When living in a totally foreign culture it is best to keep an open mind. And then there are some things that make you want to say "wake up people, this is stupid. Do it this way."
For instance, they like to carve huge smiley faces in their fish for no discernable purpose except that it sells more fish. Often in the US we just cut off fillets, which is very wasteful and makes us cowardly meat-eaters. But when it's done right fish are left with their heads and tasty jaw muscles intact and gutted. Vietnamese leave all the guts in--why? It's not like they eat them, probably because they taste like you'd expect fish guts to taste--absolutely jaw-rottingly horrifying. So the first side of the fish is tasty but the other half has been stewing in gut-sauce and isn't worth leaving for the dogs. I'd like to think the guts are left in for sheer laziness but it is pretty time-consuming to extract the face, which as I mentioned is rather pointless. Maybe they do it for sanitary reasons, not wanting to lick the inside of an animal's mouth?
Nah, probably not. This chicken will be hacked up and every little bit will go on the platter, mouth, eyes, wattles and all. Very creative presentation, no? Better than a Sicilian necktie. Makes me wonder how they kill the chicken--obviously not the traditional and quick guillotine method. But all chickens in Vietnam, even in the city, are free-range, organic, lean and delicious, and as someone dear to me once said, "just have one bad day."
For instance, they like to carve huge smiley faces in their fish for no discernable purpose except that it sells more fish. Often in the US we just cut off fillets, which is very wasteful and makes us cowardly meat-eaters. But when it's done right fish are left with their heads and tasty jaw muscles intact and gutted. Vietnamese leave all the guts in--why? It's not like they eat them, probably because they taste like you'd expect fish guts to taste--absolutely jaw-rottingly horrifying. So the first side of the fish is tasty but the other half has been stewing in gut-sauce and isn't worth leaving for the dogs. I'd like to think the guts are left in for sheer laziness but it is pretty time-consuming to extract the face, which as I mentioned is rather pointless. Maybe they do it for sanitary reasons, not wanting to lick the inside of an animal's mouth?
Nah, probably not. This chicken will be hacked up and every little bit will go on the platter, mouth, eyes, wattles and all. Very creative presentation, no? Better than a Sicilian necktie. Makes me wonder how they kill the chicken--obviously not the traditional and quick guillotine method. But all chickens in Vietnam, even in the city, are free-range, organic, lean and delicious, and as someone dear to me once said, "just have one bad day."
