Tuan, owner of a bakery in northern Ha Long Town, sells 300-700 black banh mi (Vietnamese sandwich) a day for VND25,000-45,000 ($1.08-1.94) each.

A Vietnamese style black sandwich.

He makes the bread using flour and bamboo charcoal, which is believed to be a natural detoxifier though there has been no formal research into it.

He said many people come to buy the sandwiches for their unusual look and taste.

Similar black sandwiches are also sold in Ho Chi Minh City, Binh Duong and Dong Nai in the south.

Hieu in HCMC’s Phu Nhuan District sells over 1,000 of them a day. A friend had suggested the idea to him after returning from Japan, where bamboo charcoal is a popular ingredient in food and beauty products.

During the Mid-Autumn Festival this year, on October 1, black charcoal moon cake was a sought-after item.

A person holds a black ice cream.

Hang in HCMC’s District 3 sold out all 3,000 of her black moon cakes a week before the festival though they cost more than regular cakes.

Bamboo charcoal is also used in ice cream. Mai Truong Giang, owner of fried chicken chain Otoke Chicken which sells this product, said bamboo charcoal has been used in food in many countries for long to create an unusual look.

But there are concerns about the use of imported bamboo charcoal without quality standards, he said.

Coloring food black could just be a fad and fade away after a while, he speculated.

Miniature artist cooks up dishes from clay

Pho, banh mi and other Vietnamese culinary favorites become amazing miniatures in clay in the hands of a 28-year-old Hanoi architect.

Vietnamese dishes add appealing flavour to Army Games 2020

‘Cha gio’ (Vietnamese sausage), rice crackers and roasted pig, which are popular dishes of the Vietnamese people, have added an appealing flavour to the ongoing Army Games 2020.

‘Bo nhung dam’: A must-try dish in Hanoi

Hanoi is home to hundreds of delicious dishes and prominent among them is ‘Bo nhung dam’ (beef dipping in vinegar hotpot).

Bean porridge with tofu, pickled eggplants: A simple common dish in Hanoi

Bean porridge is a simple common dish in Hanoi, especially for the generation born between the 1980s and 1990s.

‘Cha tom’ (grilled shrimp rolls): A delicious dish of Thanh Hoa Province

Anyone who eats Cha tom nuong (grilled shrimp rolls), a delicious dish of Thanh Hoa Province, will never forget its distinctive flavour.

Source: VnExpress