Pho promotion campaign with the participation of Miss Universe Vietnam H'Hen Nie (right) and many other celebrities. (Photo: VNA) In addition, the Government plans to boost the use of Vietnamese food in culturaltourism over the next decade, helping revive an industry badly affected by thepandemic. A few Vietnamese dishes have already made a mark on the globalcuisine scene.
Pho is considered one of the most typical dishes of Vietnamesepeople.
In addition to the traditional pho withbroth, there are also vegetarian, rolled, fried and crispy pho versions, which suit thetastes of most diners, including those from overseas.
Since 2018, December 12 has been observed as the Day of Pho to honourVietnamese cuisine both at home and abroad.
This year, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism and Google Vietnamcoordinated to respond to Pho Day with the message “Get up early to eat pho with the city". This is towidely promote pho to thepublic.
On the Day of Pho, Google Doodle also presented an illustration of the noodlesoup in Vietnam and 16 other countries, including Austria, Bulgaria, Canada,the Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Israel,Lithuania, Poland, Thailand, the UK, and the US.
The description of the doodle said: “What makes pho distinctis a mindful cooking process to achieve multi-layered flavours and a clearbroth. From ingredients like roasted ginger, fennel seed, star anise, andcinnamon for the simmered stock, the broth serves as the foundation for aromasand tastes for every palate."
Following the honouring of banh mi (baguette)in 2020, the Day of Pho continues to be a practical activity launched by Googleto widely promote Vietnamese culture, cuisine, and tourism to the world.
According to Nguyen Quoc Ky, Chairman of the Vietnam Cuisine CultureAssociation (VCCA), compared to a few years ago, Pho Day has grown to a newheight. It is thanks to the initiative of the Tuoitre (Youth) newspaper and the support of many units, artisans, and pho lovers across the country that havehelped this dish make an important mark on the culinary map of the region andthe world.
It’s noteworthy that the Vietnamese word "pho" was officially addedto the Shorter Oxford English Dictionary inSeptember 2007. Two other Vietnamese words added to the prestigious dictionaryare "banh mi" (Vietnamese baguette) and "ao dai"(Vietnamese national costume), which bring pride to the Vietnamese language.
The attraction of Vietnamese cuisine
Vietnamese dishes win the heartsof people all over the world because of their balance of taste and nutrition,lots of green vegetables and each dish has its own dipping sauce depending onthe region.
Many world-class chefs such as British chef Gordon Ramsay, the late Americanchef Anthony Bourdain and New Zealand chef Bobby Chinn also loved andpromoted Vietnamese dishes.
Most notably, a picture of the then US President Barack Obama eating bun cha (fresh vermicelli with grilledpork) during his official visit to Hanoi in 2016 went viral on socialmedia, making a big push for Vietnamese cuisine. Many international touristshave chosen to try this dish as soon as they arrive in Vietnam.
By October 5, Vietnam had had five culinary world records recognisedby the World Records Union (WorldKings), including owning themost “strand and broth” dishes, the most kinds of mam (fermentedfish) and dishes made from mắm withunique flavours, the most different kinds of special roll, the most dishes madefrom flowers, and the most dishes made from rice flour globally.
Contributeto tourism promotion
Chairman of the Vietnam NationalAdministration of Tourism Nguyen Trung Khanh, said that Vietnam’s culturalheritage and cuisine have played a positive role as a tourism ambassador,contributing to attracting millions of international tourists to the country.
In Southeast Asia, Vietnam is one of the countries that owns the most UNESCOWorld Heritage titles, Khanh noted.
Not only foreigners but also domestic tourists love food tourism. Therefore,local travel agencies are focusing on creating products that bring the mostauthentic experiences to visitors such as traditional food festivals, cookingclasses and food tours, to help travellers fully discover Vietnamesedelicacies.
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism recently approved a project aimedat building a national brand on cultural tourism, with the ultimate goal offurther developing the value of cultural heritage and cuisine, as well as improvingthe economic efficiency and competitiveness of tourism.
The project aims to position the Vietnamese cultural tourism brand based on Vietnamuniquecultural values, focusing on heritage and cuisine, thereby forming a system oftypical tourist destinations and products, which have high quality and value.
By 2030 cultural tourism is anticipated to account for 20 to 25 percent of thetotal 130 billion USD in total revenue earned from tourism services. Businessesare encouraged to invest in developing cultural tourism, especially culturalheritage and cuisine./.
VNA
