Pumpkin blossom and star anise are considered by oriental medicine to be an omnipotent, nutritious vegetable, the god of precious medicine, and can process many delicious and nutritious dishes for family meals.

The effect of Pumpkin blossom and star anise

Pumpkin blossom are more nutritious than any other vegetable, can make many delicious dishes and are a precious medicine. Pumpkin flowers contain Ca, Fe, Mg, K, vitamin A and many other vitamins. In addition, pumpkin flower also has sugar, but it is a natural sugar, easy to absorb and good for health. According to oriental medicine, pumpkin flower has a sweet taste, cold properties to the heart, spleen, taste, helps to clear heat, balance blood, tonify kidney and liver, brighten eyes, anti-inflammatory, detoxify, only system and anti-allergic.

Anise is a plant native to China and northeastern Vietnam. This is a spice plant with a magical flavor of a characteristic spicy, slightly bitter and a hint of sweetness. With aromatic and warm properties, star anise is a medicine to treat many diseases such as colds, joint pain, stomachache,etc.

Familiar ingredients to Vietnamese family

Pumpkin blossom 

We can flexibly combine with many different dishes such as fried pumpkin blossom with garlic, shrimp, or beef, and even cooking as a soup. It doesn’t take too much time but it is rich in nutritional value for the whole family to enjoy together.

Star anise

It is an exquisite spice that cannot be missed in Vietnamese traditional soups, stews, and especially in our signature food – Pho. It is not only to increase nutritional value but also to add aroma to the dish. If in Western cuisine, star anise is the main ingredient in aperitifs, in Eastern cuisine, star anise makes the dish more flavors.

Through each dish at Gia, we want to tell about Vietnamese culture. We want to talk about each piece in life, culture in different lands, the flavors passed down from generation to generation that Chef Sam Tran has tasted. These are stories worth discovering, preserving and sharing. The Pumpkin blossom and star anise are two simple ingredients, but they are part of Chef Sam’s memory of the markets carrying goods around the streets, which has created a charming and unique culinary scene – where she was fortunate to be born and raised. The most interesting stories of Vietnamese cuisine do not come from any extravagant ingredients, but from the very essence of these humble ingredients.