There are strange plants that bear fruit once every few years, expensive prices that everyone likes. Bamboo fruit is an example of rarity and strangeness. This is the fruit of a type of bamboo tree, eaten with a mild sweet taste. This fruit has a thick and hard skin like bamboo, the inner flesh is yellow green, seedless and very succulent. And this is the fruit of the cork tree – a plant that also belongs to the bamboo family. Fruiting is also a very rare phenomenon, so it is difficult to enjoy it. This toe-shaped fruit is called “Stinking Toe” (translated into Vietnamese as “stinky toe”). Stinking Toe is considered a pretty delicious fruit. The Stinking Toe tree takes decades to bear fruit. Each fruit has only a few seeds. The skin of this fruit is very thick, hard, when broken, a pungent odor similar to foot odor is emanating from the pulp-like pulp surrounding the seed. However, when eaten, it has a sweet taste like milk. In addition to Mexico, Central and South America, Stinking Toe trees also grow in Jamaica and some islands in the Caribbean. Orangutan fruit is also little known because it grows mainly in the mountainous areas of the Central and Central Highlands. The tree only flowers and bears fruit once every few years, so the orangutan fruit is considered “lucky”. Currently, orangutans are purchased by traders at prices ranging from 150,000 to 350,000 VND/kg. Ripe orangutan fruit that falls by itself will be appreciated for its quality, more expensive than the kind that is picked and dried.

Besides being the tourist attraction of Sierra Leone, the turquoise lagoon with palm trees here is also a seasonal breeding ground for fish and turtles. In May, however, the Sierra Leone government announced plans to build a fishing port and processing complex in the village. The project has raised concerns about its devastating effects on the local landscape, threatening animal species and polluting the environment. AFP . Black Johnson is the proposed site for the construction of an industrial harbor in Sierra Leone. Photo: Handout. Consequences of China’s “investment” Sierra Leone’s Fisheries Ministry said China is funding a $55 million project to build a fishing port to create jobs and support the local fishing industry in the poor country. But, instead of winning praise, Beijing’s actions are causing controversy in the African country. Mr. Tommy Gbandewa, also known as Tito, the owner of the eco-lodge, is leading the opposition to the plan to build on green plots. “If the Chinese come here, the environment will stink. The beaches will stink,” he said. “The water here will be dirty because of engine oil and a lot of noise, fishing boats will be everywhere.” This controversy is at the heart of a longstanding source of tension in Sierra Leone, between development advocates and conservationists on the other. Opposition is heightened as the government is looking to promote ecotourism to boost its economy. Eco-lodge owner Tommy Gbandewa is leading the charge against a Chinese-funded harbor construction plan. Photo: AFP. Sierra Leone is one of the world’s poorest countries and is still recovering from a civil war that claimed the lives of about 120,000 people nearly two decades ago. Although there are rich fishing grounds, the exploitation of fishery resources in this country is still limited. Not only that, according to Sierra Leone’s Ministry of Fisheries, in May, there were about 140 foreign fishing boats catching the country’s fish. These ship owners then processed and sold Sierra Leone’s seafood abroad “with little or no benefit to Sierra Leone”. Even so, despite receiving Beijing’s funding to build a modern fishing pier, the ambiguity in the implementation plan made locals wary. Some believe that the Chinese investors intend to build the fishmeal factory, although the government of Sierra Leone has denied the allegation with AFP . In recent times, a series of fishmeal factories have mushroomed along the West African coast. These factories harvest large quantities of seafood and often release foul-smelling waste, polluting water sources, wreaking havoc on the local environment and hindering tourism development. The fishmeal factory emits toxic waste that is a threat to local communities in Sierra Leone. Photo: Handout. Fishermen’s association spokesman Wudie Bakie Koroma said he would support the harbor construction if taken seriously. “If the fishmeal production (factory) is included in the project, we will firmly oppose it,” he stressed. Against this backdrop, the Chinese diplomat in the capital Freetown Du Zijun announced that the new Chinese-invested project is to build a harbor, not a “fishmeal factory”. “The accusations of not caring about protecting the environment and destroying the ecological environment are purely sensational