HCM CITY – A Saigontourist Group Culinary Culture and Delicacies Festival has opened in HCM City from August 25 - 28 to promote Vietnamese culinary culture, traditional craft villages, and folklore.

The culinary space at the festival is divided into three areas with more than 300 dishes, each area honoring the culinary culture in the North, Central, and South regions of Việt Nam.

In the northern food stalls area, visitors can enjoy regional specialties such as bún chả (vermicelli noodles with grilled pork), bún đậu mắm tôm (rice vermicelli with fermented shrimp paste and fried tofu) and chả cốm (pork sausage with green rice).

The central-style food stalls provide characteristic tastes of eel soup, eel sausage, deep-fried fish, and mussel rice.

The southern stalls amazed guests with their simplicity, especially dishes such as bánh khọt (Vietnamese mini pancake), gỏi cá trích (herring salad) and gỏi tép rang - bông điên điển (common Sesban Tiny Shrimp Salad).

A woman makes bánh Khọt (Vietnamese mini pancake), a traditional cake of southern Viet Nam – VNS Photo Hồng Linh

The festival also has art shows, cultural exchanges, folk games, and craft performances.

A man makes Tò he (toy figurine), a Vietnamese children's folk toy, made of dyed powder, which can be eaten. – VNS Photo Hồng Linh

Chairman of Saigontourist Group Phạm Huy Bình said the event also intends to stimulate tourism demand and gradually rebuild the industry after it was "frozen" for two years due to the impact of COVID-19.

Visitors at a culinary and culture festival held by Saigontourist Group. – VNS Photo Hồng Linh

“Because of COVID-19, I have not had any experience with Vietnamese culture in the last two years. Thanks to this event, my family and I had an amazing time enjoying the culture of Việt Nam,” said Patricia, an American who has been living in HCM City for ten years.

“This festival is a good choice for a family on the weekend. My two daughters and I have not visited any kind of festival like this for the last two years. It is good to know that there is a place where my family can enjoy food and understand more about our country's culture,” said Vương Bảo Linh, a participant in the festival. VNS