Michael Tatarski in Natural Selection
Cầy Vằn Bắc: Caught in the Crossfire of the Cà Phê Chồn Industry
While Saigoneer’s Natural Selection series has already covered a number of iconic species and types of animals, including the tiger, Asian elephant, dogs and cats, there’s a good chance most of the pe...
Khoi Pham in Natural Selection
A Eulogy for the Last Wild Cọp of Vietnam
The story of Vietnam and cọp is not one where we will come out looking good.
Paul Christiansen in Natural Selection
Cá Chuồn: The Fish That Dreams Beyond Its Realm
Insects, pterosaurs, birds, and bats: flight evolved on Earth independently four times, so why do you think it’s so unlikely that you’ll find love again?
Uyên Đỗ in Natural Selection
Bồ Kết: When Nature Dreams of Bubbles and Silky Hair
The first memory I have of bồ kết was when it was concocted into something completely different from its unassuming, modest self.
Khôi Phạm in Natural Selection
Lêkima: The Flower Worthy of a National Heroine
Don’t you find it bewildering when you have existed for centuries, and are suddenly thrust into stardom due to a small cameo in a nationalist saga?
Michael Tatarski in Natural Selection
Chó: The Four National Breeds of Vietnamese Doggos
It’s an inarguable fact that dogs are the purest of animals.
Paul Christiansen in Natural Selection
Voi: From Hai Bà Trưng's Fearsome Companions to Tourism Servants
Does art need a purpose?
Khôi Phạm in Natural Selection
Lá Dứa: The OG Queen of Vietnamese Desserts
There’s a 99% chance that a Vietnamese child’s first exposure to lá dứa, or pandan, is in the form of rau câu.
Paul Christiansen in Natural Selection
Sao La: The Real-Life Unicorn of Vietnam
Disney’s Aladdin, Super Nintendo, digital fingerprint technology: the outside world was familiar with all these by 1992. Sao la, however, remained unknown.
Paul Christiansen in Natural Selection
Cò: The Symbolic Soul of Vietnam's Countryside
Is Chim Lạc based on a real bird?
Michael Tatarski in Natural Selection
Voọc Cát Bà: The Endangered Primate of Karst Land
Imagine being born one color, and growing up into a very differently hued adult.
Paul Christiansen in Natural Selection
Trái Vải: The Intoxicating Harbinger of Summer
Is scarcity a source of beauty?
Paul Christiansen in Natural Selection
Mèo: A Complicated Love Affair
Of all the Asian and Southeast Asian countries that use the animal zodiac, only Vietnam has a cat in place of the rabbit. One theory for why is that while Chinese has a word for rabbit, it also has a ...
Paul Christiansen in Natural Selection
Cây Đa: A Tree That Contains Multitudes
A book, a beer and some shade, what else does one need?
Paul Christiansen in Natural Selection
Thạch Sùng: A Muse in Every Home
“I dream of lost vocabularies that might express some of what we no longer can,” wrote poet Jack Gilbert.
Paul Christiansen in Natural Selection
Cầy Mực: A Critter With Popcorn Pee
Vietnam is home to a diverse range of species, from the elusive sao la to Hanoi's pungently fragrant hoa sữa. As an ode to the wondrous nature of the country, we're introducing a new article series, Natural Selection. Each article will feature a species of plant or animal native to Vietnam — starting with the laidback cầy mực (binturong).
