Tran Thi Minh Ngoc in Ha Dong district in Hanoi still remembers the first years of marriage, when she and her husband lived in a rented small house with a temporary kitchen made of a stone placed on some rough bricks. The dishes, pots and pans were bought from sale promotion programs.

“Like other couples living in rented houses, I thought that I would buy new pots and pans when we have a new house with a beautiful kitchen. I did not intend to buy much kitchenware, because we were at work all day long and had not much time to prepare meals,” she recalled.

“That was why I accepted to use makeshifts year after year,” she added.

When Ngoc had her first baby, she was tired when staying at home and taking care of her child. One day, she left a pot of braised meat on the gas cooker and it burned. Despite great efforts, she could not clean the pot, while her hand was scratched and bleeding. She burst into tears.

“The life at that time was extremely different from the one I imagined and dreamed of. I wanted a beautiful house and a kitchen,” she said.

Ngoc decided to talk with her husband, recalling the intentions they made before the marriage, and vowing to turn the plans into reality.

Two years later, Ngoc’s family moved to another house, also a rented house. However, she spent a lot of money on the kitchen and decorated it as she wanted.

“All the old kitchenware was replaced. Colourful pots and beautiful bowls replaced ugly dishes. Thanks to them, I could stand in the kitchen and feel happy,” she said. 

The kitchen then became the private world of the couple. After working hours, they returned home and prepared meals together in the kitchen.

The first thing bought in Ngoc’s pot collection was a set of red pots.

At that time, she needed a good non-stick pot and decided to buy the entire set of 3 red pots. After three months of use, she realized the pots were still good and looked brand new. 

“They looked so beautiful. They really helped decorate my kitchen,” she recalled.

After that, she was awarded a blue pot when winning a prize at a competition. She brought the pot home and put it on the shelf so that she could see it.

Her passion for pots and pans was ignited. To date, she has hundreds of pots and pans and says that she is addicted to pots.

Nguyen Thao