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Vietnamese Ranks 13th Among World's Most Favorite Cuisines, Survey Says

In a survey involving citizens from 24 countries, Vietnamese food performs above average when compared to 33 other major cuisines across the globe.

in Food Culture

[Video] PETA Releases Cringeworthy Rap Video Attacking Bánh Mì, Phở, Adobo

"Put Some Tofu in It" is so embarrassing it may actually convince people to go out for a plate of pulled pork.

in Food Culture

The Familial Vietnamese Ritual of Making Spring Rolls

“Nem rán (fried spring rolls), or just nem for short, has been a part of life in Hanoi since forever. Whenever I think of this dish, I think of my mother. That is because only nem made at home by my m...

in Food Culture

MasterChef Thailand Sparks Outrage for Cooking Endangered Spotted Eagle Ray

Rare spotted eagle rays are believed to have been part of the cooking challenge and viewers took offense that the use of an alleged endangered species on mainstream media is normalized.

in Food Culture

The Distinctly Da Lat Comfort of Bonding Over Coffee Beans

After a two-year stint as an English teacher in Saigon, Nick Melhuish decided that it was time to call it quits. He moved to Da Lat with his partner Brianna and his dog Sausage to open a bed & breakfa...

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Da Lat, the Unlikely Home of El Salvador's Rare Pacamara Coffee Beans

In a previous life, Nguyen Van Son was an auto parts salesperson. As a gift of appreciation for his wife, he acquired a seemingly trivial plot of land in Da Lat and made it a place where the family co...

in Food Culture

In Saigon, a Quest for Sustainable, Healthy Coffee Consumption Is Brewing

The first moment I spotted the crisp blue door on Truong Dinh Street in District 3, I was drawn to it. I wanted to go in. And so I did, not knowing that I was opening the door into the world of sustai...

Paul Christiansen

in Food Culture

A History of Rice Wine, Part 2: A Traditional Craft Slowed to a Trickle

Rose-tinted shades and long swept-back hair tickling the collar of a half-unbuttoned maroon shirt that revealed a dangling peace-sign pendant: at age 27, Minh was the epitome of 70s Saigon cool. More ...

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The Lush Da Lat Cottage That Houses Unexpected Italian Delights

As Da Lat’s wet season comes to a close, cool weather and sunshine greet local and foreign visitors on a daily basis. People from colder cities such as Hanoi appreciate Da Lat’s comfortable average of...

Thi Nguyen

in Food Culture

Packaged Identities: How Curry Powder Made Its Way From India Into Vietnamese Homes

Step inside the kitchen of any household in Saigon and chances are that you will find one or two ready-made curry powder packets in a cupboard waiting for the family's next weekend treat of cà ri gà (...

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The First Annual Saigoneer Golden Plastic Stool Awards for Best Hẻm Gems

As the planet-wide dumpster fire that was 2018 comes to a close, we’d like to take a moment to look back at the year in Hẻm Gems through our first-ever Golden Plastic Stool Awards. These will honor so...

in Food Culture

[Illustrations] From Street Snacks To Homecooked Meals, Vietnam's Diverse Cuisine Illustrated

While bánh mì or cơm tấm are considered quintessential Vietnamese dishes, bowls of homecooked cà ri gà (Vietnamese chicken curry) or thịt kho tàu (caramelized pork and eggs) are also central...

in Food Culture

Polish-Vietnamese Student Becomes Latest Winner of MasterChef Poland

Following in the footstep of the previous winner of MasterChef US Christine Ha, a Polish-Vietnamese student recently won the top prize of Poland’s version of the cooking show.

in Food Culture

Vietnam Officially Designates December 12 the Day of Pho

Vietnam has officially marked every December 12 the Day of Pho in celebration of the nation's most well-known dish.

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What We Talk About When We Talk About Bánh Mì

Bánh mì is without a doubt a Vietnamese staple. Versatile, convenient and affordable, the sandwich has gotten so popular in recent years in Vietnam and elsewhere that phở shouldn’t be complacent, as i...

Paul Christiansen

in Food Culture

A Saigon Pop-Up Fuses Mexican and Vietnamese Fares, One Pun at a Time

More romantic than the season's first snow dusting a trampled field of post-harvest corn husks; more inspiring than stars strewn across a cloudless night sky; more alluring than fragrant pollen drifti...

Paul Christiansen

in Food Culture

A History of Rice Wine, Part 1: Family Stills, Prohibition and Colonial Bloodshed

Fight or flight: to ball fists, rally rag-tag villagers clutching canes, shovels, sampan oars and bamboo staffs to ward off the bayonet-wielding officers invading your home intending to ransack your c...

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Japan to Release Pringles-Flavored Instant Noodles and Ramen-Flavored Chips

Have you ever been ridiculed for dipping chips in ramen broth? Do your friends scrunch up their nose when you sprinkle instant noodles seasonings on your Pringles? Well, you can tell them to suck it b...

Thi Nguyễn

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Bánh Pía: The Dreamy Mooncake Alternative With a Side of Teochew History

From sweet treats such as yam paste, chè bạch quả (ginkgo soup) and bite-size pastries to savory staples such as lotus root soup, bánh củ cải (radish cake), cốn xại (pickles) and xá pấu (salted radish...

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Foreign Fast Food Chains Report Consecutive Financial Losses in Vietnam

Are foreign fast food brands falling out of favor among locals, or are there other reasons behind their losses?