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In the afternoon, along Nui Truc Street (Ba Dinh, Hanoi), there are 4-5 street vendors and shops selling skewers - a dish that students often call "dirty skewers". Nui Truc Street is rumored by young people to be a place where "high-class dirty skewers" gather because many street vendors and shops are decorated quite eye-catchingly, selling a variety of foods. There are many shops selling buffet-style skewers at "student prices".
Skewers of all colors and shapes were placed in stainless steel trays but "out in the open", right on the sidewalk of a busy street, without any protective film. Most of them were not yet defrosted.
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The dishes are fried on the spot. The customers are mainly students from nearby high schools, looking for a snack after school. Each skewer costs 2,000-10,000 VND, grilled meat and Chinese sausage cost 13,000-15,000 VND depending on the type.
These dishes are called shrimp balls, fish balls, beef balls, chicken balls, fried cheese... but according to the owner, "they are all made from meat".
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Holding a hot beef meatball skewer, blowing on it while eating, female student TL (grade 8) continuously praised its deliciousness. "It's been a bit chilly these past few days, so I love this dish. There are days when I spend 20,000-30,000 VND on 'dirty skewers'. When I'm full, I go back to school. My friends and I eat it 2-3 times a week," said L.
When asked why they still eat "dirty skewers", L. and his friends immediately replied: "Because it's delicious, convenient and cheap". The group added: "Eating this little is probably okay, it's not like you eat it every day".
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According to the reporter's observation, many pans of frying oil from street vendors have changed color. According to recommendations, when cooking oil is used for too long at high temperatures, it can transform into fatty acids that are not good for health, making people susceptible to bloating and indigestion.
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A resident of Nui Truc Street said that in the past, there were 5-7 street vendors selling fried skewers along this street. After many inspections by the authorities, some people rented shops to sell. "From 5pm to 9pm, 10pm, there were a lot of people eating, customers stood and parked their cars all over the sidewalk, spilling out onto the street. The houses next to the shop had a strong smell of cooking oil, very unpleasant," this person said.
Eye-catching dishes at "super cheap" prices attract young people. Hanoi has many streets, mainly around colleges and universities, where many mobile fried skewer carts are concentrated, such as Nguyen Chi Thanh (Dong Da district), Tran Duy Hung, Phan Van Truong (Cau Giay), Nui Truc (Ba Dinh), Nguyen Quy Duc, Trieu Khuc, Phung Khoang market (Thanh Xuan)...
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On Xuan Thuy Street (Cau Giay, Hanoi), the section passing through the gate of Hanoi Pedagogical University from 4pm, there are often many street vendors selling fried skewers.
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It is not difficult to see street vendors with unlabeled bags of fish balls, beef balls, and cooking oil placed right on the ground.
Fried skewers and stone-grilled sausages are popular in Nha Xanh market (Cau Giay), a familiar shopping place for many university students in the area.
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The Food Safety Department (Ministry of Health) said that 70-80% of street food, including snacks at school gates, is found to be contaminated with E. coli bacteria. This is a type of bacteria that causes diarrhea, intestinal diseases and cholera.
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With street foods like fried skewers, diners should be careful to avoid health risks.
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