Back Arts & Culture » Podcast » Saigoneer Podcast: Queer Representation in Vietnamese Pop Culture, Street Food Update and Marou Chocolate

We're back with episode 18 after taking a week off!

On this week's show, in honor of Pride Month, we begin (1:20) with a discussion on queer representation in Vietnamese pop culture. Vietnam's literature has a long history of queer characters, while modern portrayals can be problematic at times. What does this say about the country's perception of its queer community?

We also mention Maika Elan's seminal 2013 photo collection, The Pink Choice, which realistically portrayed members of Vietnam's queer community with empathy.

Then (14:41), we dig into our latest round of street food recommendations, including a light soup from Phu Yen Province and a collection of ice cream spots.

Our interview segment (23:37) features Sam Maruta, a co-founder of Marou Chocolate. We talked about the company's somewhat spontaneous beginning, as well as their efforts to become an environmentally sustainable producer.

As always, we end with Banh Mi Banter (39:49).

Listen to this episode through the SoundCloud link below, or subscribe via iTunes, Radio Public or the new Google Podcast app.

Leave us a review letting us know what you think, and have a great week!


Related Articles:

- Saigoneer Podcast: Writing in a Second Language, Saigon's Japan Town and Artist Jacqueline Hoang Nguyen

- Saigoneer Podcast: Contemporary Vietnamese Literature and the LGBTQ Community in Vietnam

- Saigoneer Podcast: Fake News Euphemisms, Vegetable Fight and Stand-up Comedian Vu Minh Tu


Partner Content