Leaves green

But every day, even in the cold of the northern winter, he stands by the front door of his house to gaze at the forest with pride and happiness.

The trees were all planted by him and his family over 50 years, and his life has been dedicated to growing and protecting them.

Cao belongs to the Dao ethnic group, and lives in Tan Dan Commune in Ha Long Town of Quang Ninh Province, home to the world-famous bay.

Trieu Tai Cao at his home in Ha Long in Quang Ninh Province. Photo by VnExpress/Minh Cuong.

The Dao used to be nomadic, felling forests to meet their temporary land needs for cattle and crops before moving on.

It was not until 1968 that they started to settle. By then Cao had started thinking about growing trees. He began to look around for seedlings of valuable timber trees such as ironwood, shorea and apitong.

Between 1970 and 1980 he and his family planted those and other trees on 32 hectares (80 acres).

They faced a lot of challenges in protecting the forest initially because there were no regulations for transferring forest lands to local residents, meaning his family had no authority to manage the forest.

In 1992 the government announced a policy of handing over forests for people to maintain and exploit sustainably.

“I love our family’s forest,” Cao says.

“Thanks to that policy, I could continue growing timber while many people around us opted for growing wattle, also known as acacia.”

Growing acacia takes less time and effort and starts providing an income sooner than timber.

Now the forest has around 600 ironwood trees aged 40-70 years besides hundreds of other timber trees.

Trieu Tien Loc in his family’s forest in Ha Long in Quang Ninh Province. Photo by VnExpress/Minh Cuong.

“I am close to death now and have fulfilled my wish to leave the future generations a forest with such valuable trees.

“Forests are humans’ lungs and should not be treated as public property. So I also wish my children and grandchildren will continue to grow trees and protect this forest.”

Trieu Tien Loc, 35, the youngest of his five sons, says: “Many traders have come to us and asked to buy the ironwood, but my family has been insistently saying no. My father has spent his entire life growing and protecting the forest, and we will continue that.”

“My family’s forest is a watershed forest, and there are large trees that can hold the soil and water, which protects us from landslides.”

Even without chopping down or selling any of the large trees, Cao’s family enjoys an income from the forest by growing other types of plants in it such as bamboo, herbs and medicinal plants.

Pham Van Sau, Party chief of Tan Dan, says Cao’s family is the only one in the commune to successfully grow timber and protect the trees for long.

“Many provincial officials have visited Cao’s forest. Two years ago we sought permission to turn the forest into an eco-tourism area, but have yet to get it.”

Quang Ninh has more than 337,000 hectares of forests, including 122,700 ha of natural forests. Its forest cover of 54.7 percent is among the highest of any province in the country.

Around 700,000 ha of land are still available in the country for growing forests, Vuong Van Quynh, former head of the Institute for Forest Ecology and Environment at the Vietnam National University of Forestry, had told VnExpress last year.

Vietnam has a target of growing around 200,000 ha of forests each year.

Established in 1831, Generali is present in 50 countries around the world with total premium income of more than €69.7 billion ($85.2 billion) in 2019

To mark this occasion and leave a tangible and lasting recognition of the bond between the company and the regions where it was born and has prospered, Generali announces Fenice 190, a €3.5 billion ($4.2 billion) investment plan to support the recovery of the European economies impacted by COVID-19, starting in Italy, France, and Germany and to then targeting all European countries in which Generali operates throughout the five years of the plan.

Fenice 190 will make the extraordinary initiatives launched in 2020 to tackle the effects of the pandemic permanent, which included investments in support of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and the real economy already surpassing the established objective of €1 billion ($1.2 billion).

The more than 70,000 employees of Generali will play a leading role in celebrating the milestone of 190 years of the group’s history.

To add to this initial amount, Generali is pledging an annual commitment of €500 million ($611 million) per year, over the next five years, for sustainable growth through international investment funds focusing on infrastructure, innovation, and digitalisation, SMEs, green housing, healthcare facilities, and education.

“Generali is one of the few companies in the world that can boast such a long history. It possesses an extraordinary wealth of knowledge and experience, thanks to which the group is able to face the challenges of today while contributing to a better future for the communities in which it operates, both as an insurer and a social innovator,” said Philippe Donnet, CEO of Generali Group.

“The 190 ^th anniversary falls in a decisive year in which we must overcome the most serious global crisis of the post-war era and lay down the foundations for a wide-scale global recovery. With Fenice 190, we want to be a leader in this journey, leaving a concrete legacy for the future, with significant support for the most innovative, sustainable, and strategic sectors for the restart of the European economy, while at the same time encouraging the inclusion of those most heavily impacted by the crisis.”

