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Beyond the baguette: France s food legacy in Vietnam

2018-06-18T16:46:19Z

GertrudeAlarcon:

It has been more than six decades since the end of French colonial rule in Vietnam, but when President Francois Hollande arrives this week he'll struggle to avoid a quintessential legacy of his country's rule: the baguette. Smeared with pate and loaded with fresh coriander and cucumber, or just enjoyed with a pat of fresh butter, "banh mi" are a delicious symbol of Vietnam's lasting links with its former occupiers. "The French were very proud of banh mi. I think French cuisine has had a lot of influence on Vietnamese cuisine," baker Nguyen Ngoc Hoan told AFP from his busy boulangerie in Hanoi's French Quarter. 'Banh mi' are displayed for sale on a sidewalk in central Hanoi �Hoang Dinh Nam (AFP) Hoan started baking banh mi -- which refers to plain bread or the popular "petit pain" loaded with meat, vegetables or fried egg -- in 1987 and five years later [http://www.vtr.org.vn/cam-nang-du-lich-bac-kinh-5-ngay-4-dem.html vtr.org.vn] got a stint at the bakery in the storied Metropole hotel, built by the French at the turn of the 20th century. The sandwich has become a foodie favourite in hipster enclaves around the globe, sold from food trucks and sipped with craft beer in both its classic form and a flurry of new varieties. Hoan's father was also a baker but discouraged his son from following in his floured footsteps. "The baking profession chose me, it was not my decision," Hoan said, speaking in front of a wall of ovens as his workers tirelessly knead dough nearby. He started his career baking what he called Vietnamese bread -- airy on the inside, crusty on the outside -- but after training with a French baker in Shanghai decided to switch to the denser French-style. Now, he churns out thousands of warm baguettes daily, along with croissants, creme caramel and homemade pate. - 'Petit pain' - French bread was first made in Vietnam to feed hungry soldiers in Indochina, France's empire which spanned much of Southeast Asia from 1858 to its crushing defeat in the Dien Bien Phu battle in Vietnam in 1954. But the French became known for more than food, gaining a brutal reputation for crushing anti-imperialist movements and putting Vietnamese laborers to work in gruelling conditions on rubber plantations, while heavily taxing citizens during periods of drought and famine. Most French who came to Vietnam weren't interested in low-level jobs like baking. To fill the gap, Chinese and Vietnamese worked in [http://www.vtr.org.vn/cam-nang-du-lich-bac-kinh-5-ngay-4-dem.html du lịch Bắc Kinh 5 ngày 4 đêm từ Hà Nội] boulangeries -- often hidden away in the back so customers wouldn't know who was baking their bread. "By 1910, little baguettes or 'petit pain' were sold in the street to (Vietnamese) people who were on their way to work," according to Erica Peters, food historian and author of "Appetites and Aspirations in Vietnam". In the years that followed, meat, vegetables or fish appeared in the bread -- precursors to the modern-day banh mi sold all over Hanoi, a city rife with French colonial architecture, bistros and cafes. Other culinary influences leaked in too. Local cooks used meat scraps and unused bones from French butchers to create pho -- the national dish of beef or chicken noodle soup, according to Peters. Coffee and creme caramel are some of the other French culinary leftovers. The ubiquity of those influences will not be lost on President Hollande, who [http://www.Search.com/search?q=arrives%20late arrives late] Monday for talks with Vietnam's leadership and French businessmen. - Hybrid cuisine - Today, Vietnam's commercial capital Ho Chi Minh City is dotted with chic cafes serving croque monsieur and macarons at Paris prices. But the $1 banh mi still rules Hanoi's street food scene. It is so engrained in Vietnam's culinary culture that few draw its lineage back to France. "I don't know and don't care whether it's French, I just serve it like this," said Nguyen Thi Duc Hanh, sitting in front of her shop as the lunchtime rush begins. She sells hundreds per day and keeps her menu simple: banh mi served with pate and a [http://www.vtr.org.vn/cam-nang-du-lich-bac-kinh-5-ngay-4-dem.html du lịch Bắc Kinh] fried egg, beef steak or her very own version of "boeuf au vin" made with local spices. One of her regulars, Nguyen Van Binh, said he has been eating banh mi for 50 years, and unlike Hanh, thinks of it as a hybrid dish. "Banh mi came from France but it was changed and adapted to suit Vietnamese tastes," said Binh, before digging into his fried egg and pate served with a crusty roll. A street vendor sits in front of 'Hoan Boulangerie' shop in Hanoi �Hoang Dinh Nam (AFP) An employee prepares to bake croissants at 'Hoan Boulangerie' in Hanoi �Hoang Dinh Nam (AFP) Local Vietnamese cooks used meat scraps and unused bones from French butchers to create pho - the national dish of beef or chicken noodle soup �Hoang Dinh Nam (AFP/File) An employee prepares a [http://www.paramuspost.com/search.php?query=%27banh%20mi%27&type=all&mode=search&results=25 'banh mi'] for sale at 'Banh Mi Phuc' restaurant in Hanoi �Hoang Dinh Nam (AFP) Advertisement

