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Missing Fish Sauce and Lemongrass…

by · March 31st, 2008
Grocery, Meat, Personal Story, Photography, Travel

But it sure is good to be home. For those readers who missed my series of posts about eating in Vietnam, here’s a reminder:

Dog. Cat. Porcupine. Deer.

The ‘Lonely Planet’ Guidebook describes the Vietnamese people as “fiercly omnivorous,” and I couldn’t think of a more apt description. We are not uploading photos so I can’t illustrate this post properly but today we took numerous photos of a skinned pig’s head, pig’s feet, live goats tied to a back of a motorbike, same with live chickens in a mesh cage, pigs tied in tortuous ways, the list goes on.

Greetings from Vietnam, the most unkosher place on the planet (kosher-keepers, never, ever come here, unless you plan on packing a month’s supply of canned tuna).

Below the jump, I’ve posted a few photos that give you a taste of our (for us) shocking food experiences in Viet Nam. Warning – they’re graphic, so look with caution.

pig.JPG

pig2.JPG

More musings and photos of Vietnam when the jetlag wears off.

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6 Responses to “Missing Fish Sauce and Lemongrass…”

  1. ck Says:
    April 1st, 2008 at 1:00 am

    Psssst. Your photos are too big, they’re breaking the template! Also, uh… GROSS! I didn’t expect to visit a Jewish blog and come face to face with pig guts!

    Gross, but typical. The Vietnamese sure do love their treiff. When I was there all they had that was certified Kosher to eat was Pringles, Post brand cereal and some chocolates. Have you ever tried to make cholent out of those ingredients? Let me just say that Shabbat in Hanoi and Sapa was interesting. I hear they have a Chabad House in Shanghai now! That’s a relief…

  2. Harry Says:
    April 1st, 2008 at 3:37 am

    CK, you must mean Saigon, and yes they do.

  3. ck Says:
    April 1st, 2008 at 6:20 am

    Yeah sorry, did I really say Shanghai? Jesus. I wanted to say Saigon. But I mean really, isn’t it just a matter of time before even Shanghai has a Chabad House? BTW Harry knows everything and my trips to Vietnam have been as awesome thanks to his sage advice. Thanks man!

  4. Alix Says:
    April 1st, 2008 at 6:22 am

    Yes, we actually arrived in Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) on Friday, the day of Purim (I think it was the 21st). We had Shabbos dinner at the Chabad House. The regular rabbi and his wife were in Bangkok having a baby, so two yeshiva bochers were dispatched from Crown Heights to preside over the megillah reading the night before and shabbos and the time while the rabbi and rebbetzin are away. It was a typical Chabad scene, (except for because of Purim, both yeshiva bochers were in Vietnamese kimonos and conical hats for the service,) with many young Israelis on their big trip to “Ha Mizrach Ha Rechok” and an eclectic group of Jews who have been living in Asia for awhile.

  5. Alisha Says:
    April 6th, 2008 at 8:53 am

    Re: ck’s comment–Shanghai actually has two Chabad houses, and from what you’ve posted here, it looks like foods in Vietnam and China are not so different.

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