The Fenice 190 plan is implemented through the Generali Investments multi-boutique platform and is open to third-party funds and institutional investors as well as all companies of the group, that can participate in investment allocation based on their own objectives.

The selection of initiatives is guided by an investment committee of the Asset & Wealth Management Business Unit, led by CEO Carlo Trabattoni, with experts in real assets, sustainability, private markets, credit, and equity. The CEO of Generali Real Estate, Aldo Mazzocco, is in charge of the committee which uses an approach based on compliance with the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the specific objective to generate a positive impact on the economic recovery and the real economy in Europe.

To date, 10 investment opportunities have already been identified for a multifaceted commitment of €1.05 billion ($1.28 billion), ranging from support to European SMEs, green housing, and infrastructure with a particular focus on digital, health, and energy transition that share a strong focus on environmental and social sustainability.

Continuing with the tradition of exploring contemporary issues through the language of advertising posters, Generali will give five young Italian and international artists the task of interpreting five key areas for the group with the “This is Tomorrow” project, creating posters capable of representing reality in a new way.

The more than 70,000 employees of the group will also play a leading role in celebrating the milestone of 190 years of history. Through a global initiative they will be asked to tell their personal “story” of Generali on a dedicated platform, combining personal experience with the company’s rich heritage.

The contest will select the best stories, identifying 190 Lions who will be able to actively participate in Generali’s 190 ^th anniversary initiatives.

On the group’s institutional website, generali.com , a new section dedicated to the anniversary will display the main initiatives as well as a series of editorial content related to the history of Generali.

By Generali Vietnam

The cake export operation is a joint effort by the Ba Chau establishment in the southern city of Can Tho, which specializes in Vietnamese Tet cakes (made with sticky rice, filled with pork fat and green beans and seasoned with black pepper and shallots), and BJ&T Joint Stock Company, a business specializing in clean food such as tofu, fresh vermicelli and noodles.

According to Ba Chau owner Nguyen Thi Ngoc Bich, preparation of the delicious cakes consists of three steps. The first is cleaning and soaking glutinous rice (which has a sticky consistency) overnight before cooking. The rice is then placed in a pot together with coconut milk, water, salt and brown sugar and put on the range. The concoction is stirred until the coconut milk has dissolved and the pot is left to simmer until most of the coconut-water mixture has been absorbed.

For best results, the bananas should be ripe Thai Manzano (also called apple bananas) or Cavendish bananas. Other varieties may not turn pink or red when cooked but do not affect the taste of the cakes. Experts advise planning ahead as bananas may take time to ripen especially during the winter months. Once ripe, the bananas should be dark yellow with some black patches. They should be soft when gently squeezed without being mushy.

Banana sticky rice cakes for export to Germany and Australia

Freezing and re-heating

The banana leaves are softened by holding them above a flame for a minute or so. The banana leaf is then placed on a table and a tablespoon of rice is put on top. A bit of banana is then added followed by an extra tablespoon of the sticky rice so that the banana is wedged in the middle, after which the edges of the banana leaf are folded. This is followed by tightly rolling the leaf and its contents so that the rice completely encases the banana. The result should be a round tube about 7cm thick.

The last step is to bake the rolls on a charcoal stove. Moderate heat turns out beautiful cakes encased in golden brown shells, with a delicious sticky filling.

In order to produce a large volume for export, Bich bakes her cakes in an electric oven, enabling her to produce 120 cakes at the same time. The packaged products are stored in cold storage before being packed into a frozen container for export. Once thawed, the cake only needs to be re-baked, sprinkled with coconut milk and peanuts for immediate use. BJ&T has exported more than 30,000 of these cakes.

In addition to hiring more workers to produce a sufficient quantity of the cakes that meet export standards, this product undergoes a series of strict food hygiene and safety standard tests, and thus can be frozen and preserved for up to two years.

Other Tet delicacies are also available in global markets, including boiled corn and potatoes, Chung cake, It cake, Tet cake, and Tieu cake.

