Discovery of longest lava cave in Southeast Asia

A system of lava caves including one considered as the longest lava cave of Southeast Asia has been discovered in the southern province of Dong Nai, according to researcher Truong Ba Vuong of the Vietnam's Institute of Tropical Biology.

Researchers from the institute and Germany's Berlin Speleoclub have surveyed and discovered the system of 11 caves for two months and found the caves formed after an eruption.

Bac Ninh and its specialty

Regarded as the cradles of Vietnam civilization and bring itself a lot of culture and tradition of Vietnam, Bac Ninh is one of the special and wonderful place to travel and discover the specilaty of Vietnam. 

Bac Ninh is located in the lowlands and hills of North Vietnam. It is also a province with a lot of feature in culture and custom. Recalling Bac Ninh, everyone knows the traditional and unique folk-song Quan Ho. It is one of the attractions in Bac Ninh and which is one of the traditional songs of Vietnam. Coming here, tourists and especially foreign tourists who are very interested in enjoying the folk-song Quan Ho. There are sisters and brothers in traditional clothes of Quan Ho performing famous songs in sweet and gentle voice attracting the interest of all audiences. Getting to know more about the tradition of Vietnam will make you understand more about the culture and specialty of the country. 

BÚN MĂNG VỊT - DUCK NOODLE SOUP W/ BAMBOO SHOOT

BÚN MĂNG VỊT - DUCK NOODLE SOUP W/ BAMBOO SHOOT

Video by: Helen

Chanel Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/HelenRecipes

A vacation to Phan Thiet

Traveling is always seemed the best way to relax and discover the life around us. As a result, we often plan to go to visit the most attractive and beautiful places that we want to take a trip to. One of the places attacks a lot of visitors in the country and all over the world that is Phan Thiet.

Phan Thiet is famous for the destination of natural landscapes and attractions to visit. It is referred to be the ideal place to visit and discover the wild and stunning beauty of Vietnam. Mui Ne is known as the most famous and popular centre of travelling in Phan Thiet. Visiting Mui Ne, tourists will go to visit the Sand Dunes which is very well-known and featuring in Phan Thiet. The sand dunes are immense and wild, it makes visitors feel like they are in Sahara desert. It is so wonderful and exciting to experience Sahara desert in Vietnam. Furthermore, there are two main colours of sand dunes being white and red sand dunes. This brings us the feelings of immersing into the destiny and leaving all of the concerns and sadness behind. We only need to enjoy the immense landscape and take part in interesting activities here such as kite surfing and dune surfing with wonderful experience.

Salt Fields in Hon Khoi

Hon Khoi in Ninh Hoa District, Khanh Hoa Province is famous for not only long and beautiful beaches, but also making salt. Covering about 400ha, it is considered one of the largest salt fields nationwide. 

 

Making salt in Hon Khoi lasts from March to July every year. In recent years, the locals have produced two new types of salt – canvas covered salt and Japanese refined salt to meet the demand of the market. 

During the harvest, salt piles look like snow mountains on the fields.

Traditional Music Classes

Established in 2005 in a small house near the ancient communal house of Hao Nam, the Vietnam Music Development Centre  has organised many classes to teach traditional Vietnamese musical forms, involving the participation of a  large number of people.

In a cultural space of the serene ancient communal house, students of different ages are engulfed in lessons on playing traditional musical instruments  and singing Ca Tru (ceremonial singing), Xam (an art form which has existed for centuries and was very popular in the rural areas of the northern plains in the past) and Quan ho (love duet) taught by People’s Artist Pham Dinh Khang and artist Thao Giang who founded and run the centre.

With a desire to preserve and bequeath the traditional Vietnamese folk music genres to younger generations,  artists  Pham Dinh Khang and Thao Giang established the Vietnam Music Development Centre where students are taught to perform with drums, flutes and castanets and singing folk music with a different method – without any manuals but approaching music directly in a natural and easy to understand manner.

Artist Thao Giang shows his students how to use Senh (clappers) in Xam singing. Photo: Trinh Van Bo/VNP

Recipe: Mini-Pancakes with Meatball sauce

It is a mini-pancake topped with a quail egg, served with pork meatballs and a sweet fish-sauce based dipping sauce. Unlike Banh Khot, Banh Can is not fried but cooked in batches over a low-heat charcoal on what looks like a giant cupcake tray made from clay with cute little lids over each cake. It’s not at all greasy but still crispy on the outside and soft and fragrant on the inside.

Video by: Helen

Chanel Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/HelenRecipes

Ingredients

• 1 cup rice
• 1/2 cup cooked rice
• 500 g pork minced
• 1 tbsp shallots minced
• 1 tbsp garlic minced
• pepper
• 1 tsp chicken stock
• 2 tbsp Fish sauce
• spring onion chopped
• vegetable oil

Instructions

• Wash a cup of rice and then soak in water for at least 24 hours. Drain well and transfer to a blender and blend rice with 1/2 cup of cooked rice and 1 1/2 cup of water and 1/2 tsp salt.
  
• To make meatballs, season 500 g minced pork with 1 tbsp minced shallots, 1 tbsp minced garlic, 1/2 tsp pepper, 1 tsp chicken stock and 2 tbsp fish sauce. Then mix well and set aside for 15 mins.
  
• Grease a deep plate with some with some vegetable oil, then shape the seasoned minced meat into small balls and place onto the plate. Steam for about 15-20 mins until you see no pink water coming out when you poke the meatballs with a chopstick.
  
• Heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil in a small saucepan and fry some minced garlic and shallots until fragrant. Then add a cup of water, 1 tsp chicken stock and transfer the meatballs into the saucepan. Add the juice, some chili flakes and bring to a boil.
  
• To make extra dipping sauce, dissolve a quarter cup of sugar in 1 cup of water, 1/2 tsp salt and 1 tsp chicken stock. Stir well over medium heat until everything is well dissolved. Then add 1-2 tbsp fish sauce.
  
• Grease the metal mini-pancake pan with some vegetable oil. When the pan is really hot, stir up the batter and pour into the holes. Swirl the pan in a circular motion to distribute the batter evenly. Cover and cook until they turn crispy.
  
• To make scallion oil, heat 2 tbsp vegetable oil in a small pan and fry the white parts of the spring onion shredded until quite golden, then add the chopped green onion and turn off the heat.
  
• Flip the pancakes over for 1 minute to cook the top completely. Beat some eggs and add to the top of the cakes. To serve, add some dipping sauce to a small bowl and ladle the meatballs into it, together with some scallion oil. Sprinkle with some pepper and chili sauce.