HÀ NỘI — The first Asian food fair in Israel’s Tel Aviv in mid-November impressed the Israeli people, especially the Saigon beer from Việt Nam.

This is the first time Saigon beer was introduced in Israel. The fair is a place to promote food and beverage products from Asian countries such as India, Thailand, Japan and South Korea, as well as Tibet (China) and Việt Nam.

The beer was introduced and promoted through Diplomat, one of the leading import and export companies of Israel having a system of super-wide and large restaurants in Israel.

Speaking at the event, General Director of Diplomat, Roni Bornstein, said he was impressed with the products of Việt Nam at the fair. Diplomat decided to import the Vietnamese beer to the Israeli market because it’s one of the most famous products in terms of high-quality and design.

He said his company took over two years to persuade Israeli authorities to import this beer to Israel due to barriers such as quality and food safety. Now, the entire brand on beer bottles is printed in Hebrew and maintains the Kosher standards of the Jewish people.

Bornstein said that many Israeli people had known about Việt Nam and its special cuisine culture. Therefore, they also wanted to enjoy Vietnamese food and drink right in the land of Israel.

At this fair, Diplomat sold off the first batch of Saigon beer imported to Israel. Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Việt Nam to Israel, Cao Trần Quốc Hải, said the embassy, as a direct link to Vietnamese products on the shelves of the Israeli supermarkets, has actively supported the company with procedures to bring the Saigon beer brand to Israel, and to introduce Vietnamese beer products to the market.

Hải said this food fair was an opportunity to promote the Vietnamese beverage industry in the Israeli market and a chance for Israeli businesses and customers to access the famous food and beverages of Việt Nam.

“The embassy is pushing and negotiating for Vietnamese-branded goods to appear in many supermarkets and restaurants in Israel. However, Vietnamese businesses need to understand the market and participate in exhibitions or fairs. The Vietnamese export products need to meet the standards of Israel," said Hải. — VNS