VIE
So Familiar That We Stop Noticing
If you look at a typical family meal, you’ll find that many things have always been herbs—we just don’t call them that. A few sprigs of fresh herbs on the side, some leaves added to a soup, or everyday ingredients like ginger, lemongrass, or perilla… almost every household has used them, sometimes daily, yet few people think of them as “herbs” in the formal sense.
Perhaps it’s because they are so common. Easy to find, readily available, and inexpensive, they are used out of habit rather than for their perceived value. In the past, many of these were grown in home gardens or gathered nearby. When needed, they were used—when not, they were simply left. There was no need to choose something special or to think too much about it. If it felt right, it was used.
When Herbs Begin to Feel “Distant”
Over time, as life changed and the market offered more products, the way people viewed herbs also shifted. For many, herbs became something that needed to be specifically purchased, or something already processed in a certain way. Meanwhile, the familiar ingredients in daily meals were rarely placed in the same category.
Because of this, things that are very close are sometimes overlooked, while people tend to look for things that are farther away or more complex. It’s not that those choices are wrong. But when seen only in that way, it becomes easy to forget that many simple things around us have always been part of herbal living.
Looking Back at What Is Already There
Perhaps what matters is not finding more new types of herbs, but noticing again what has always been familiar. The things already present in daily meals, in home gardens, or in local markets—when used regularly and in a way that suits one’s life—already have a place of their own.
There is no need to define them too clearly or make them seem more special than they are. Sometimes, simply paying a little more attention is enough to realize that herbs are not something distant—they have always been close, just often unnoticed.
— My An Team —
