Viet Nam News By Du An “Last night, a snake crept onto Lâm’s bed,” someone started. “Oh my god. She felt something slippery, threw off her blanket, then jumped up and down. She was very lucky. If that snake had bitten her, we would have been at her funeral today.” Another said, “Where is that snake now? Its meat will be great for a feast.” “There’s nothing left. It was smashed to powder.” “Who smashed it?” “Who else but Lâm? There isn’t anybody else under her blanket.” “Biên might have come back home at midnight, who knows.” “We know. Mường Song is as small as a palm of hand, we know everybody who comes and goes…” The snake in this conversation at the three-way crossroads sounded even more real than the actual snake and Lâm. Some stood while others sat, and everybody gossiped enthusiastically. As the conversation was running out of … [Read more...] about A snake crept inside
Eating your own dog food
The Tiger-Man
Viet Nam News by Nguyễn Văn Thọ Although the fast-food restaurant owned by Thanh was located in the outskirts of a German town, customers crowded in for lunch in great numbers as there were many offices, factories and small workshops nearby. To serve them more comfortably, one day the owner had to hire an assistant to cook and deliver food. September is an inter-season month with oak leaves turning yellow. Poor Thanh, as his assistant’s driving licence had been recently confiscated by the police, he had to deliver food by himself. One afternoon he took four rations of chicken dumplings to an office on Vonter Street. Away from the kitchen, he could enjoy fresh breezes in the open air and the fragrant smells of flowers and blossoms from roadside orchards. At the customers’ office gate, Thanh found an old man waiting for him outside to receive the food. “Thank you very much,” Thanh said to the white-haired old man in a … [Read more...] about The Tiger-Man
Why dogs are not meant to be eaten
Humans tamed dogs a long time ago, as far back as 18,000 BC. They domesticated pigs (13,000 BC) and cows (10,000 BC) much later. If our ancestors had decided that dogs were meant to be eaten like pigs or cows or chickens, there would have been no debate on this topic. The ancient tomes on Vietnamese cuisine have never mentioned anything about dog meat. Before 1930, Hanoi only had one or two food stalls that sold dog meat. In the south, almost nobody did. While there are some irrational beliefs associated with eating dog meat, at least in Vietnam, I think people should also consider the following facts. First, dog meat isn’t as nutritious as people might think. On the contrary, the risks associated with eating it are real. Dog meat might contain parasitic worms, like the infamous Toxocara canis, which can result in blindness, myocarditis and respiratory failure. Rabies is another legitimate concern. While the virus itself can be destroyed under high temperatures while cooking, … [Read more...] about Why dogs are not meant to be eaten