Khôi Phạm in Natural Selection
A Case for the Sweet-and-Sour Tamarind as Saigon's Official Municipal Tree
What is the municipal tree of Saigon? In popular culture, Hanoi is perhaps intricately linked with the paralyzing but often romanticized aroma of hoa sữa, while just over a hundred kilometers to the e...
Paul Christiansen in Travel
Ruminate on Our Natural Legacies While Surrounded by Cây Sao at Ao Bà Om
I never pass up an opportunity to reflect on chò nâu and its dipterocarp relative, cây sao. The massive trees that gracefully drag bare limbs upwards to unfurl canopies far above our heads were brough...
Requiem for a Bàng Tree That Was Cut Down in Front of My Home
Curiosity drove me downstairs into the downpour. Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted the municipal workers — clad in orange-and-green uniforms, their clothes soaked — gathering around a crane. Thei...
Tracing the Roots of Bến Tre's Coconut Candy via My Grandma's Family Tales
Hometown treats encapsulate within them the flavors of memories, reminding us of a land we haven’t visited for a long time. I open the jar of coconut candies from my mother and my hometown, and immedi...
Paul Christiansen in Dishcovery
Saigon's Most Famous Cua Rang Me Is a Tangy Tamarind Party
It started with tamarind, and ended with crab.
Hẻm Gems: Mơ Đi Hội, When Florists Dream of Opening a Cafe
When book lovers open a café, we are blessed with book cafes; when animal lovers open a café, we are given a myriad of animal cafes; what happens when florists open a café? This is the case of Mơ Đi H...
Paul Christiansen in Ton-sur-Ton
Easybadwork's Free Spirits Are Rooted in Nature and the Underground
A sparrow swooping across a special-edition can of Coca-Cola, the illustrations featured in the artworks of Ngọt's Grammy-nominated album boxset, or perhaps even the tattoo on a stranger you pass on t...
In Suburban Hanoi, With Summer Comes the Red-Purple Cascade of Mulberries
In suburban Hanoi, this is the season when mulberry branches heavy with bright red fruits dangle in the summer wind.
Sấu Ushers in a Hanoian Summer of Sweet-and-Sour Nostalgia
A former coworker called me to playfully nag me about my previous plan to visit Hanoi: “Are you waiting for all the sấu to drop before making a move?”
Khôi Phạm in Natural Selection
10 Species of Lesser-Known Fruits to Get to Know Vietnam's Biodiversity
In the Vietnamese language, the suffix “cỏ” — meaning “grass” in the literal sense — is often used to signify that something is locally grown, no frills, and charmingly rustic; grassroots, if you will...
Gỏi Đu Đủ Reflects the Mekong Region's Culinary and Cultural Wisdoms
As the cicadas begin to sing in the tamarind canopies along Pasteur Street after the first monsoon rain, vivid scenes from my formative years flash by in my mind. My cheeks became flushed and my eyes ...
Hẻm Gems: In D5, a Family Durian Xôi Xiêm Recipe Inspired by Cambodia
At first glance, xôi xiêm sầu riêng — or sticky rice with egg custard and durian — may appear plain-looking, but apart from being a tasty sweet treat, this simple dish also holds stories of life durin...
A Pilgrimage to Sơn La, Vietnam's National Mận Capital, as a Devoted Fan
There’s a kind of sweet, sour, and slightly tannic fruit that never fails to make our mouths water every summer.
Paul Christiansen in Literature
These 5 Vietnamese Poems Pay Homage to the Complexities of Local Fruits
Fruit and poetry: the two things I love most.
Khôi Phạm in Culture
Xe Trái Cây: If You Can't Find Lovingly Sliced Fruit at Home, Cart-Bought Is Fine
Nature has numerous ways to make itself known: male peacocks fan out their glorious tail made up of iridescent eye-patterned feathers to attract peafowls; blue-ringed octopuses don’t need to invent an...
Paul Christiansen in Food Culture
Banana Is a Paragon of Neutrality. I Propose Using It as a Metric to Rank All Fruits.
Line up all the world’s fruits, best to worst, taking into account every rateable aspect imaginable including taste, appearance, price, reliability and seasonality — the banana rests at the exact midd...
An Ode to Dried Fruit, Vietnam's Parent-Approved Way for Children to Sugar Load
I first knew dried fruit as a category of munchy snacks that had my parents’ approval.
Paul Christiansen in Dishcovery
We Should Offer Gỏi Măng Cụt a Full-Time Position in Saigon's Food Scene
The mangosteen salad trend hit TikTok in 2023, creating a demand that led locals to quit their jobs and take on more lucrative full-time fruit-peeling duties.