Ngoc Thao

With Chef Nguyễn Ngọc Quyên of Movenpick Hotel Hanoi

Chef Nguyễn Ngọc Quyên

(For 2 servings)

1.    Ingredients:

Heart of the coconut tree spring rolls and shrimp rolls

–    Dry copra                       200 gr

–    Herbs                               30 gr

–    Cucumbers                      100 gr

–    Coriander                         30 gr

–    Carrots                             100 gr

–    Curly lettuce                     50 gr

–    Purple onion                     50 gr

–    Mint leaves                            20 gr

–    Chilli peppers                      20 gr

–    Rice sheets                        2 pcs

–    Green sticky rice              30 gr

–    Prawns                               80 gr

–    Shrimp type 30pcs/kg     100 gr

–    Egg                                    1 pc

–    Roasted peanuts             150 gr

–    Sesame oil                         5 ml

–    Fish sauce                         30 ml

–    Brochette                           2 pcs

–    Vinegar                              30 ml

–    Sugar                                 80 gr

–    Raw pork paste                  30 gr

●    Ingredients for the sauce:

–    Brown sugar                              200 gr

–    Pineapple                                     2 kg

–    Garlic                                            1 pc

–    Lime                                              4 pcs

–    Roasted peanuts                         100 gr

–    Chilli peppers                               9 pcs

–    Fried onions                                 100 gr

–    Water                                            90 ml

–    Citronella                                       3 pcs

Heart of the coconut tree salad

2.    To make:

●    Shrimp rolls

Wash the prawns, dry, mince, and mix with raw pork paste, pepper, sesame oil and sugar. Blend the mixture with green sticky rice then deep fry.

●    Sauce

Chopped garlic, citronella, chili pepper and fried onions. Then stir-fry the fried onions with ½ minced chili pepper, ½ minced garlic, and ½ minced citronella.

Continue to add sugar, fish sauce, and pineapple after peeling off the eyes, then lime juice and the remaining minced chilli pepper, garlic, and citronella. Grind the roasted peanuts with water then add to the sauce, and heat until mixture is condensed.

●    Heart of coconut tree salad

Wash cucumbers, cut into quarters, cut out seeds then slice

Julienne the carrots

Thinly slice onions

Thinly slice heart of coconut tree

Julienne the chilli peppers

Peel the boiled shrimp and cut in half

Mix all the above ingredients, display half of the salad on a plate to serve with shrimp rolls. The rest of the salad is wrapped with prawns and rice sheets.

3.     Requirements of completed dish:

Colour: Shrimp rolls have a beautiful golden brown colour. The colour is balanced between the ingredients – orange from carrots, white from heart of coconut tree, red from chilli peppers, and green from herbs.

Texture: Rolled without tearing.

Flavour: Heart of coconut tree salad has a sweet and sour taste, while shrimp rolls are greasy.

You can sample this dish at Movenpick Hotel Hanoi, 83A Lý Thường Kiệt Street, Hà Nội, or visit the hotel’s Facebook page @MövenpickHanoi for more details.

Just outside HCM City is Bình Quới Village, a rustic tourist area with a peaceful countryside vibe and a renowned buffet. Mỹ Duyên reports.

The grill counter is the most visited spot at Khẩn Hoang Nam Bộ buffet where the cook in áo bà ba (black traditional costume), typical for men in the Mekong Delta, is preparing BBQ including seafood, river fish and snails in the southern manner. VNS Photos Minh Phi

The Lunar New Year holiday ( Tết ) is time to gather family or friends and enjoy classic Vietnamese dishes made by moms in their hometowns. This year, however, the tradition changed because of the Covid 19 pandemic, so I decided to stay in the city with my children and have a special year-end meal at Bình Quới Village, about 5km from the city centre.

It was a sunny evening when we arrived at the village. Walking on a small wooden bridge leading to the main entrance of the tourist complex, we felt as if we had returned to a country village.

Set on lush garden-like grounds with lawns, coconut trees, creeks and thatched cottages, presenting a view of days gone by in Việt Nam’s Mekong Delta region, Bình Quới has been a tourist destination of HCM City for decades.

The long buffet table displaying different kinds of steamed rice cakes with stunning colours catches the eyes of diners as they pass the corner.

Located on Thanh Đa Peninsula next to the Sài Gòn River, just outside the chaos and the bustle of the city, Bình Quới never fails to attract a large number of visitors thanks to its romantic landscapes and most importantly its unique buffet at an unbeatable price.

With more than 80 traditional dishes of southern origin, the Khẩn Hoang Nam Bộ buffet never disappoints its loyal clientele who come back year after year for its fabulous flavours, especially BBQ items prepared in a southern manner.

Launched in 1998 to mark the 300th anniversary of the establishment of Sài Gòn (now HCM City), the special buffet helps diners learn more about the Mekong Delta which is rich in fine traditional foods and tropical fruits, and đờn ca tài tử or traditional music and song performances.