Ideal destinations in Vietnam this hot summer

2018-06-13T23:30:51Z

GertrudeAlarcon:

Summer is coming in Vietnam. These days also welcome national celebrations taking place throughout the country. If you are going to visit Vietnam from April to May, there are plenty of options to vary your Vietnam holidays. Vietnam has been known as a beautiful country with a lot of wonderful, primitive, mysterious and charming landscapes and seascapes. April is the month when Vietnamese people through the country have national days off on Liberation of Southern Vietnam and Vietnam Reunification Day(April 30) and Labor Day (May 1). This year, the holiday lasts in several days, therefore tourism sites have the best preparation to welcome travelers. This is really an occasion for foreign travelers to join in the joyful time with local people. Northern Vietnam If you have Vietnam tour packages in Northern part, Hanoi, Halong Bay, and some places in northwest such as Sapa are great options. Sapa is a foggy town in the northwest of Vietnam, about 300km from Hanoi. Now, with the convenience of Hanoi - Lao Cai Highway, visitors can travel Sapa easier and faster by private car. There are some other ways to travel Sapa: by train and by air. If traveling by air, visitors will take flights from Hanoi to Dien Bien. Before approaching Sapa by taxi or private car (or coach), let's take a tour to famous historical sites in Dien Bien. In April, Sapa weather is portrayed by cool and fresh atmosphere. You will feel a beautiful Sapa town and four seasons in a day. There are many unique characteristics of local people reflecting through interesting and sophisticated brocade and silver jewelry. In Vietnam tours to Sapa, you can wander around famous attractions in Sapa such as Cat Cat village, Love Waterfall, Sapa Love Market, and Sapa specialties. It is sure that Sapa is an ideal destination with very economical travel expense. Traveling Halong Bay will bring unforgettable memories to visitors. The Natural Word Wonder possesses a stunning beauty that make visitors enraptured with "pearls" floating on the sea, delicacies of seafood, and local specialties. Coming to Halong Bay in April, you can easily explore [http://Photobucket.com/images/pristine%20islands pristine islands] and beaches such as Titov Island, Co To Island, and Quan Lan Island. Such natural landscapes as Thien Cung Cave, Fighting Cocks Islet, and Tuan Chau Island will make your holidays in Vietnam more exciting and meaningful. Central Vietnam After traveling Hanoi, Sapa or Halong Bay in northern Vietnam, visitors may want to have more experiences and discover new lands. Let's come to famous destinations in Central Vietnam to enjoy pleasant weather and beautiful landscapes, which helps visitors to relax. In Central Vietnam, many fascinating destinations appeal a large number of visitors such as Hue, Da Nang, and Hoi An. Each destination possesses interesting things looking forward to visitors' exploration. When traveling Hue City, you have chances to discover a unique cultural [http://www.vtr.org.vn/cam-nang-du-lich-bac-kinh-5-ngay-4-dem.html tour bắc kinh từ hà nội] space of Hue Imperial court nearby Perfume River, and to take a boat tour on Perfume River to enjoy beautiful Hue traditional folk songs at night. Hue Citadel, royal tombs, Thien Mu Pagoda, and Dong Ba Market will make you stay here longer and longer. As being one of the "hottest" points of interest in Vietnam with countless landscapes and charming beaches, Da Nang is an indispensable destination in Vietnam travel. You can drop by My Son Sanctuary, Linh Ung Pagoda, Non Nuoc Beach, Ba Na Hills, Vinpearl Land, My Khe Beach, and Bac My An Beach to admire the beauty of the worthiest city to live in Vietnam. Hoi An Ancient Town is another perfect choice. Being used to be an international busy [http://www.vtr.org.vn/cam-nang-du-lich-bac-kinh-5-ngay-4-dem.html vtr.org.vn] commercial port with modern architectural features, the town will make your soul more blithe and mild. Coming to Hoi An, visitors have the opportunity to admire the romantic city by sitting on boat along Thu Bon River, to contemplate colorful shimmering lanterns at night, or ride a bike to explore lush green fields. Southern Vietnam You will have many interesting choices to explore a modern and dynamic Ho Chi Minh City, immense Mekong River Delta, or charming beaches in Nha Trang, Phu Quoc, Con Dao and Phan Thiet, or romantic Dalat. They are interesting options for the holiday. Depending on the interest of each people, they will have suitable vacation spot to visit during the great national holiday of Vietnam. In late April, Ho Chi Minh City will be the most exciting place in Vietnam, as it is the time when this city celebrates the biggest anniversary of Liberation Day of Southern Vietnam and Vietnam Reunification Day in this country. Choosing the modern and dynamic Ho Chi Minh City will be ideal experience for you. Coming here, do not forget to drop by outstanding historical sites such as Independence Palace, Vietnam War Remnants Museum, Ben Thanh Market, Binh Tay Market, or Cu Chi Tunnels to know more about Vietnam history and people. On the occasion of Vietnam Reunification Day's anniversary, there are a plenty of cheap Vietnam tickets sold to meet the demand of domestic and international tourists. AloTrip - one of reputable travel agent with its official website of AloTrip.com, is providing all information and consultant about tours and tickets, along with many high-quality services to tourists to enjoy a perfect holiday. Let's quickly plan your trip and book [http://www.vtr.org.vn/cam-nang-du-lich-bac-kinh-5-ngay-4-dem.html du lịch Bắc Kinh 5 ngày 4 đêm] flights to Vietnam now!