Khôi Phạm in Natural Selection
Trái Thị: The Fruit of Heavenly Smell and Infernal Taste
If you had to pick a national smell that represents Vietnam, what would it be? There are a host of strong contenders: durian, lotus-scented green tea, fragrant pandan sticky rice, that enticing aroma ...
Brian Letwin in Travel
The Quiet Calm of Hiding From the Heat Under Phan Rang's Grapevines
The punishing mid-day sun dictates the pace of life in the corridor between Phan Rang and Cam Ranh, where locals escape to their living rooms or hammocks, and tourists seek the cooling breeze of the b...
Thi Nguyễn in Snack Attack
A Tale of Two Fruits: The Colonial History of Durian and Mangosteen
Although both durian and mangosteen are native to Southeast Asia, their reputation — especially from a western point of view — leads two very contrasting fates: the latter is considered a luscious del...
Paul Christiansen in Environment
An Homage to the Mekong Delta and Its Bag-Wearing Fruits
Rats, mice, mosquitos, snakes, centipedes, caterpillars, snails, beetles and slugs: the more fertile a region is, the more pests inhabit it.
Khôi Phạm in Food Culture
This Tết, I'm Finally Learning Our Family Recipe for Candied Coconut 'Flowers'
Tết is the perfect occasion of the year to go ham on the sugar.
Something About Xe (Đạp): Olivier Flora's Knack for Fun, Flamboyant Remixes
The saxophone riff in ‘Careless Whispers’ is not only instantly recognizable due the popularity of the original song by George Michael but has since become an internet fixture — a classic meme.
In Tây Hồ, an Artisan Community Holds Fast to Their Lotus Tea Traditions
Every sip of lotus tea encapsulates all the essences of the natural landscapes of Tây Hồ.
Paul Christiansen in Natural Selection
An Ode to Lục Bình, Vietnam's Invasive, Destructive, Beautiful Aquatic Jerk
Knotted gnarls of lush stems, leaves, vines; a verdant scrimmage of tangled plant matter kept afloat by buoyant bladders accented by pleats of pink petals that resemble the skirts of ballerinas trappe...
In Hanoi, the Vietnam Museum of Nature Is an Inquisitive Child's Heaven
Amidst the dull, grey buildings of the Hanoi University of Science and Technology, a giant dinosaur model stands out. The T-Rex was guarding the entrance to the Vietnam National Museum of Nature (Bảo ...
Khôi Phạm in Natural Selection
The Rise and Fall of Phượng Vĩ, the Summer Icon of Our Teenage Dreams
I was a teenage cliché. No matter how much I try to rack my brain to find any other personal connection to the incandescently red tree that is phượng vĩ, I keep going back to my middle school crush an...
Khôi Phạm in Snack Attack
For the Love of Our Cooling, Affordable and Ubiquitous Trà Đá
In Saigon, trà đá vendors don’t exist, simply because every single eatery is in itself a trà đá vendor.
Paul Christiansen in In Plain Sight
An Ode to Saigon’s Chò Nâu Trees
It’s too cold for chò nâu to grow where I’m from, but we still gave it an English name: dipterocarp.
Paul Christiansen in Natural Selection
Thanh Long: How Dragon Fruit Proves Beauty Is Only Skin-Deep
Of all my accomplishments in life, my greatest may be the creation of The Banana Line. This is a ranking tool, based on the belief that if all fruits were lined up from worst to best, taking into acco...
Beach Camping and Bamboo Rafting in Northern Vietnam's Largest Wetland
An overnight stay in Xuân Thủy National Park, Nam Định Province means potential bug bites, snake encounters and pungent ocean air, but also a rewarding quest into the wild wetlands of northern Vietnam...
Xanh Hà Nội Aims to Plant 1m Trees to Improve Hanoi's Living Environment
Amidst glooming effects of global warming, Xanh Hà Nội’s efforts since 2017 have played a crucial role in trailblazing a community-reliant framework for keeping Vietnamese cities green.
Saigon Students Win Science Contest Silver Medals for Bodhi Tree Leaf Teabags
Sustainable teabags made from bodhi tree (Ficus religiosa) leaves earned Ngô Trần Thảo My and Nguyễn Thiên Ngân silver medals at an international event that fosters global awareness of environmental i...
Hanoi Students Create Green Material From Durian Rind to Aid Oil Spill Cleanup
A group of university students has created an aerogel material from durian rind which can help clean up oil spills.
