HCM CITY — A new culinary conservation centre was opened in HCM City as part of the Việt Nam Tourism Association’s efforts to promote sustainable tourism. 

“Việt Nam’s cuisine has a unique cultural heritage with thousands of years of development and is known around the world for its delicious dishes. This is a tourism product with national character that can attract more foreign and local tourists,” said Vũ Thế Bình, the association’s deputy chairman.

Bình spoke at a launch ceremony for the Vietnam Culinary Conservation, Research and Development Centre on Thursday in HCM City.

With 54 ethnic minorities, the country has diverse dishes, but many of the dishes have been lost year by year, he said.

“That is why we need to conserve and develop them again,” Bình said, adding that the association worked with the HCM City’s Tourism Association to open the centre at Trương Định Street in HCM City’s District 3.

The country’s first such centre will focus on collecting and reviving lost traditional dishes and conduct surveys on specific dishes of Việt Nam in order to advertise the country’s images.

The centre will have detailed information about dishes and drinks in the country, and will also be in charge of human resource development for the country’s culinary sector. 

The tourism association also will create a society of cooks to provide assistance in professional training and support restaurants as well as food and drink processing establishments. — VNS