Alexander McNab in Food Culture
Afro Mini Mart: What's Inside Vietnam’s First African Grocery Store?
At first glance, it looks just like any other convenience store. The same strings of Oishi shrimp snacks and revolving wire rack of Orion Marine Boys adorn either side of its entrance, just as they do...
Thi Nguyen in Food Culture
History in a Tin: The Colonial Past of Vietnam Through Popular Canned Food
Whether it is fish placed neatly inside rectangular tins or uniform meat slabs stored in cylindrical cans with colorful packages, eating canned food is a strange experience. Unlike sitting in street f...
Mervin Lee in Food Culture
A Bún Đậu Mắm Tôm in Singapore That Tastes (and Smells) Just Like Home
Joo Chiat, a neighborhood in the eastern realms of Singapore, is hardly a forgettable area.
Trang Six in Food Culture
The Unifying Presence of Cái Mâm, Vietnam’s Ubiquitous, Familial Food Tray
An authentic Vietnamese meal cannot be complete without cái mâm.
Eileen Wen Mooney in Food Culture
Step Inside the Centuries-Old Store Selling Thousands of Sausages and Bánh Chưng
For around 200 years, Quoc Huong store has been selling sumptuous meat delicacies to hungry Hanoians.
Michael Tatarski in Food Culture
Tarantulas, Scorpions, Crickets Crawl Into Southeast Asia's Mass-Market Edibles
A spade strikes the bone-dry Cambodian dirt with a crunch, and the hunt is on. Chem Wai, a lanky, deeply tanned 53-year-old former soldier, has been collecting wild tarantulas and scorpions for most o...
Saigoneer in Food Culture
As Shortage Continues, Bánh Chưng Makers Start Hoarding Pork for Tet
Vietnam has been suffering from a pork shortage and thus, pork price hike, as the aftermath of the African swine fever outbreak continues to affect farmers.
Thi Nguyen in Food Culture
Chè, Bánh, Chả, Nem: The Curious Lives of Vietnam’s Regional Food Names
Realizing the word that one is using refers to an entirely different object in another region is a situation many can relate to. The last time this happened to me, it almost cost me a bowl of Hanoi&rs...
Saigoneer in Food Culture
Vietnam Crowned Asia's Leading Culinary, Cultural Destination at World Travel Awards
Vietnam’s rising position in the global tourism arena was recently recognized by scores of accolades at the World Travel Awards.
Saigoneer in Food Culture
Netizens Call for Boycott of 'Racist' Hoi An Cafe for Refusing to Serve Vietnamese
Many netizens are calling for a boycott of a coffee shop in Hoi An after anecdotes emerged online accusing the place of discriminatory service.
Hieu Tran in Food Culture
A Brief Guide to Vietnam's Lesser-Known Sweet Sticky Rice Dishes
You may have tried the famed mango sticky rice from Thailand and wondered, “How on earth does this rice go so well with the sweetness of mango and coconut milk?” Usually, some would think of rice as p...
Saigoneer in Food Culture
Da Nang Just Made Vietnam's Biggest Bánh Xèo, Feeding 200 People
The world has never stopped obsessing over giant food, and Vietnam is no exception.
Saigoneer in Food Culture
Each Vietnamese Consumes 3kg of Beef, 20l of Milk Annually, Minister Says
Despite the country’s rising wealth, Vietnam still consumes a modest amount of beef compared with the world average.
Saigoneer in Food Culture
Pizza 4P's Receives Investment From Mekong Capital
Vietnam-focused private equity firm Mekong Capital is injecting an undisclosed amount of investment into Vietnam's widely popular fusion pizza chain.
Saigoneer in Food Culture
Banana Leaves Make Glorious Comeback in Supermarkets Across Vietnam
After straws, Vietnam’s anti-plastic movement now has a new target: plastic grocery wraps.
Hieu Tran 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...
Mervin Lee in Food Culture
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...
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 ...
Hieu Tran in Food Culture
The Alluring Backstory of Chả Rươi, Vietnam’s Slimiest Street Food Character
In the months leading up to winter in Hanoi, when the temperature starts to drop and a chilly breeze blows through the city, anticipation grows for a rare, unique delicacy — the palolo worm omelet, or...
Saigoneer in Food Culture
Vietnam Officially Designates December 12 the Day of Pho
Vietnam has officially marked December 12 the 'Day of Pho' in celebration of the nation's most well-known dish.