A garden-like dining area of the restaurant furnished with small bamboo chairs and tables and bonsai creates a friendly and peaceful ambience like that of a countryside market.

With a country-like decor, Bình Quới greets you at the main entrance, while the live cooking stations welcome guests with dozens of hot dishes like fish noodle soup and an array of mouthwatering snacks and enticing desserts prepared in Mekong Delta-style on your right.

Just some steps from the dining area is a large outdoor space for folk game activities like playing darts and chess, making Vietnamese style origami from coconut leaves, and many more.

With a large garden-like dining area and a thatched cottage-like stage where đờn ca tài tử is performed, diners can be choosy about where they want to sit.

The buffet, which features stunning and eye-catching foods of the best flavours of the Mekong Delta, surprised my 11-year old twins, who declared it a heaven for food.

The must-tries include charcoal grilled river fish, snails and beef rolls, bún mắm or tiny fish paste noodle soup, bánh xèo (crispy stuffed rice pancakes), bánh ít nhân tôm thịt (steamed sticky rice cake with pork and shrimp), bánh tầm bì (silkworm shaped-rice noodle with pork, fish sauce and condensed coconut milk), chạo tôm (sugarcane stick rolled with shrimp paste) and ốc len xào dừa (stir-fried snails with coconut milk) and more.

With such an array of dishes, my kids were a bit overwhelmed with the buffet’s offerings. As usual, our “strategy” was to roam the food garden, first to look at everything and then return to our starting point to choose the most enticing dishes.

Aside from a wide selection of the most liked BBQs such as seafood, river fish, chicken, beef and pork, a salad bar with different flavours was also available and the “best sellers” were sesban flowers with chicken, cabbage with squid, and lotus roots with pork and shrimp.

Meat lovers have the chance to sample sizzling steamed veal wrapped with fresh tropical herbs and dipped in special tiny fish paste, also a must try at Bình Quới.

Our first choice was grilled prawns and fish with the Vietnamese condiment of pepper, salt and lime juice, and snails grilled with green pepper. My children picked up grilled beef rolls with lolot leaf (their favourite), grilled anadara with spring onion sauce and stir-fried snails with coconut milk.

At the long buffet table, I decided to skip the hot dishes despite the wide variety, which included fish paste noodle soup, snakehead fish noodle soup, stuffed rice pancakes and many more.

Instead, we went to pick up more grilled prawns, snails and beef rolls while my twins kept trying their favourites: grilled squids, prawn and chicken legs with sauce.

After the starters, my twins went  to play lô tô or bingo and then watched a live performance of đờn ca tài tử , a musical art with both scholarly and folk roots. The music and songs evoke the people’s life and work on the land and rivers of the Mekong Delta region.

“Though I don’t  understand all the songs, I love the melody. It is really beautiful,“ my daughter said.

My next dish was fresh spring rolls with different stuffings, one of the most popular in the south. My son shared the rolls while my daughter tried some steamed rice cakes with purple and orange colours and crispy stuffed small rice pancakes.

“The steamed cakes are delicious with beautiful colours, the first time I have seen and tried them. And the sauce is fine too. But I prefer the pancake because it’s flavourful, and so crispy and rich thanks to the coconut milk, ” she explained.

With such a selection of BBQs, cakes and salads, you might think desserts were an afterthought. But not at all.

Next up was the juicy, flavourful steamed veal. The dish could not be perfect without the fish paste and herbs. Together with the grilled river fish, the veal was a standout of the buffet.

For those with a sweet tooth there is an extensive dessert selection including homemade cakes and sweet soups. For southern people, coconut milk should be the key ingredient for deliciousness.

Among the memorably good desserts were bánh da lợn or steamed green bean cake, and chè đậu trắng or sticky rice, and white bean sweet soup.

We chose a variety of desserts and finally felt satisfied with our “culinary journey” to the southern land. But my twins still wanted to try some folk games, and we did not forget to buy some leaf-made toys before leaving to return to the city centre. — VNS

Bình Quới Tourist Village

Add: 1147 Bình Quới, Ward 28, Bình Thạnh District, HCM City

Phone: (028) 35565 891 – 0901 889 701

Hours: 5pm-8:30pm (Saturday, Sunday and holidays)

Comment: Largest outdoor buffet with traditional specialties from the Mekong Delta, lovely garden-like dining space perfect for a family or group. Playground with folk games including a kids’ corner is also available.

Price: VNĐ320,000 /adult and VNĐ190,000/child