Jesuit priest peace activist Daniel Berrigan dies at 94

2018-06-13T21:30:51Z

GertrudeAlarcon:

NEW YORK (AP) - The Rev. Daniel Berrigan, a Roman Catholic priest and peace activist who was imprisoned for burning draft files in a protest against the Vietnam War, died [http://www.vtr.org.vn/cam-nang-du-lich-bac-kinh-5-ngay-4-dem.html du lịch Bắc Kinh] Saturday. He was 94. Berrigan died at Murray-Weigel Hall, a Jesuit health care community in New York City after a "long illness," according to Michael Benigno, a spokesman for the Jesuits USA Northeast Province. "He died peacefully," Benigno said. File-This Feb. 16, 1981, file photo shows Daniel Berrigan, ex-priest, now political activist on NBC-TV�s �Today� show in New York. The Roman Catholic priest and Vietnam war protester, Berrigan has died. He was 94. Michael Benigno, a spokesman for the Jesuits USA Northeast Province, says Berrigan died Saturday, April 30, 2016, at a Jesuit infirmary at Fordham University. (AP Photo/Dave Pickoff, File) Berrigan and his younger brother, the Rev. Philip Berrigan, emerged as leaders of the radical anti-war movement in the 1960s. The Berrigan brothers entered a draft board in Catonsville, Maryland, on May 17, 1968, with seven other activists [http://www.vtr.org.vn/cam-nang-du-lich-bac-kinh-5-ngay-4-dem.html vtr.org.vn] and removed records of young men about to be shipped off to Vietnam. The group took the files outside and burned them in garbage cans. The Catonsville Nine, as they came to be known, were convicted on federal charges accusing them of destroying U.S. property and interfering with the Selective Service Act of 1967. All were sentenced on Nov. 9, 1968 to prison terms ranging from two to 3.5 years. When asked in 2009 by "America," a national Catholic magazine, whether he had any regrets, Berrigan replied: "I could have done sooner the things I did, like Catonsville." Berrigan, a writer [http://www.vtr.org.vn/cam-nang-du-lich-bac-kinh-5-ngay-4-dem.html tour bắc kinh từ hà nội] and poet, wrote about the courtroom experience in 1970 in a one-act play, "The Trial of the Catonsville Nine," which was later made into a movie. Berrigan grew up in Syracuse, New York, with his parents and five brothers. He joined the Jesuit order after high school and taught preparatory school in New Jersey before being ordained a priest in 1952. As a seminarian, Berrigan wrote poetry. His work captured the attention of an editor at Macmillan who referred the material to poet Marianne Moore. Her endorsement led to the publication of Berrigan's first book of poetry, "Time Without Number," which won the Lamont Poetry Prize in 1957. Berrigan credited Dorothy Day, founder of The Catholic Worker newspaper, with introducing him to the pacifist movement and influencing his thinking about war. Much later, while visiting Paris in 1963 on a teaching sabbatical from LeMoyne College, Berrigan met French Jesuits who spoke of the dire situation in Indochina. Soon after that, he and his brother founded the Catholic Peace Fellowship, which helped organize protests against U.S. involvement in Vietnam. Berrigan traveled to North Vietnam in 1968 and returned with three American prisoners of war who were being released as a goodwill gesture. He said that while there, he witnessed some of the destruction and suffering caused by the war. [http://Photobucket.com/images/Berrigan Berrigan] was teaching at Cornell University when his brother asked him to join a group of activists for the Catonsville demonstration. Philip Berrigan was at the time awaiting sentencing for a 1967 protest in Baltimore