Gõ Nước: An Endangered Tree That Offers Hope for Conservation Efforts
Is it true that the more names something has, the more beloved it is? Consider all the nicknames you have for your best friends, or the myriad of terms people have invented for deities. If one can ass...
Bắc Giang Farmers Successfully Grow Seedless Lychees
After years of experimenting, Bắc Giang has finally succeeded in growing seedless lychees.
In Ninh Thuận, a Bamboo Scientist Builds the 'Great Green Wall' to Protect the Soil
In Ninh Thuận Province, not far from the South-Central Coast, Dr. Diệp Thị Mỹ Hạnh, a botanist, is growing a "wall" of bamboo.
Vietnamese Students Win Earth Prize for Dragon Fruit Peel Biodegradable Sanitary Pads
A trio of Vietnamese high schoolers claimed the top prize in the environmental awareness competition The Earth Prize 2022 thanks to their project which turned dragon fruit peels into biodegradabl...
Just a Love Letter to Saigon's Tropical Fruits
How lovely to have taste buds and to have tasty things to eat.
Searching for the World's Largest Woodpecker Species in Yok Đôn National Park
You first know she’s approaching by the sound of her wings; her broad shadow flashing across the forest floor. Even from far below, her body looks enormous. At half a meter long, she is roughly five t...
Michael Tatarski in Natural Selection
Mangroves: The Everyday Superheroes Protecting Vietnam Against Climate Change
When you think of ways to combat the inevitable ravages of climate change and sea level rise, what comes to mind?
In Thailand, Selling Unripe Sầu Riêng Could Land You in Jail
Harvesting durians before they are ripe in Thailand can land a first-time offender in jail for up to three years, while recidivists face even stricter sentences.
In Hòa Bình, a Social Enterprise Supports Vietnam's Last Remaining Paper Artisans
As aid to Vietnamese communities decreases, how do we continue to preserve cultural heritage? Zó Project, an organization based out of Hanoi, offers a compelling example of the role social enterprise ...
Michael Tatarski in Environment
Huế's Fantastic Herbs and Where to Find Them, Now in Book Form
Have you ever walked past a plant and wondered "Hey, I wonder what that could do?"
Michael Tatarski in Environment
Scientists Confirmed 91 New Species in Vietnam in 2020, WWF Report Shows
A new report from the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) highlights just how biodiverse the Greater Mekong region remains, even as major threats continue to impact flora and fauna populations.
New Flowering Plant Species Confirmed in Central Vietnam Nature Reserve
If you discovered a new plant, what would you call it?
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?
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.
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
Cầy Mực: A Critter With Popcorn Pee
I won’t bury the lede. If you are wandering Vietnam’s jungles and suddenly get a whiff of an odor that transports you to the entrance of a CineStar movie theatre, don’t ready yourself for another clic...
The Wildlife Artist Who Paints the Beauty of Vietnam’s Endangered Nature
Dao Van Hoang, a self-taught painter, welcomed us into his studio at Le Petit Musée in Thao Dien. Surrounded by watercolors of exotic plants and paintings of wild animals, he shared with us his life s...
In Suburban Đà Lạt, With Spring Comes Mai Anh Đào's Breathtaking Pink Tapestry
Mai anh đào, or wild Himalayan cherry flower trees, blooms the brightest and most intensely in Lâm Đồng Province for a few short weeks from the end of January until mid February.
Khôi Phạm in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: In Saigon's Greenest Cafe, a Rabbit, Cotton and Succulents Galore
On a windy autumn day of 2019, I did what any existentially precarious millennial would eventually do some time in their 20s: I bought a houseplant.
Paul Christiansen in Culture
The Harrowing History of Vietnam's Rubber Plantations
"Oh it’s easy to go to the rubber and hard to return, / Men leave their corpses, women depart as ghosts."
Chris Humphrey in Postcards
Hanoi Postcard No. 6: Hoa Sữa by Any Other Name Would Still Smell as Caustic
The fragrance of hoa sữa, or milk flower, is so deeply embedded in the mythology of Hanoi’s autumnal days that singers, poets and authors alike have all sung its praises.
[Video] Raising a New Generation of Bamboo Lovers
Bamboo is booming. All over the world, people are rediscovering the plant’s massive potential and technological innovation has enabled its use in pretty much any product you can think of. But how woul...
Khôi Phạm in Arts & Culture
The Unsolved Riddle Behind Cô Mía, Vietnam's Sugarcane Juice Muse
“Oh this drawing?” chị Liên shouted in Vietnamese over the juicer’s raucous purring. “I don’t know who she is. Isn’t it just an advertisement?”
