Pieces of Nem chua are peeled from their banana leaf wrappings, skewered on bamboo, and grilled over charcoal. Customers sit on plastic chairs while eating and watch the bustle of the streets. The spicy, sour, sweet, and peppery flesh tastes especially apt in winter’s freezing air. This dish is especially popular among teenagers, who are lucky enough to remain undaunted by its somewhat oily nature. Two very popular addresses for nem chua ran are along the very narrow Tạm Thuong (Hang Bong street) and the areas around Nha Chung.

The second dish on my list of favourites is thit xien nuong. The hot meal is typically authentic Vietnamese fast food, easily found in Quang Trung or Ta Quang Buu Street. If you have a chance to visit the Quang Trung location in the afternoon, you should not be surprised by the crowds enjoying their snack food. Fresh and lean pork is grilled until it becomes soft and aromatic. It is a perfect match with toast and pickles.

Unlike the savoury nem chua ran and thit xien nuong, the banh chuoi delivers crispy banana-scented sweetness. The banh chuoi is a popular Vietnamese dessert recipe. Its main ingredients include banana, oil (or fat), and flour (usually wheat flour), as well as salt, sugar, eggs, honey, or butter. It is easily found in the Old Quarter or even made at home.

The artists from HCM City made the phoenix-shaped cake with the help of 18 people. Made of beans, flour, sugar and vegetables, the cake is 6.8m long and 4.2m wide.

At the event, the Asia Book of Records granted Asian record certificates to three individuals, an organisation and a historic relic.

Mai Dinh Toi was recognised for creating the largest number of unique musical instruments, and the 968-year-old Mot Cot (One Pillar) Pagoda for its unique architectural structure.

The event, organised by the Viet Nam Book of Records (Vietbooks), also featured 43 new national records set by 16 individuals and 27 organisations, including seven environmental records. Photographer Nguyen A has taken the largest number of photos featuring Vietnamese disabled people as subjects.

Six new Asian records for Vietnamese individuals and organisations were also recognised. Music composer Le Van Tuan was honoured for successfully creating a special compilation of new songs—called CROR—combining the classical, romantic, opera, and rock genres. Artisan Ton Nu Thi Ha and her daughter Phan Ton Tinh Hai were recognised for their cake depicting a dancing phoenix, artisan Y Lan for finding the most colours of natural sand, and artist Mai Dinh Toi for his unique hand-made musical instruments. Toi’s instruments are created using materials including everything from water pipes and motorbike parts to cups and bottles of fresh water.

The 43 national records named at the ceremony primarily concerned the fields of culture and environment. The record title was won by the largest bronze Buddhist statue in central Nghe An province and a theory of causal relation in the Nui Coc tourist site, northern Thai Nguyen province.

Other winners include Dr. Tran Quang Hai and labour hero Nguyen Duc Thin from northern Bac Ninh province, outstanding artist Nguyen Van Luong from Haiphong city, photographer Nguyen A, and Agent Orange victim and successful Mount Fansipan conquerer Nguyen Son Lam.

Four Vietnamese records, among 20 recommended by the Vietnam Book of Records, have officially won Asian titles by the Asia Book of Records.

One recognized object is the sheet music book entitled “Tear for the Ocean and CROR Music” by 48-year-old composer Le Van Tuan. The book itself—a compilation of classical, romantic, opera, and rock (CROR) musical genres—is 1.6 metres high, 1.2 metres wide, 0.28 metres thick, and weighs 250 kilograms.

Another record was claimed by a phoenix-formed cake sculpted by craftsmen Ton Nu Thi Ha and MA Phan Ton Tinh Hai.

The third record is owned by Tran Thi Hoang Lan for finding the most colours of natural sand.  Mai Dinh Toi, currently holder of the fourth record, is acknowledged as having the most unique hand-made musical instruments, created from materials including water pipes, motorbike parts, cups, and bottles of fresh water.

The Asia Book of Records’ ceremony to award the most recent Asian records will be held during the 23rd meeting of Vietnamese record breakers at Ho Chi Minh City’s Rex Hotel on October 27.

Ban soy sauce is so popular because it is made from large-grain sticky rice, small-grain soy bean, and in particular dinged-well water. There is only one well in Ban Village to supply the water to make the soy sauce, which is its sole purpose. Therefore, coming to Ban village to witness the sauce’s production in Hung Yen is recommended to tourists as it is a fascinating sight around harvest time. March to August is that time for the villagers, so expect to see hundreds of jars in diverse sizes filling yards in every household. Making soy sauce is not difficult but making Ban soy sauce is an art-form.

Producers have to wash the rice carefully then soak it in water and cooked into sticky rice, next scatter the sticky rice onto a large bamboo flat basket and dry it in an airy place until the rice turns yellow. Soy beans must be roasted until the bean is brown and then the beans are soaked in a clean jar for one week. After the beans have fermented, producers will add a little salt and more soy beans into the water and stir regularly. The sauce must be fermented on sunny days.