hypothetical information,” he added. “We have a right to the land” Immediately after the news that the government signed a $ 55 million agreement with Beijing for China to build a project on 100 hectares of exposed sea and forest, locals have repeatedly petitioned to reverse the government’s decision. Mr. Tito said discontent was widespread. Government officials arrived with armed men to survey the construction site. “But I’m Sierra Leone and I have a right to the land,” Mr Tito said. In the wake of the controversy, Fisheries Minister Emma Kowa Jalloh, on a recent visit to the Black Johnson village, promised landowners would be compensated. According to the minister, the Chinese government will provide “subsidy” to build the project, while the government of Sierra Leone invests with land. Half of the required land area is owned by the state, the rest will be taken through the decision to acquire. “We are not occupying land,” she said, noting that the project was “very necessary” to create jobs for thousands of people. The new project is expected to be built in the village of Black Johnson. Photo: AFP. However, Dr Sama Banya, honorary president of the Sierra Leone Conservation Society, said the project would have a “catastrophic” impact on tourism and the fishing industry. Environmental NGO Green Scenery accused the government of failing to properly account for the project’s environmental impact and urged the plan to be scrapped. “Black Johnson is the only ecotourism site left in Freetown, we need to protect it,” said organization director Joseph Rahall. However, not all locals are against the harbor planning. Village chief Pa Lamin Kargbo said the port could help improve places where people still face daily shortages of water, electricity and schools. He explained that much of the friction with the government is due to a lack of dialogue. “We are calling for a peaceful resolution of the problem, so that everyone is a winner,” he said.

Recently, the Economic Police Team, Ba Dinh District Police (Hanoi) suddenly checked the Minh Phat seafood store, located behind Long Bien market, and discovered that the facility used hydrogen peroxide to bleach the ink. selling to the market. At the scene, authorities seized a plastic bottle containing about 30ml of hydrogen peroxide solution and 30kg of bleached apricot squid. The staff of this establishment admitted to repeatedly using hydrogen peroxide to clean the stench and bleach the ink, even though it was clear that this was an additive not allowed to be used in food. At the scene, authorities seized a plastic bottle containing about 30ml of hydrogen peroxide solution and 30kg of bleached apricot squid. It is known that according to the video recorded over many months by the group of reporters, the employees of this facility began impregnating ink in chemicals. The first step is to put a dozen packs of salt into the water tank. Next, put the cuttlefish that has removed all its organs into the barrel. The employee then took a plastic bottle containing a clear solution and poured it directly into the ink tank. According to the introduction of these facility staff, this is industrial hydrogen peroxide, which is very corrosive and bleaching. When working, this young man had to wear rubber gloves that reached to his wrists before putting his hands in the bucket to mix the solution to soak up the squids. Bleaching ink with industrial chemicals, specifically hydrogen peroxide, helps white ink cleaner, harder, remove all viscous substances. With this trick, every day a ton of dirty squid is transported to many restaurants, eateries, and markets in Hanoi. Eating squid bleached with hydrogen peroxide increases the risk of chemical accumulation in the body, which can lead to chronic diseases such as cancer According to Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Duy Thinh (Institute of Food and Biotechnology, Hanoi University of Science and Technology), the current situation of using cleaning chemicals in industry such as using hydrogen peroxide to bleach ink, helps Fresh squid is delicious, no longer stinks, increasing the risk of chemical accumulation in the body of the eater. Currently, the use of cleaning chemicals in industry such as using hydrogen peroxide to bleach the ink, help the ink stay fresh and no longer stink, increasing the risk of chemical accumulation in the body of the eater. The chemical used to bleach the ink, help the ink stay fresh, remove the dirt, and remove the stench in the dead squid for many days is a solution of hydrogen peroxide, the formula H2O2, also known as hydrogen peroxide. The Ministry of Health once issued a recommendation that the solution should only be used externally, not taken orally. Experts say that when using hydrogen peroxide to bleach