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SCMP

We have selected seven Lifestyle and Culture stories from the past seven days that resonated with our readers. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing.
1. How a Cantonese-American chef in New York uses MSG to celebrate his culture
On his left upper arm, Cantonese-American chef Calvin Eng has a tattoo that pays tribute to his upbringing and his identity as a chef. It is a heart with a banner bearing the letters MSG – the abbreviation of flavour enhancer monosodium glutamate – and it shows just how dedicated he is to the ingredient that has drawn controversy for decades.
2. He’s spent half his life researching how to age well. Here’s his advice
He did not win the US$250,000 prize, but Jed Ray Gengoba Montayre was one of 10 finalists out of 100,000 candidates for the 2025 Aster Guardians Global Nursing Award. Montayre, a gerontologist – or healthy ageing specialist – and associate professor at Hong Kong Polytechnic University’s School of Nursing, was considered for the award for his groundbreaking research.
3. Resilience helps us deal with stress and loss, but how to build it up?
While working with children with cancer and other blood diseases as a graduate school student in the United States, Maria Sirois wondered why some families grew stronger and closer as they rallied against severe illness. Watching their stories unfold inspired her to learn more about why some of us develop resilience while others fall to pieces.
4. ‘Why is her Cantonese so good?’ Indian Hongkonger on social media fame

Pranali Gupta did not set out to become a social media content creator. In 2019, when a friend suggested she should try it, the Hong Kong-born Indian said no, as she was “not the type of person who likes taking photos or videos of myself”. However, Gupta, who speaks fluent Cantonese, warmed to the idea of having a platform where she could help other Hongkongers understand more about her bicultural identity.
5. What is creatine? Experts on its health benefits for both body and brain
Creatine is one of the most popular supplements on the market today and is a favourite topic of Hong Kong-based functional nutritionist Beth Wright – partly because of its versatility, but also because of how overlooked it has been in female health.
6. Is your dog getting too hot? How to prevent heatstroke in pets in summer

Humans are not the only ones who experience heatstroke: our four-legged friends can suffer from it too. And with summers getting more intense around the world, they are at more risk than ever. The data speaks for itself, with the World Meteorological Organization confirming that 2024 was the warmest year on record.
7. What gifts must you avoid giving in Chinese culture? Clocks, shoes and more
Many objects are considered auspicious in Chinese culture. Red items, for example, are thought to be lucky because of the colour’s associations with good fortune and prosperity – red clothing is commonly worn during Lunar New Year as it symbolises new beginnings. But there are also items that are considered unlucky, especially when given as a present. Giving the wrong present can risk ill will for years to come.


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SCMP Highlights

Cantonese cuisine in New York; gifts to avoid in Chinese culture: 7 Lifestyle highlights

Eng and Melnick say that one of their favourite recipes in the book is for steamed garlic prawns over mung bean vermicelli, given how quick it is to make. Photo: Alex Lau

Cantonese-American chef Calvin Eng of Bonnie’s in New York has released his debut cookbook Salt Sugar MSG: Recipes and Stories from a Cantonese American Home, written with his fiancée, which uses MSG in recipes that celebrate his roots and family. Photo: Alex Lau

Pranali Gupta in a still from one of her YouTube videos on her channel NewDellily. She explains how she bridges Hong Kong and Indian cultures through social media. Photo: YouTube/NewDellily

Excessive panting is one of the symptoms of heatstroke in dogs. Others include bright red or pale gums, drooling, lethargy, or collapse, such as when a dog is unable to walk or stand. Photo: Shutterstock

China’s pig-intestine latte, a swallowed toothbrush is removed: 5 trending stories

A cafe in China has gone viral for selling coffee laced with cooked pig intestine. Photo: SCMP composite/Shutterstock/Baidu

A 64-year-old man in China who swallowed a toothbrush when he was 12 years old has finally had it removed from his stomach in an 80-minute surgical procedure. Photo: SCMP composite/Shutterstock/Douyin

A hard-working Chinese man and his son, who went viral thanks to a photo taken 15 years ago when the boy was a toddler, are back in the spotlight thanks to a Father’s Day tribute. Photo: SCMP composite/The Paper/CCTV

A father in China has objected to his daughter sharing study tips on social media, saying she is “too pretty” to live-stream. Photo: SCMP composite/Douyin/Sohu

A Chinese woman has made headlines after wearing the same make-up for 22 years, leading to severe allergic reactions and significant facial swelling. Photo: SCMP composite/Shutterstock/Weibo

Vietnam’s Truong My Lan escapes death penalty, Philippine tourism slump: 7 Asia highlights

Students at The Hive learning hub at Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University. Three NTU students were accused of academic misconduct over the use of generative AI. Photo: Shutterstock


Tourists at Chocolate Hills in Bohol province in the Philippines. Only 5.7 million tourists visited the country in 2024, well short of the government target of 7.7 million. Photo: Shutterstock


Vietnamese tycoon Truong My Lan was convicted last year of plundering US$12.5 billion from the Saigon Commercial Bank. Photo: EPA-EFE

People swim at White Beach on Boracay island, Philippines. Boracay was named the world’s leading luxury island destination at the 2024 World Travel Awards. Photo: Getty Images

Indian brides at a mass marriage ceremony in Mumbai. Photo: AFP

Newly minted Lieutenant General Johnny Lim Eng Seng (centre) receives his stars from Armed Forces chief General Mohd Nizam Jaffar (left) and Army Chief General Muhammad Hafizuddeain Jantan. Photo: Facebook/Malaysian Armed Forces

Indonesia has reported eight cases of haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS), one of the diseases caused by the rodent-linked hantavirus. Photo: Shutterstock

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung speaks on the phone at the presidential office in Seoul earlier this month. Photo: South Korean Presidential Office / EPA-EFE

Students at The Hive learning hub at Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University. Three NTU students were accused of academic misconduct over the use of generative AI. Photo: Shutterstock

China’s 6G-powered warfare system, Xi urges ceasefire in Middle East: SCMP’s 7 highlights

Newly developed system can deliver significant advantages against modern military radars, according to researchers involved in the project. Photo: Shutterstock

An Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner. Photo: Shutterstock

A vet developed symptoms of the tick-borne SFTS virus after treating a cat at his practice in Japan’s Mie prefecture in May. Photo: Shutterstock

Photo shows US dollar and Chinese yuan banknotes in Fuyang city, East China’s Anhui province. Photo: CFOTO/Future Publishing via Getty Images

A woman emerges from a drainage hole in Makati City in the Philippines. Photo: William Roberts

China becomes bright spot at uncertain time: SCMP’s ‘Summer Davos’ highlights

At the Annual Meeting of the New Champions, also known as “Summer Davos”, representatives of emerging economies gathered in Tianjin, China. Photo: Xinhua

Culture

Lifestyle

From a researcher’s advice on how to age well to gifts to avoid in Chinese culture, here are some Lifestyle stories you may have missed


From a researcher’s advice on how to age well to gifts to avoid in Chinese culture, here are some Lifestyle stories you may have missed.


India

Hong Kong

China

Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Cantonese cuisine in New York; gifts to avoid in Chinese culture: 7 Lifestyle highlights

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}From a researcher’s advice on how to age well to gifts to avoid in Chinese culture, here are some Lifestyle stories you may have missed

1. How a Cantonese-American chef in New York uses MSG to celebrate his culture

From a researcher’s advice on how to age well to gifts to avoid in Chinese culture, here are some Lifestyle stories you may have missed