Coming to Hung Yen, tourists will also be suggested to visit the Pho Hien relic complex, of which Mau Temple is a highlight and a mystery. Once stepping into the temple, travelers will be amazed by the huge seven-hundred-year-old tree which makes a domed gate for the temple. Another attraction tourists should not miss is the huge longan tree, called Nhan To, in front of Hien Pagoda. Around 300 years old, the tree is a sacred place for locals as they believe the tree brings prosperity to the land. Another relic of the Pho Hien relic complex worth visiting is Thien Hau Temple, Dong Do-Quang Hoi Temple and Chuong (Bell) Pagoda which is endowed with poetic scenery and boasts a stone bridge spanning a lotus pond and 18 statues of Arhats. Hung Yen Literature Temple holds a collection of ancient steles.

Pho Hien also has stunning Vietnamese architecture, which is decorated with the colors of folk belief and religion, and some are considered high in artistic value. Along with their architectural features, these relics have preserved utensils for religious offerings, palanquins, hammocks, horizontal lacquered boards and many pairs of wood panels with skillfully-inscribed parallel sentences.

More importantly, the relics of Pho Hien preserve their innate ancient beauty. With the wet rice civilization and culture, we catch the colors of bronze, stone, wood, tile and soil on each roof, door and path, which create a sense of immortality of each relic.

With its role as a key link from the traffic artery of the Red River, Pho Hien was once a frontal port of Thang Long Citadel that opened to the sea, ranking second in importance to Hanoi, as goes an old Vietnamese saying. Today, Pho Hien residents are embracing an ambition to revive its glorious past.

Source: Saigon times

It will also take place at the hotel on October 9 and October 13. Originating from Munich, the Oktoberfest will offer traditional German food, beer and games, and live pop and folk music performed by German band Steirerbluat.

The event will be held at 6pm at 18 An Duong Vuong Street in District 5. Tickets cost VND860,000 during the week and VND1,100,000 on the weekend.

Somebody may know that shrimp paste or “mắm tôm” is popular in many parts of Asia including Vietnam. As a matter of fact, “mắm tôm” or shrimp paste has long been in the list of “worst smelling foods in the world”. I know what some of you may react to this: “Ewww”, but come o­n, o­ne of the reasons why you travel is to see (hear, smell, touch, taste, feel) the world in all its diversity, isn’t it? So why not give “mắm tôm” a chance? Besides, to you,” mắm tôm” may smell like a rotten animal, but to many local people, it is an aroma that makes their mouth water o­nly thinking about it. After two or three times, trust me, you may feel pity for those who refuse to try this seemingly gross local food.

In short, “mắm tôm” is made from shrimps and salt. The typical aroma comes from an enzyme which is available in the intestine of shrimps. Actually, “mắm tôm” smells exactly like the smell of the mustard-colored stuff in shrimp heads. The fermentation may take from six months to o­ne year before mắm tôm can be served, normally with “nộm” sweet and sour grated “rau muống” water morning glory, “cà pháo” egg-plants, “thịt chó” dog meat and of course, “bún đậu mắm tôm”. You can surely guess, “bún đậu mắm tôm” includes noodles “bún”, tofu “đậu”, shrimp paste “mắm tôm” and, last but not least, odoriferous herbs “rau thơm”, which is optional but they will make the difference. “Rau thơm” can be basil “rau húng” or cockscomb mint “kinh giới”.

Finding a street vendor that offers you this yummy dish is quite easy. You will notice that the vendors do something to the shrimp paste before giving it to you: (s)he will add a few drops of a fresh lemon or satsuma “quả quất” and then some boiling oil from the same pan they are using to fry tofu. You will have to mix the whole thing well until the bowl is full of soft tiny white bubbles, which is how they make the smell less strong. Dip a piece of tofu, some noddles and a basil leaf into the sauce and eat them all together, you will feel heaven (my mouth is watering!). However, it shouldn’t be a big deal if you don’t like it first time. Remember when I had my first bite of durian, I almost threw up. Guess what, now I’m deeply in love with this fruit.

Normally, a dish of “bún đậu mắm tôm” in the street should cost from VND20,000 (US$1), quite cheap, which is o­ne of the reason why I love street foods. Of course, the vendors will always give you two options: “mắm tôm” or fish sauce “nước mắm”. But, you know, there must be some reason why peole call it “bún đậu mắm tôm” and never “bún đậu nước mắm”. Last thing, you may want to prepare some pieces of chewing-gum to have after eating this very special food. I do hope after reading this, instead of referring to “bún đậu mắm tôm” as “one of the weirdest foods”, you may want to recommend it to your friends as a special feature of Asian cuisine.