Mealtime is the coziest moments when all family members can get together to show their love and care of each other. ( Photo: Internet)

Over the past 20 years since she became a daughter-in-law in Hanoi’s Hoang Mai district, Phung Thi Tu Hoa does the shopping every morning and prepares the meals for her husband’s entire family.

Hoa considers cooking delicious meals a way to show her love for the family.

“I want to make delicious, safe, and nutritious dishes for my relatives, so I’m careful in my food selection when shopping. I pay particular attention to the origins of food,” she said. 

In Hoa’s family, as in many Vietnamese families, meals offer a daily opportunity for 3 generations to get together.

Mealtime, especially dinner time, is the time for the grandparents and children to show their mutual affection. The adults teach the children ethical standards and proper behaviors. Parents can ask their children about their day. The traditional Vietnamese family meal is one of the strongest bonds holding the family together.  

The rapid urbanization and industrialization of the early 21^st century is changing Hanoians’ lifestyle. A busy schedule, meetings with clients, and frequent business trips are reducing the time available for family meals.

Vu Manh Cuong, a bank officer, said: “I always have business lunches with my colleagues. It’s quite usual for me to work late in the evening. Sometimes I must go out with my friends. But, frankly, whenever I have free time I want to be at home having a meal with my family.”

Culture expert Nguyen Thi Hong said: “In the past Vietnamese people waited for all family members to arrive before beginning a meal. But now the family connectivity has been loosened because of the pressures of modern life.”

Despite daily pressures, families in Hanoi are trying to preserve the custom of family meals, at least at weekends.