VNF - Culinary is becoming an effective channel to promote Vietnamse culture and people to the world.

Many dishes imported from abroad but under the "variation" of Vietnamese chefs became the dishes of the Vietnamese. In contrast, many traditional Vietnamese dishes entered the prestigious world rankings.

“Vietnamization” of foreign dishes

By the end of December 2017, Frodor's Travel launched a list of 10 favorite street food around the world, in which Vietnamese bread was named in the first place.

It is worth mentioning that bread is not originating in Vienam. It’s from France.

The Sai Gon people somehow turned baguette (French bread) into one of the most popular, most varied and delicious dishes.

Everywhere in the street, it’s easy to catch venders selling bread.

There are many ways to make Vietnamese bread, but general recipe is bread with meat (roast pork or cold pork), cucumber, pickled carrots and pâté.

According to Frodor's Travel, bread is also famous in many Western cities but Ho Chi Minh city still holds he best bread in the world.

Similarly, Tom Yum is the name of a kind of Thai spicy sour soup that is famous all over the world. When this dish came to Vietnam, it is varied in variety of indigredients, spices and known under the name of Thai hot pot. In Ho Chi Minh City, there are dozens of well-known Thai restaurants where we can easily encounter Thai, Korean, Chinese and Western diners.

Foreigners who come to Vietnam to enjoy dishes originating from their own country are also very surprised and interested. Explaining this, Nguyen Quoc Ky, President of the Vietnam Culinary Culture Association, acknowledged that Vietnamese cuisine was easily accepted because the country had a "open" cuisine. This is reflected in a number of factors.

Firstly, the Vietnamese quickly adopted foreign culture. They integrate without dissolving, always seeking ways to combine foreign culture with the specific values of Vietnamese culture. The most obvious evidence is that many foreign dishes when imported into Vietnam has turned into Vietnamese cuisine.

Secondly, Vietnamese cuisine is close to nature, rich in nutrients, healthy but also low fat.

The openness of Vietnamese cuisine is not only reflected in the introduction of foreign dishes, but also reflected in the introduction of Vietnamese food to the world.

For example, Vietnamese pho is promoted in many parts of the world. Everywhere it comes, it still hold the “soul” of Vietnamese pho, however, it is varied in fatness, salinity to suit the taste of local people. This flexible adaptation makes Vietnamese food easy to win the hearts of many customers

Tourists enjoy Pho Ly Quoc Su in Hanoi Old Quarter

Conquer the world famous chef

In addition to being honored in the magazine, loved by the visitors, Vietnamese cuisine also conquered many famous chefs world. We can not fail to mention American chef Anthony Bourdain. He is always introducing Vietnamese cuisine on famous tourist sites.

In Season 4 of the TV show ‘’Anthony Bourdain: The unknown’’ aired in 2014, Anthony brought all his team to Vietnam, discovering and particularly impressed with Hue cuisine. The footage of dinner at Hanoi ‘’bun cha’’with Obama in May 2016 also shared in the program, creating interest for the international public.

The 41-year-old British chef Jamie Oliver who regularly appears in the culinary programs, is now "falling in love" with Vietnamese food. On his official website, the chef has made the recipe for fish noodle, bun cha ...

Also on his YouTube account, the chef introduced chicken noodle soup. He also joined a Vietnamese food club in London.

Gordon Ramsay, the familiar judge in the American MasterChef, also expressed his special affection for Vietnamese noodles. "I used to visit a floating market in the Mekong Delta, sitting on a boat and eating a bowl of noodles. This is one of the best I've ever had," he said.

Foreign tourists queue to buy Vietnamese bread

The features found nowhere

It is no coincidence that pho, bread, spring rolls ... and many Vietnamese dishes have become familiar names in the global ranking, impressed with the chef famous. So what has helped Vietnamese cuisine over the past decades has become one of the most unique culinary in Southeast Asia?

Over the years of cultural studies, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Phan An identified Vietnamese culture has its own characteristics that no place in the world have.

Firstly, Vietnam is a country associated with civilization of agriculture, wet rice, so Vietnamese cuisine is highly promoted natural factors, clean food. Vietnamese people like to make food from vegetables, meat, fresh fish, like to eat raw vegetables. The natural elements that make Vietnamese dishes look very elegant.

Secondly, Vietnam is located in the tropical monsoon region, favorable weather conditions for the development of a variety of spices. For example, there are dozens of types of pepper, garlic, onions. The variety of spices makes it easy to cook a variety of foods.

Besides, geographically, VN lies in the coordinates of communication between the East and West, the interference in the North and the South, so there are many cultural exchanges, receiving many culinary cultures from China, South East Asia, and the West.

"The reception of many different cultures made friends from other countries when coming to Vietnam, enjoying the Vietnamese cuisine feel familiarity. Cuisine helps them understand the culture of Vietnam, the humanity of Vietnam. This is the best way to understand the mission of connecting the world of food, "he said.

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