Vietsham

[Bapopik at AOL.COM]

WORD DETECTIVE "ON THE BUBBLE"  (continued)

    I never said that there was anything wrong with what Word Detective Evan
Morris wrote about "on the bubble"!!
   Other people might have comments--for example, the original ADS-L posters
might want their names mentioned.  I passed the column on to ADS-L
readers/writers FYI.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------
VIETSHAM; VIETNAMESE FOOD

    An interesting article in THE ECONOMIST, Jan 8-14, 200, pp. 62-64, is
"Goodnight, Vietnam: Vietnam was meant to be the next Asian phenomenon.  But
this tiger never roared."  The article points out that Vietnam's phenomenal
economic growth since 1986 has slowed in recent years, and figures to slow
even more with China now in the picture.
    A graph on page 64, cols. 1-2, shows the 1991-1996 growth and the
1996-1999 decline.  The graph is titled "Vietsham."
    "Even _Vietnam Investment Review_, a weekly newsletter that promotes FDI
(foreign direct investment--ed.), has lost its foreign backing," THE
ECONOMIST states.  "Vietsham" wasn't mentioned in any of the VIR issues that
I read, nor did I find this term in any of my web searches.  THE ECONOMIST
may have coined it.
    The new, January-February 2000 issue of the Vietnam Airlines in-flight
magazine HERITAGE contains these recipes on pages 14-15:

_Shredded Pork Soup (bong nau):_  This dish contains dried and shredded pork
rind, known as bong.  The meat is usually cooked with winter vegatables like
kale, cabbages, mushrooms, onions, and carrots.  Along with banh chung (bean
cake), bong soup is an essential dish at a Tet party. (...)
_Pillow Cakes (banh goi):_  This is a favorite dish in cold weather.  A soft
rice pancake is wrapped around a mixture of pork, mushrooms, soft vermicelli
noodles, and cat's ear mushrooms and fried until the skin puffs out and turns
yellow. When served, the banh goi are cut into pieces and dunked in a bowl of
fish cause, mixed with slices of unripe papaya, chili and seasoning. (...)
_Stewed Pigeon with Lotus Seeds (chim ham hat sen):_  (...)
(Pg. 15--ed.)
_Drunk Shrimp (Tom say):_  Live shrimp are dunked in brandy, then fried over
high heat.  Prepared this way, the meat is exceptionally tender and sweet.
Southerners often order ton say  (Tom? Ton?--ed.) as a snack with beer. (...)
_Ox Marrow Stewed with Chinese Medicines (Tuy bo ham thuoc bac):_  Marrow is
extracted from ox bones and stewed together with Chinese medicinal herbs.
The chef may include ox meat, brain, and various kinds of vegetables.  A dash
of alcohol is often added too.  According to theories of traditional Chinese
and Vietnamese medicine, this dish boosts people's immunity and strengthens
their bones and brains. (...)