International Food Festival 2024: Culinary flavors bond friendship

With the theme Gastronomy of Unity, the 2024 International Food Festival at the Ba Dinh Diplomatic Compound on December 7-8 brought special dishes from many countries around the world, contributing to promoting the quintessence of domestic and international cuisine.

For the past 10 years, the Ba Dinh Diplomatic Compound has been a familiar place for embassies and foreign organizations to participate in the festival. This year, the festival is more special than ever with a larger scale and more attractive content.

Bringing world cuisine to Vietnam

Dining at the 2024 International Food Festival with her family, Tran Ha Linh, a resident of Ba Dinh district, Hanoi, expressed her excitement about the international culinary exchange event.

Visiting the Iranian food booth, Linh shared: "Although I have tried grilled lamb kebab many times before, this is the first time I have enjoyed this dish with the authentic flavor of the Middle East. I also tasted some specialties of countries around the world that I had only known through the mass media before."

A booth introducing delicacies of Belarus. Photo: Minh Anh/The Hanoi Times

Diners can also admire the elaborate performances and preparations, immerse themselves in the vibrant atmosphere of the Beer Festival, as well as participate in exciting activities such as: "Culinary Passport", "Cuisine on a Plate", and "Five Continents Kitchen" among others.

The program creates opportunities for the people of the capital to enjoy cuisine from all over the world and to learn about the cultures of other countries.

“Through the elaborately prepared dishes, along with the warm welcome from the booths of the embassies of countries in Vietnam, I want to travel to the countries with this rich culinary culture," Linh said.

Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran to Vietnam Ali Akbar Nazari said that, in addition to bringing traditional dishes, he hopes to be able to tell the cultural stories and historical flow behind each dish hence recreate the picture of the culinary culture of the country from the mysterious Middle East.

Meanwhile, Chinese Ambassador to Vietnam He Wei hoped that the event would become a bridge to promote cultural exchange between countries, enriching the culinary experience for people and tourists.

“The program brings together typical dishes from all over the world, allowing participants to experience a global taste journey right in Ba Dinh District, Hanoi. Through the International Food Festival, we will together further strengthen the friendship between Vietnam and China as well as with the participating countries,” the ambassador said.

Spreading Vietnamese cuisine to the world

The area of Vietnamese dishes was also crowded as diners were eager to try Hanoi cuisine with rolled pho cuon (beef noodles), Hanoi stir-fried pho xao (beef noodles stir-fried with vegetables), Hanoi’s traditional pho (beef noodle soup) and spring rolls.

According to artisan Le Thi Thiet, a member of the Organizing Committee of the 2024 International Food Festival, apart from delicacies, the festival also introduced Vietnamese spices so that visitors can better understand their combination with foods. These spices are indispensable ingredients in dishes, contributing to the cultural identity of Vietnamese cuisine.

Thiet said one of the impressive Vietnamese dishes introduced to this year's event is baguette from three regions of the country. Although it is all baguette, each region has its own way of preparing the filling and using different spices. Through the baguette, we want diners to feel the diverse regional culinary colors of our country.

Distinguished guests attend the opening ceremony of the International Food Festival 2024. Photo: VNA

One of the reasons why the 2024 International Food Festival is widely loved by the public is because this activity has connected people from many cultures to enjoy wonderful flavors, blending in with the vibrant atmosphere of the food festival.

According to Vu Thi Bich Ngoc, spouse of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son, Honorary President of the ASEAN Women's Circle of Hanoi (AWCH) since 2014, the International Food Festival is held annually to promote cultural exchange through cuisine. 

This year, the festival aims to honor the richness and diversity of global cuisine and emphasize that cuisine will be a common language - where people from different cultures find harmony and connection. It was held on the largest scale ever, considered an international food event, honoring unique flavors from many countries, and affirming the connecting power of cuisine. 

The festival has become an international cultural-culinary-diplomatic exchange event with the participation of many embassies, foreign cultural centers, local foreign affairs departments, businesses and sponsors, and agencies under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Diners experience cuisine of Ukraine. Photo: My Hanh/The Hanoi Times

The program is also an opportunity to introduce friends around the world to the country and people of Vietnam. In addition, the money contributed by benefactors over more than a decade of the previous festival has been used for charitable activities, helping orphans, people with disabilities, poor women, or those in difficult circumstances across the country.

"This year's program continued to receive public support to spread love, help more unfortunate lives, and multiply the good values ​​and humane meaning of this event," Ngoc emphasized.

Sharing at the event, Pauline Tamesis, United Nations Resident Coordinator in Vietnam, affirmed that Vietnam is a country with a rich and diverse culinary culture. The dishes are all cooked with clean ingredients, pure flavors, and sophisticated processing techniques.

"Vietnam is a great place to host the International Food Festival. Vietnamese dishes with clean ingredients, pure flavors, and sophisticated cooking techniques will be proudly introduced alongside the culinary quintessence of more than 60 countries and territories. This is the pinnacle of culinary art. From the fragrant spices of Southeast Asia to the salty dishes of Europe, the Food Festival brings a whole world of culinary experiences," said Pauline Tamesis.

More photos at the festival:

Brilliant colors of Colombian booth. Photo: Minh Nhi/The Hanoi Times

The festival brings a chance to promote cuisine of countries in the world. Photo: Ngo Minh/The Hanoi Times

The festival attracted many people during the weekend. Photo: Ngo Minh/The Hanoi Times

Participants had a chance to try various delicacies. Photo: Ngo Minh/The Hanoi Times

Some varieties of spring rolls are showcased at the festival. Photo: Minh Nhi/The Hanoi Times

Chefs demonstrate the process of making traditional spring rolls of Hanoi cuisine. Photo: Minh Nhi/The Hanoi Times