So I suppose I might as well admit it: I ate a dog the other day. Don't judge me!
It wasn't an accident, some mystery meat from a street vendor. A Swedish friend of mine had vowed that he would not leave Vietnam without eating dog, and he brought me along for moral support.
Traditionally, dog is eaten more in the North of Vietnam than in the South, probably because it is considered a 'warming' food and the South is hot enough already.
As for the taste, it was rather like lamb, only even greasier. That's the reason it warms you up so quickly - there's so much fat. It wasn't terrible but I won't be eating it again anytime soon. For some reason you can definitely tell it's a dog; you can almost taste the barking and I find it a little unsettling.
Monday, June 08, 2009
Monday, June 01, 2009
A Vietnamese Joke
Stop me if you've heard this one...
A Brit, and American, an Australian, and a Vietnamese man enter an elevator. Suddenly the air begins to smell foul. The Brit wrinkles his nose and asks 'Who farted?'. The American waves his hand in front of his face and demands 'Who farted?'. The Aussie gags slightly and asks "Who farted?". The Vietnamese guy glares at everyone else and demands 'I did!'.
Explanation: in Vietnamese, the expression 'Who farted?' (ai dit) is pronounced 'I did'.
A Brit, and American, an Australian, and a Vietnamese man enter an elevator. Suddenly the air begins to smell foul. The Brit wrinkles his nose and asks 'Who farted?'. The American waves his hand in front of his face and demands 'Who farted?'. The Aussie gags slightly and asks "Who farted?". The Vietnamese guy glares at everyone else and demands 'I did!'.
Explanation: in Vietnamese, the expression 'Who farted?' (ai dit) is pronounced 'I did'.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
The Opera Curse Returns
About two weeks ago I was thrilled to see that the Saigon Opera House was planning to do Mozart's Bastien und Bastienne, one of his first operas and a charming little rustic comedy. I was a little put off by the fact that the brochure wasn't even printed in focus, but I put that down to the usual Vietnamese slapdash way of doing things.
Alas, four days before the opera was to be performed they announced that instead it would be replaced by a double bill of opera arias in recital and Mendelssohn's violin concerto in E minor. Much as I like those tings (and the performance was quite good), I'd really rather see Mozart. I guess my dream of seeing an actual opera in Vietnam will have to wait for the distant future.
As said, the performance was itself rather excellent save for two things: the Vietnamese singers attempting excerpts from 'Porgy and Bess' managed to make a hash of it (perhaps not unexpectedly) and the violinist insisted on doing an encore of the concerto's third movement, which delighted the crowd but ruined the symmetry of the piece. It's hard work being a snob.
Alas, four days before the opera was to be performed they announced that instead it would be replaced by a double bill of opera arias in recital and Mendelssohn's violin concerto in E minor. Much as I like those tings (and the performance was quite good), I'd really rather see Mozart. I guess my dream of seeing an actual opera in Vietnam will have to wait for the distant future.
As said, the performance was itself rather excellent save for two things: the Vietnamese singers attempting excerpts from 'Porgy and Bess' managed to make a hash of it (perhaps not unexpectedly) and the violinist insisted on doing an encore of the concerto's third movement, which delighted the crowd but ruined the symmetry of the piece. It's hard work being a snob.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Sunday, May 10, 2009
A Quick Guide to Vietnamese Fruits
Although in retrospect my roommate might be a better person to write this article...
I've already discussed the mighty durian, and Vietnam has the usual bananas (which are smaller and sweeter than usual), mangoes, pineapples, and coconuts in profusion (which, for reasons unknown, the Vietnamese like to eat with salt and fish sauce). But it also has a whole range of fruits which are totally unknown to the Western palate. they include:
Water apple
A shiny, vaguely tubular shaped fruit. As the name implies, this tastes rather like an apple (or possibly a pear) but moister. That's all there is to it.
Soursop
Has a taste rather like an apple, but more starchy with oversize seeds. Also known as a sweetsop. Go figure.
Dragon fruit
The bright magenta outside hides a white, pulpy interior filled with black seeds. Totally bland, despite the fierce name.
Mangosteen
A strange, dark-purple fruit on the outside, soft and white on the inside. Mushy and intensely sweet.
Carambola
Also known as a star fruit for obvious reasons. Has a sharp, sour taste and is even better when used in smoothies, though these are surprisingly hard to find. Also used to garnish salads and platters of fresh rolls.
Rambutan
A hairy-looking little spheroid which is in taste almost identical to a lychee, but obviously much more interesting to look at. Known as the 'hairy cherry' for people who like double entendres.
Pomelo
Almost identical to a grapefruit, but with yellow instead of pink flesh. Also less sour and so far more appetizing.
I've already discussed the mighty durian, and Vietnam has the usual bananas (which are smaller and sweeter than usual), mangoes, pineapples, and coconuts in profusion (which, for reasons unknown, the Vietnamese like to eat with salt and fish sauce). But it also has a whole range of fruits which are totally unknown to the Western palate. they include:
Water apple
A shiny, vaguely tubular shaped fruit. As the name implies, this tastes rather like an apple (or possibly a pear) but moister. That's all there is to it.Soursop
Has a taste rather like an apple, but more starchy with oversize seeds. Also known as a sweetsop. Go figure.Dragon fruit
The bright magenta outside hides a white, pulpy interior filled with black seeds. Totally bland, despite the fierce name.Mangosteen
A strange, dark-purple fruit on the outside, soft and white on the inside. Mushy and intensely sweet.Carambola
Also known as a star fruit for obvious reasons. Has a sharp, sour taste and is even better when used in smoothies, though these are surprisingly hard to find. Also used to garnish salads and platters of fresh rolls.Rambutan
A hairy-looking little spheroid which is in taste almost identical to a lychee, but obviously much more interesting to look at. Known as the 'hairy cherry' for people who like double entendres.
Pomelo
Almost identical to a grapefruit, but with yellow instead of pink flesh. Also less sour and so far more appetizing.
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