Banh dua sau rieng - Coconut cake with durian Banh dua, or coconut cake, is a Teochew (Singaporean-Chinese) cuisine that many people in Saigon associate with their childhoods. The ingredients for the durian version are quite simple: flour, eggs, granulated sugar, coconut, and durian filling. Coconut cake with durian is one of the most intriguing flavors available. Coconut cakes are cut into smaller pieces and placed in a plastic container when purchased. Photo courtesy of Banh dua Tan Da The flat, circular cake is 20 centimeters in diameter. It has a thin, light-brown crust. The green cake with white shredded coconut flesh is particularly eye-catching when you cut the cake into pieces. The coconut cake is soft, spongy, not too sweet, and buttery. You can find the cake at Banh dua Tan Da shop at 45 Tan Da Street in District 5, Ho Chi Minh City. The price of the durian-filled coconut cake is VND75,000 ($3.18). The shop has fillings such as coconut, ca dé (made from … [Read more...] about Durian dishes to add to your bucket list
Austin area king cake
Hazardous rat poison flooding Vietnamese market
Many hazardous types of rodenticides that were prohibited several years ago are now widely sold at pesticide shops, hawker stalls, and grocery stores, posing a threat to residents’ health and lives in Vietnam. In Hanoi, several types of rat poison, without labels or clear origin, are sold everywhere, from hawker stalls to convenience stores. At a grocer's at Thanh Cong B Wet Market, at least three types of rat poison are on sale at a price ranging from VND20,000 (US$0.85) to VND300,000 ($1.27). “Rodenticides mixed with unhusked rice were less effective to kill rats, while rats die immediately eating the poison with red liquid inside,” said the owner of the grocer's. The poisonous drug originates in China, said the owner. “I do not know the ingredients of this type, but the rat poison works well. Rats die right after eating a piece of cake and food mixed with a few droplets of the liquid drug,” stressed the owner. A search for rodenticides with keywords 'Rat poison' on … [Read more...] about Hazardous rat poison flooding Vietnamese market
Student accused of shooting two faculty members in Denver found dead
The student who was accused of shooting and wounding two faculty members at his Denver high school has been found dead near his vehicle in Park County. The Park County Coroners Office confirmed in a Facebook post that the body belonged to 17-year-old Austin Lyle, who shot faculty members as they were patting him down for weapons as part of a "safety plan" devised for the youth based on previous behavioral issues. The East High School student fled the shooting scene on foot immediately after Wednesday's violence, which unfolded just before 10 a.m. local time (1600 GMT). Denver Police Department had said in a tweet that a body was located near the suspect's vehicle, adding that the identity and cause of death would be determined by the Park County Medical Examiner's Office. "This particular student had a safety plan that was in place where they were to be searched at the beginning of the school day every day," Denver Police Chief Ron Thomas told reporters during a news … [Read more...] about Student accused of shooting two faculty members in Denver found dead
Various activities to be held in “Ca Mau – Destination 2023” Programme
Ca Mau Cape - a tourist attraction in Ca Mau (Photo: VNA) Ca Mau (VNA) – The People’s Committee of the southernmost province of Ca Mau is planning a wide range of activities within the framework of the “Ca Mau – Destination 2023” Programme to promote the locality’s tourism potential. Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Nguyen Minh Luan said that the programme aims to create chances for businesses to meet, connect and cooperate in developing trade and tourism. The plan aims to help Ca Mau boost socio-economic growth, develop tourism associated with trade and services, and stimulate the sale of local products, particularly local specialties and OCOP (One commune-one product) products. Accordingly, the province will organise a ceremony to mark the death anniversary of Hung Kings, the legendary founders of Vietnam (the 10th day of the third lunar month), a Ca Mau Cape Marathon, and a southern traditional cake festival, and a Ca Mau shrimp festival. A … [Read more...] about Various activities to be held in “Ca Mau – Destination 2023” Programme
Vietnam willing to support Cambodia: Vietnamese PM
The Vietnamese government is willing to assist, share experience with, and support its neighbor Cambodia in hosting important events this year within its capability, Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh said during a meeting on Tuesday with Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Prak Sokhonn. Cambodian Deputy PM Sokhonn was in Vietnam for an official visit between Monday and Wednesday and to co-chair the 20th Vietnam-Cambodia Joint Commission on Economic, Cultural, Scientific and Technological Cooperation held on Tuesday. Cambodia will this year host its seventh National Assembly election, the 32nd Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games), the ASEAN Para Games, and the 12th summit of the Cambodia - Laos - Vietnam Development Triangle Area. PM Chinh expected the two sides to effectively implement high-level agreements and joint statements. In 2022, their bilateral trade reached over US$10 billion, up some 11 percent year on … [Read more...] about Vietnam willing to support Cambodia: Vietnamese PM
