HỘI AN — Chefs from many countries attended the second Hội An International Food Festival which opened at the An Hội Sculpture Park Wednesday.

The visiting chefs will demonstrate their countries’ culinary specialties made with herbs and ingredients from Hội An in the week-long festival that will remain open until Sunday.

On Tuesday, the chefs toured the Hội An Market to get herbs and other ingredients to make their dishes, and then joined a cozy cocktail party at Vy’s Market Restaurant and Cooking School.

They will join local chefs in introducing traditional dishes from 5-10pm in the park on the Hoài River banks from March 23-26.

Trịnh Diễm Vy, chairwoman of the festival, will also cook some of Việt Nam’s specialties.

It’s the second time that the festival has been held in the UNESCO-recognised world heritage site of Hội An.

The event’s organising committee will present awards to the chefs during the closing ceremony at the An Hội Sculpture Park on Sunday.

Hội An city has been honoured by the World Association of Chefs as Việt Nam’s Capital of Culinary Arts and Cuisine.

Hội An Vice Chairman Nguyễn Văn Sơn said the festival has become a rendezvous for chefs from around world, giving locals and tourists the opportunity to taste food from different countries while enjoying cultural performances and the lighting of lanterns.

The International Food Festival is the first-of-its-kind in Việt Nam that celebrates global food made with the finest locally sourced ingredients. — VNS