A: This week, we received a number of letters from Ulmar Qvick in Sweden. In emails to VOV this week, he expressed his great joy of listening to our broadcasts on May 18^th, 19^th, 21^st and 28^th. He wrote: “I find that I learn something about life in Vietnam and matters related to your part of the world by my listening. It’s also interesting to note the variations in reception day by day and find out the best time and frequencies”.

B: Our Swedish listener also sent us a photo that he took with his daughter Arlinda and a couple of paintings by artist Carl Larsson, showing Sweden in the past.  

A: Thank you very much, Ulmar Qvick for tuning in to our broadcasts and sharing with us your love for Vietnam. We’ll send you QSL cards to confirm your reports.

A: In an email to VOV this week, Jayanta Chakrabarty of India wrote: “Thank you for the informative and interesting programs. I enjoy while listening to Radio the Voice of Vietnam’s shortwave and online broadcasts in English. Your well-structured and attractive website is also excellent. Your programs help me to learn more about recent happenings in Vietnam, Asia and the world at large”.

B: Jayanta Chakrabarty continued: “I’m preparing to send my entry to your contest What do you know about Vietnam and I’m encouraging my friends to participate in this very interesting and informative contest. I thank the VOV authorities for giving us the golden opportunity to learn and research into the life and beautiful country of Vietnam through this contest and if lucky, be able to win some beautiful prizes”.

A: Dear Jayanta, and other listeners. VOV’s contest What do you know about Vietnam will close on June 30^th. So, we urge all of you to send in your entries as soon as possible. And it would be good if you can make your entries more impressive and distinguished with illustrations and some other supporting items.

B: Thomas Vitti from the US reported listening to our broadcast on May 20^th on the frequency of 12005 khz from 0100 to 0130 UTC. Thomas said that he’d like to hear more programs about Vietnam’s food.

A: Well, Vietnamese cuisine is famous worldwide. I’m so proud to say so and if you type Vietnamese cuisine into Google, you’ll find hundreds of comments praising Vietnamese food. According to asian-recipe.com, if you are looking for a quick lunch of soup, salad or a sandwich, maybe you ought to think Vietnamese. Perhaps an exquisite vegetarian meal? Well, then, why not think Vietnamese? Or is tonight time for multiple dishes, contrasting flavors, varied textures and exotic ingredients? Once again, it’s a good time to think Vietnamese. Or perhaps something healthy and “lite?” Guess what: think Vietnamese.

B: While Vietnamese food has long been appreciated in France, the former colonial power, US residents are only beginning to discover its many fine features. Vietnamese chefs like to refer to their cooking as “the nouvelle cuisine of Asia.” And indeed, with the heavy reliance on rice, wheat and legumes, an abundance of fresh herbs and vegetables, minimal use of oil, and the treatment of meat as a condiment rather than as a main course, Vietnamese food has to be among the healthiest on the planet.

A: Cuisine in Vietnam differs strikingly between the north, south and central regions, but two key features stand out. First, rice plays an essential role in the nation’s diet as it does throughout Southeast Asia. But this is also a noodle-crazy population, regularly downing them for breakfast, lunch and dinner, in homes, restaurants and at roadside stands. Noodles are eaten wet and dry, in soup or with soup, and are come in different shapes and thicknesses of wheat, rice and mung beans.

B: Secondly, no meal is complete without fresh vegetables and herbs. A key portion of every meal, north, south and central, is a platter containing cucumbers, bean threads, slices of hot pepper, and sprigs of basil, coriander, mint and a number of related herbs found principally in Southeast Asian markets.

A: The Vietnamese adopted Confucianism, Buddhism, chopsticks and the wok. But in spite of centuries of domination, Vietnamese food retained its own character. Due to its proximity to the border, north Vietnam reflects a more Chinese influence than in the center of the south. Soy sauce rarely appears in Vietnamese dishes except in the north. It is replaced by what is perhaps the most important ingredient in all of Vietnamese cuisine — fish sauce or nuoc mam. Stir frying plays a relatively minor role in Vietnam and once again is seen more in the north than elsewhere. Frying in general is less important than simmering.

B: Northern cuisine exhibits fewer herbs and vegetables than the other regions because its climate is less hospitable than that of the Mekong Delta. For heat, north Vietnamese cooks rely on black pepper rather than chilies.

A: Meanwhile, SBS Food reported that Vietnamese food is one of the most varied and seductive on the planet – a delicious mix of the food of its colonists and age-old native flavours and techniques. Many forces of climate, trade, history and immigration have influenced Vietnamese cuisine.

B: Hanoi was voted by CNN as one of Asia’s 10 best street food cities. Its delicious dishes include Bun Cha or grilled pork noodle, Pho or rice noodle soup served with beef, chicken and fresh herbs, Bun rieu cua or freshwater crab soup, barbecue chicken, sticky rice, iced coffee, nem cua be – spring rolls made with fresh crab meat, chao ca fish porridge, banh cuon or thin steamed rice flour pancakes filled with minced pork and cloud ear mushrooms and muc nuong or dried squid which is grilled over hot coals before being shredded and served with a spicy sauce.

A: According to CNN, Vietnamese cuisine doesn't win any points for complexity. Many of the most popular dishes can be made just as well on the side of the road as in a top-end restaurant. But it’s precisely this simplicity, the subtle variations by region and the fresh ingredients that keep us pulling up a plastic stool for more. Tasting is believing. So, come to Hanoi and have a try. Bonne Appetite!

B: That’s a short take on Vietnamese food. We’ll delve further into more Vietnamese foods in other programs. Stay tuned.

A: And with this story, we hope we have answered Ricky Hein of the US who wanted to know about restaurants in Vietnam. As we have said there are various types of food stalls and restaurants in Vietnam, where many of the most popular dishes can be tried. We hope that you’ll visit Vietnam one day to try Vietnamese food served both at restaurants and street food stalls.

B: Next is a letter from Gerry Newman in England. Gerry regularly listens to VOV at 17:00 UTC on the frequency of 9625 khz beamed to Europe and reported that the reception was very good with SINPO rated at 45444. Gerry wrote: “One of my favorite programs for weekend listening is the regular Sunday Show on VOV as it provides listeners with an in-depth knowledge of many aspects of Vietnam and Vietnamese life”.

A: Gerry wrote that he was interested in our Sunday show’s feature about the Khmer people and the role of pagodas in the spiritual life of the Khmer in southern Vietnam.

B: Thank you, Gerry, for tuning in to our programs. We will have more stories about the Khmer in other programs.

A: In today’s program, we’d also like to acknowledge letters and emails from Eric Bueneman in the US, Richard Lemke in Canada, Andrew Kuznetsov in Latvia, Stathis Nalpantidis of Greece, Arjun Sharma in India, Ms Karobi Hazarika, , Neelakandan Visvanathan and SB Sharma of India, Hannu Kiiski from Finland, and Fumito Hokamura and Yoshikazu Suzuki from Japan.

A: We’ll confirm your reports with QSL cards soon and give you VOV’s latest frequency list. We welcome your feedback at: the English section, Overseas Service, Radio Voice of Vietnam, 45 Ba Trieu Street, Hanoi, Vietnam. Or you can email us at: englishsection@vov.org.vn. You’re invited to visit us online at www.vovworld.vn, where you can hear both live and recorded programs. Good bye until next time.