Tang Xuan Luu, director of the Ba Vi Cow and Pasture Research Center, said the quality of the beef from cows raised at the center is 70-80 percent of the quality of Kobe cows raised in Japan, while the price is just 60 percent of the beef imported from Japan and Australia.

It is not too difficult to raise Wagyu cows, but it takes time. The cows at the center are raised for 36-48 months on average. They are bathed and groomed daily, listen to music, and eat the best food. Sometimes they drink beer and wine to stimulate digestion. 

The cows get a massage regularly so that alternate meat-fat layers are created.

Raising colourful ornamental crabs is trendy in Hanoi

Raising ornamental aquatic creatures is now in fashion. Besides familiar animals such as dogs, cats and rabbits, young people now seek special pets. An ornamental crab is one.

This is a mountainous crab with hundreds of species, colors and sizes. The appearance is special and it is easy to take care of.

The size of the crabs is measured by the width of their shells, 3-7 centimeters. The crabs are priced from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of dong.

Green gold apple (Diospyros decandra Lour) branches

Green branches with round and small gold apples are favored by Hanoians, especially women. 

The lengths of the branches differ, depending on consumer tastes. A branch with a length of 1.5-2 meters sells at VND400,000-700,000, depending on the shape and yield. The branches with length of less than one meter and about 10 fruits ate sold at VND100,000. The branches can last for 10 days.

Making flowers from succulents 

Realizing the high demand for succulents and having a passion for this kind of plant, Nguyen Thi My, 35, the owner of a floral shop in HCM City, decided to make bunches of succulent for display.

“At first, I just sold several bunches and I could not imagine that demand would be so high,” she said.

According to My, succulents have diverse colors and high durability, and are suitable for birthday gifts and shop opening events.

Customers like decorative succulent pots. Instead of using fresh flowers that only last for 1-2 days, many people now prefer succulents which can stay fresh for 15-30 days. A basket of succulents, weighing 5 kilograms, costs VND3 million on average. 

Despite the high price, succulents are in high demand thanks to their originality.

Super-giant cucumbers

Cucumbers mostly have low weight with 8-10 fruits making up one kilogram, and they sell for VND7,000-10,000 in traditional markets.

However, cucumbers available at fruit shops selling local specialties is an unusual one. It is 3-4 times bigger than normal cucumbers and is favored by housewives.

This is the cucumber grown by the H’Mong ethnic minority. It is grown on high mountains and called ‘dua chuot meo’ (cat cucumber) by locals. Each cucumber weighs 0.5-1 kilograms, or even 2 kilograms. The cucumber is crispy, fragrant and has a strong flavor.

20 dinosaurs at a café in HCM City

The café is located in Go Vap district in HCM City. With investment of VND5 billion, the café is designed as a coffee and gallery.

Nearly 20 dinosaur models of different sizes are displayed.

The owner of the café is Pham Cong Ly. He said he had liked playing with dinosaur models in his childhood. He runs the café with the hope of turning it into a playing field for clients with the same passion and wish to learn about animals.

"Though the dinosaur models are rare and expensive, I decided not to set up a windshield, so that clients can have a better experience and see the dinosaurs more clearly."

Hanh Nguyen