Many leading Vietnamese culinary artisans, experts, and chefs will participate in Phở Cultural Roadshow Europe 2026 to tell Vietnamese culture through the national dish. — Photo courtesy of the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese

HÀ NỘI — A large-scale cultural and culinary promotion campaign is set to simmer across multiple European countries this July with the aim of positioning phở as a cultural symbol of Việt Nam on the global stage, turning a national favourite into a travelling taste of identity.

This marks the first time a multinational cultural–diplomatic–community roadshow model will be implemented in Europe, combining culinary excellence with the connective strength of Vietnamese communities abroad.

Nguyễn Quỳnh Mai, Deputy Chair of the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs, noted that the Phở Cultural Roadshow Europe 2026 is not merely a culinary promotion activity but also a journey to spread pride in Vietnamese culture worldwide through the image of a bowl of phở, widely regarded as the nation’s culinary emblem.

Praising the We Love Phở Association for its role in fostering community connections and promoting Vietnamese cuisine in Europe, she said that Vietnamese Phở Week in Europe 2025 emerged as the largest phở promotion campaign ever held in the region, drawing participation from more than 250 restaurants in over 25 countries. The initiative also received the 2025 National Award for External Information of Việt Nam.

Affirming that overseas Vietnamese communities are an inseparable part of the nation, Mai said the Committee would continue to accompany and support initiatives that promote Vietnamese culture and national image worldwide.

She also acknowledged the close coordination among the We Love Phở Association, the Ninh Bình Culinary Culture Association and Vietnamese associations and representative missions across Europe in implementing the Phở Cultural Roadshow Europe 2026.

At the same time, she expressed hope that the journey would continue to spread Vietnamese culture, boost tourism and trade and strengthen connections within overseas Vietnamese communities.

According to artisan Lê Thị Thiết, Chair of the Ninh Bình Culinary Culture Association and a phở expert from Nam Định, the campaign is not merely about promoting a dish but also an opportunity to tell the story of Việt Nam, its people and cultural identity to international audiences through the language of cuisine.

The delegation of artisans and chefs taking part in the journey carries the mission of conveying the essence of Vietnamese culture and heritage values, particularly as the Vietnamese phở dossier is being finalised for submission to UNESCO for recognition as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

The artisan expressed her expectation that the Phở Cultural Roadshow Europe 2026 will help position culinary culture as a bridge for promoting tourism, enhancing the national image and strengthening international cultural exchange.

She added that the programme also offers an opportunity for Vietnamese artisans to engage with international standards and develop culinary products in a more modern direction while preserving the essence of traditional Vietnamese culture.

Chairman of the We Love Phở Association, Mai Hải Lâm, a Vietnamese diaspora entrepreneur based in Poland, said the journey to promote phở culture in Europe was formed through community connections among entrepreneurs, associations and Vietnamese cuisine enthusiasts across multiple countries.

According to him, this is the first large-scale phở-focused programme to be implemented simultaneously across multiple European countries, spanning six nations and several major cities.

The initial idea stemmed from a desire to connect Vietnamese cultural promotion activities in Europe and later received strong support from the Vietnamese community, associations and businesses both domestically and abroad.

A key feature of the programme, he noted, is its broad community connectivity. The organisers have received commitments of support from numerous Vietnamese associations, business groups and Vietnamese representative agencies in Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Germany and Austria.

The chairman of the We Love Phở Association said the roadshow would go beyond a culinary promotion series, seeking instead to establish a cultural connection network for Việt Nam across Europe.

It will bring together renowned Vietnamese artisans and chefs to showcase the traditional values of phở to international friends while fostering solidarity within the global Vietnamese community.

Telling Vietnamese culture

According to the organisers, the campaign aims to position phở as a soft language for telling the story of Việt Nam’s history, people and cultural identity.

Through its Europe-wide promotional journey, the initiative is expected to contribute to efforts to have the Vietnamese Phở Culture dossier recognised by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Vietnamese Phở dossier is being finalised for submission to UNESCO for recognition as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Photo vietnamtourism.gov.vn

Scheduled to take place from late June to mid-July 2026, the roadshow delegation will travel across major European cities with a series of distinctive activities.

In Warsaw, Poland, the programme will focus on advanced training sessions aimed at transferring culinary skills, sharing techniques for preparing broth and standardising Vietnamese cuisine in Europe.

In Bratislava, Slovakia, activities will be held within the framework of Việt Nam Cultural Day, featuring culinary demonstrations and community dialogue sessions.

Meanwhile, Vienna, Austria, will serve as the diplomatic highlight of the journey, featuring the Phở Diplomatic Showcase and the First Bowl ceremony, sharing the first bowl of phở as a symbol of connection between nations.

The roadshow will also make stops in Budapest, Hungary, Prague, the Czech Republic, Bochum and Berlin, Germany.

It will bring together a range of leading Vietnamese culinary artisans, experts and chefs, including artisan Lê Thị Thiết, Chair of the Ninh Bình Culinary Culture Association, expert Dương Văn Hùng, Chairman of the Royal Chefs Association of Việt Nam, as well as artisans and chefs Vũ Ngọc Vượng, Quách Hải Nam, Tạ Thị Kim Oanh and Nguyễn Thị Ánh, among others.

The Phở Cultural Roadshow Europe 2026 is not limited to on-site activities but is also designed as a multi-platform communication campaign, featuring storytelling videos, immersive experiences and the participation of a range of international influencers. — VNS