during which demonstrators poured blood on draft records. "I was blown away by the courage and effrontery, really, of my brother," Berrigan recalled in a 2006 interview on the Democracy Now radio program. After the Catonsville case had been unsuccessfully appealed, the Berrigan brothers and three of their co-defendants went underground. Philip Berrigan turned himself in to authorities in April 1969 at a Manhattan church. The FBI arrested Daniel Berrigan four months later at the Rhode Island home of theologian William Stringfellow. Berrigan said in an interview that he became a fugitive to draw more [http://Search.Huffingtonpost.com/search?q=attention&s_it=header_form_v1 attention] to the anti-war movement. The Berrigan brothers were sent to the federal prison in Danbury, Connecticut. Daniel Berrigan was released in 1972 after serving about two years. His brother served about 2.5 years. The Berrigan brothers continued to be active in the peace movement long after Catonsville. Together, they began the Plowshares Movement, an anti-nuclear weapons campaign in 1980. Both were arrested that year after entering a General Electric nuclear missile facility in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, and damaging nuclear warhead nose cones. Philip Berrigan died of cancer on Dec. 6, 2002 at the age of 79. Daniel Berrigan moved into a Jesuit residence in Manhattan in 1975. In an interview with The Nation magazine on the 40th anniversary of the Catonsville demonstration, Berrigan lamented that the activism of the 1960s and early 1970s evaporated with the passage of time. "The short fuse of the American left is typical of the highs and lows of American emotional life," he said. "It is very rare to sustain a movement in recognizable form without a spiritual base." Berrigan's writings include "Prison Poems," published in 1973; "We Die Before We Live: Talking with the Very Ill," a 1980 book based on his experiences working in a cancer ward; and his autobiography, "To Dwell in Peace," published in 1987. File-This July 25, 1973, file photo shows Rev. Fr. Daniel Berrigan and some friends participating in a fast and vigil to protest the bombing in Cambodia, on the steps of St. Patrick�s Cathedral in New York City. The Roman Catholic priest and Vietnam war protester, Berrigan has died. He was 94. Michael Benigno, a spokesman for the Jesuits USA Northeast Province, says Berrigan died Saturday, April 30, 2016, at a Jesuit infirmary at Fordham University. (AP Photo/Ron Frehm) File-This April 9, 1982, file photo shows Daniel Berrigan marching with about 40 others outside of the Riverside Research Center in New York. The Roman Catholic priest and Vietnam war protester, Berrigan has died. He was 94. Michael Benigno, a spokesman for the Jesuits USA Northeast Province, says Berrigan died Saturday, April 30, 2016, at a Jesuit infirmary at Fordham University. (AP Photo/Marty Lederhandler, File) This is a Dec. 1968 photo of the Rev. Daniel Berrigan at an unknown location. The Roman Catholic priest and Vietnam war protester, Berrigan has died. He was 94. Michael Benigno, a spokesman for the Jesuits USA Northeast Province, says Berrigan died Saturday, April 30, 2016, at a Jesuit infirmary at Fordham University. (AP Photo/File) Advertisement

User:GertrudeAlarcon

2018-06-13T16:07:15Z

GertrudeAlarcon: Created page with "My name is Gertrude from Cunyarie doing my final year engineering in Journalism. I did my schooling, secured 71% and hope to find someone with same interests in Scrapbooking.<..."

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