food, it will generally have an antiseptic effect, whiten food, and remove odors. However, only pure hydrogen peroxide for medical use can be guaranteed. In fact, food processing facilities often use much cheaper industrial hydrogen peroxide, often containing many impurities and toxins that are harmful to consumers’ health. Therefore, the risk of ingesting ink bleached with hydrogen peroxide at such establishments is really dangerous. This is a form of commercial fraud, threatening the health of consumers. It is worth mentioning that these dirty food effects often appear in the form of chronic diseases, toxins that accumulate for a long time into dangerous diseases, not easily detected in a day or two. How not to buy ink bleached by industrial chemicals? According to experts, when buying ink, you should pay attention to the following selection criteria: – Color: Fresh ink will have a shiny color. The brown part will be dark brown, while the squid body will be milky white. The color of the ink eyes is clear, not protruding, the pupils can be clearly seen and there is no yellowing or discharge. If the ink is not fresh, the eye part has turned more opaque, sometimes there is a discharge. – When touching the squid body: The squid meat is firm and highly elastic. When pressing your hand on the ink body, the ink will quickly return to its original state and leave no dents. – When observing: Fresh squid, the head and tentacles, squid whiskers will stick together, definitely. If the squid is not fresh, the upper parts are usually soft and easy to separate.

Like, when I first set foot in Saigon, I remember Hanoi spinning around. Remember the taste of familiar dishes, remember the afternoon driving around the windy West Lake, the lotus lake fragrant in the summer afternoon, remember the greetings of colleagues or friends before each meal, remember the joy of and a close friend peeled lemon mint ice cream sticks at Hoan Kiem Lake … 10 years of youth, I gave it all to Hanoi, how could I not love it! But, if only mixed in the smell of lotus flowers, milk flowers, not having to smell more pollution of the water flow, Hanoi will touch people even more. To Lich River was black, stinking once haunted people on both sides of the bank. I remember when I first came to Hanoi, with the nature of a pretty romantic girl, I often invited you to ride a bicycle to West Lake, Sword Lake, or along rivers to enjoy the breeze. But then, the number of times we invited each other gradually thin, because it turns out, it is not very poetic. After a few times choosing to sit in the right direction of the wind to cool, the smell of dead fish, the stench of water stinking our nose, up to our mind made us not want to open our mouths to talk. The river where my hometown was born is fierce during the flood season, but normally it is quite gentle and fresh. Every afternoon, children in the village go together to take a cool bath and snorkel. Laughter resounded in a corner of the summer sky. As for Hanoi, in addition to the immense Red River, which makes it easier for me to breathe, the rivers in the inner city are equally horrible. Among the times I drove along Lang road from Cau Giay to Tu So intersection, many times I had to learn how to hold my breath. Just inhale quickly, exhale slowly, to minimize the stench rising from To Lich river. Now, not only the river but both sides of the river are also renovated, planted trees, and made walking paths so that people can exercise every morning or evening. But the lane is still quite sparse, because the river is not clean and smelly. Rubbish, polluted algae and moss cover a thick layer on the Lu river surface. Or areas with other large rivers such as Kim Nguu River, Nhue River, Set River … and small canals and ditches in the residential areas are also black, even stronger. Previously, I did not live close to the riverbank, but it was quite close, it was only about 5 minutes to walk. Can you imagine, in the summer, when the weather is hot, the sky suddenly “releases” a few scattered raindrops that make the shallow water gush, the stench of mud, of sewage rises, making my nose wretch chop down. Not only that, the garbage flooded the water surface, picked up all this trash, the next wave came, the prince of the rivers was gentle and pleasant. Many times the fish can die in rivers, lakes, and even rivers where no living organism can survive. Pollution caused by human hands, accumulates over time, but it is very difficult to recover as before. Every day, we all follow press information about the renovation of To Lich river, hoping that one day the river can be green again, so that future generations can comfortably breathe the scent of milk flower, lotus. Hanoi in me, our Hanoi now is still lovable, but lacks a part of healthy life.