; makes a a great gift for those traveling to Vietnam.
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Terry Kennedy
1.0 out of 5 stars not a recipee book
Reviewed in the United States on April 17, 2013
Verified Purchase
It was just a blog like book with only 10 recipees. I gave it as a gift to my son who loves to cook and travel but he was really disappointed. He just skimmed it and the travel part seemed boring and only 10 recipees? He sent it right back
One person found this helpful
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Teevee Barbela
2.0 out of 5 stars Two Stars
Reviewed in the United States on July 11, 2014
great story
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