Diverse activities promote Vietnamese culture in France
The event taking place on March 14 at the Municipal Theater of Fontainebleau attracted crowds of people in the city and neighboring areas. Dr. Pierre Journoud, a lecturer at Paul Valéry Montpellier University 3 and an expert in Vietnamese studies, talked about special milestones in the relationship between Vietnam and France at a symposium "France - Vietnam relations, from the Fontainebleau Conference in 1946 to French Prime Minister Edouard-Philippe's historic visit to Vietnam in 2018." Amandine Dabat, a 5th generation descendant of King Ham Nghi, delivered a speech "Ham Nghi, exiled king, artist in Algeria" to help the French public understand more about the king as an artist – an aspect that few people know about. Visitors to the event also had a chance to enjoy performances of traditional Vietnamese musical instruments and music, as well as explore the presence of Western classical music in Vietnam through the documentary film "Once upon a bridge in Vietnam" by young … [Read more...] about Diverse activities promote Vietnamese culture in France
UNESCO promises tight partnership with Hanoi in heritage and relic conservation
As home to nearly 300 national treasures, Hanoi has a valuable source of ritual and cultural traits that tell its history of thousands of years. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) sees the partnership with Hanoi in heritage preservation as one of its key activities in the future, said Director of the UNESCO’s World Heritage Center Lazare Eloundou on March 27. Hanoi mayor Tran Sy Thanh (right) receives Lazare Eloundou, Director of UNESCO’s World Heritage Center, on March 27. Photo: The Hanoi Times The UNESCO expects to bolster the relationship with Vietnam’s capital city in preserving cultural traits and heritages, he told a meeting with Hanoi mayor Tran Sy Thanh. Lazare urged the municipal and local authorities of Hanoi to come up with solutions that bring balance between heritage preservation and socio-economic growth and lift the living conditions for local people. UNESCO will always partner with Vietnam to … [Read more...] about UNESCO promises tight partnership with Hanoi in heritage and relic conservation
Hanoi to hold scientific conference on mobilizing cultural resources for development
The conference would address practical issues related to cultural, civilized, and modern development in Hanoi. The Hanoi People's Committee conducted a press briefing on March 17 to announce the upcoming scientific conference titled "Promoting Cultural Values and Resources towards Developing a Modern – Cultured - Civilized Capital," scheduled for March 21. Overview of the press briefing. Photo: The Hanoi Times During the press conference, Nguyen Thi Diem Hang, the Deputy Director of the Hanoi Institute for Socio-Economic Development Studies, shared that the scientific conference is being held by the resolutions of the Central Committee and Politburo, particularly Resolution No. 15-NQ/TW, which outlines the direction and objectives for developing Hanoi Capital until 2030, with a vision towards 2045. “The conference aims to promote the capital's thousand-year-old history of civilization and heroism, foster collaboration, effectively leverage the capital's … [Read more...] about Hanoi to hold scientific conference on mobilizing cultural resources for development
100 cafes, eateries in downtown HCMC to open their toilets to public
The initiative came after Hanoi and HCMC, Vietnam's two biggest cities, were ranked near the bottom in a global ranking of public toilet density of 69 cities by QS Supplies, one of the largest bathroom wholesalers and retailers in the U.K. They have only 0.01 public toilets available per square kilometer, higher only than the Egyptian capital Cairo, which has 0.002. Paris topped the ranking, with the French capital having seven per square kilometer, followed by Sydney (3.64) in Australia and Zurich (2.9) in Switzerland. After the ranking made local headlines, the HCMC People's Committee ordered districts to build more public toilets, starting with District 1. Le Duc Thanh, the district chairman, said the coffee shops that have agreed to let people to use their toilets for free include Highlands, Trung Nguyen, King, Katinat, and Thuc, and the restaurants include Din Ky and Hozzizon. He said the district would call on more businesses to do the same. Vu Nguyen Quang Vinh, the … [Read more...] about 100 cafes, eateries in downtown HCMC to open their toilets to public
Ha Giang’s coffee shop in a 100-year-old home
Pho Co Cafe is in Dong Van District near an old market. This early 20 th -century building is next to a hill. According to the website of the Dong Van Karst Plateau World Geopark management, it is one of the few remaining structures in Dong Van's old town. Like other old houses in Dong Van, this one carries a blend of local and Chinese architecture. It has two floors, the lower built of wood and the upper of bluestone and rammed earth. There is an inner courtyard designed in the architectural style of the Vuong family mansion in Ha Giang, also known as the Meo King mansion, an ancient mansion with the age of nearly 100 years. The house layout also represents Chinese architectural traits. The walls are made of unburnt bricks. The frame consists of trusses, columns and wooden railings, all carved with intricate images … [Read more...] about Ha Giang’s coffee shop in a 100-year-old home