Vietnamese and Chinese visitors take part in a dumpling making session at a Chinese food festival on May 28 in Hà Nội. — Photos courtesy of the Chinese Culture Centre

HÀ NỘI — Chinese cuisine is celebrated worldwide for its rich regional variety, refined balance of flavours and the longstanding influence of Chinese communities abroad. Many Vietnamese people appreciate the country's northern neighbour thanks to its food, which adapts well to local ingredients and tastes.

The Chinese Culture Centre in Hà Nội held an event on May 28 to introduce the China's most delicious dishes, their origin, recipes and cooking methods as well as different styles from a variety of regions.

Entitled A Bite of China, the event was attended by many Vietnamese guests eager to discover and taste Chinese cuisine. It also featured special singing and dancing performances, including the vibrant noodle dance.

Participants also had the chance to cook several popular dishes, including dumplings, sticky rice cakes, smashed cucumber salad and stir fried shredded potatoes, with guidance from Chinese chefs.

Zhang Deshan, director of the Chinese Cultural Centre, said cuisine has long been an important bridge in cultural exchanges between Việt Nam and China. 

The two countries share many similarities in their culinary cultures, from valuing harmonious flavours to the meaning of family gathering for a traditional meal. 

The noodle dance received loud cheering and applause from the audience.

Experiential activities, such as making dumplings together, enjoying sticky rice cakes or sharing the stories behind each dish, can help young people learn more about traditional culture. They also contribute to strengthening the bond and friendship between the people of the two countries.

“We are very pleased that this year's programme has received the attention of a large number of Vietnamese people, especially young ones. Through hands-on activities, they not only discover more traditional Chinese dishes, but also have the opportunity to interact, share and better understand the close cultural ties between the two countries," said Zhang.

"We hope that activities like this will continue to create many positive connections, contributing to strengthening cultural exchange and friendship between the people of Việt Nam and China.”

At the event, Phạm Hải Linh, a student from the Chinese Faculty at Hà Nội National University of Education 2, said she was excited to taste food made by Chinese cooks.

"Dumplings are delicious and have a special flavour, which is really good. At the Chinese culture centre, eating Chinese food and watching Chinese shows, I feel like I am in China, a country that I plan to visit in the near future," she said.

Her classmate Trần Thảo Nguyên was surprised to taste zongzi, a traditional Chinese rice dish made of sticky rice stuffed with a range of fillings and wrapped in bamboo leaves.

"I didn't think China had this type of cake. It's quite similar to the Vietnamese chưng cake. The difference is that zongzi has many fillings, like meat, beans, salted egg yolk or red dates. I find it delicious, and I'm very happy to have experienced Chinese cuisine," she said.

Face-changing is a unique performance during which artists change their masks in the blink of an eye.

Tian Qiru, a counsellor at the Chinese Embassy in Việt Nam, said traditional Chinese cuisine always emphasises the balance of the five main flavours and the concept of 'harmony in diversity', reflecting the values ​​of peaceful coexistence and shared joy.

He said cuisine serves both as a means of conveying civilisation and as a connecting thread between people. The concept of 'food and medicine homology' reflects a reverence for nature, while the 'harmony of the five flavours' aligns with the philosophy of moderation.

Qiru said he believes many Vietnamese people love Chinese cuisine after having a bowl of Yúnnán noodles, while others save money to travel to China after falling in love with a spicy Sichuan hotpot.

China is currently promoting culinary tours in several regions, such as the capital's famous Peking duck, the sweet and savoury Shanghai xiaolongbao and street food in Xi'an. 

These trips offer a unique culinary culture that is expected to attract tourists from Việt Nam and many other countries around the world. — VNS