English
Duration: July to August 2023
Lab: Food Technology Lab
Main Supervisor: Assoc.Prof. Luong Hong Nga
Hiiro Urase
After coming to Vietnam and living there for about 30 days, I felt three things.
The first is about the climate. I arrived at the airport around 22:00 on the first day, but I still remember that the moment I stepped out of the door, I was hit by the hot and humid air, even though it was late at night. Also, July and August were the peak of the rainy season, and there were many times when it suddenly started to rain heavily. I had imagined that the temperature would be higher than in Japan, but it wasn’t so much, and the high humidity and sudden rains are the characteristics of Vietnam, and I realized that there is a difference even in Asia. I heard that the climate is very different even in Vietnam, so I want to experience it.
The second is about food culture. During my stay in Vietnam, I made a food list, wrote down what I wanted to eat, and checked what I ate. Among the foods I wanted to eat, in addition to the food of the northern part including Hanoi, the food of the southern and central parts was also included, and when I tried it, each meal had its own characteristics. Therefore, the seasoning was completely different, and when I thought that it was different from the usual Vietnamese food, it was often a dish other than the northern part. The cuisine in the north is geographically close to China, so I felt a sense of security because there were some dishes that I had eaten before even though I hadn’t eaten Vietnamese cuisine in Japan.
The third is about money. For a week or two after I came to Vietnam, it was difficult to get less change when paying because of the size of the Vietnamese dong unit. Also, since 10,000 dong and 100,000 dong are similar, I was almost mistaken. Since coins did not exist, there were many types of banknotes that were difficult to distinguish, and because the units were large, there were times when it was necessary to count the units to pay.
I had never lived abroad for about 30 days before, but I was glad to be able to experience it for the first time in Vietnam, where the food is perfect, and the people are very warm. At HUST, we did a lot of experiments, but it was very difficult for those of us who didn’t understand English to understand. However, when I said I didn’t understand, he explained it in different ways. In addition, I visited various facilities and touched the latest machines that I had never used before. I was able to realize that various machines and human forces were combined to create the product that we are using today. For me, who usually learns about food at university, I can feel that food is important and must be protected all over the world, and I would like to deepen my learning even after returning to Japan. Thank you very much for your help.
Ikuma Kanai
We visited three locations.
The first was the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers. There, we discussed Vietnam’s seafood industry. We learned about the characteristics of Vietnam’s seafood industry and its future goals. The second was the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology.
I went to the Institute of Biotechnology for training. I learned about microalgae there, and I had a valuable experience such as going to West Lake to take samples.
Third, I went to HUST. Here we learned about starch. We did many experiments such as measuring water content, minimum gel concentration, and WAC. We also visited many companies. I was especially impressed by American Feed Company. It was very interesting to see the reduction of Human Resource because we could see it.
We were also able to experience a lot of Vietnamese culture. The first was the ao dai. It is a traditional Vietnamese costume and very beautiful. Second, the food. We were able to eat a lot of Vietnamese food during our one-month stay. Among them, the one that left the greatest impression on me was Spring Roll. This is different from the Japanese original. However, I preferred Spring Roll more in Vietnam as well. We also visited many famous places in Vietnam. The most memorable one is Halong Bay. Halong Bay is a World Heritage Site. The scenery there was very impressive. There, we met tourists from other countries.
I was very happy to meet them. Vietnam was a wonderful country. I hope to visit again someday.
Mao Yamada
Participating the university’s overseas expedition this time, I was able to spend a month full of very valuable experiences. This time, I was indebted to three institutions. Especially in VAST and HUST, I was impressed by the many hands-on learning experiences such as experiments and making tofu and bread.
At HUST, I didn’t have much knowledge about food science because it was not my major. In addition, I hadn’t done a proper experiment in college yet. So, I wasn’t even familiar with the lab equipment. expertise.However, Mr. Quang Truong taught me kindly, and through many experiments, I gradually got used to it. I think I was able to learn more deeply by thinking about the meaning of the experiment and the calculation method in detail. He also taught me how to make tofu and bread. I was able to understand how the foods I usually eat were made, and my interest in food became stronger.
It is also impressive that I visited three companies. We can’t have that experience in Japan. I was able to see up close how the actual products are made and what kind of machines are used. I think it was an important learning that I couldn’t do just by reading the material.
There were many things that I felt when I experienced Vietnamese culture
First of all, I was surprised by the amount of traffic in Vietnam. It took me a while to get used to it, but now I can look around and cross the road with confidence. Second,We researched a lot of Vietnamese food and made a list. Pho, Bun cha , Bun dau, Banh Mi, etc. I tried so many foods that I can’t write them all here. All Vietnamese dishes are delicious. I love it. Third,I also visited many places. We went to various places on our days off. There were also places where Professor Cuong and Professor Nga took us, and we were able to experience things that we could never do on our own.
I also found my future challenges. That is to become more proficient in English and to be able to express my opinion openly. This time, I was not confident in my English ability and there were many situations where I could not speak. If I have a chance to meet you next time, I want to be able to use English well and talk more.
Finally, I would like to express my sincerest thanks to everyone who supported us. In particular, Prof. Luong Hong Nga, Dr. Nguyen Tien Cuong and Mr.Tran Quang Truong has kindly helped us many times. Thanks to all of you, I was able to learn a lot and make wonderful memories. I’m really thankful to you
