Experts give advice to help Vietnamese bread 'win over' the world

Experts discuss ways to elevate Vietnamese bread - Photo: NHAT XUAN

Within the framework of the 3rd Vietnam Bread Festival in 2025, on March 23, the Ho Chi Minh City Tourism Association coordinated with Ho Chi Minh City Tourism Magazine to organize a scientific seminar "Vietnamese Bread - world culinary value, spreading to five continents".

How can Vietnamese bread conquer world diners?

According to "bread king" Kao Sieu Luc, international tourists when coming to Vietnam often have a list of must-try dishes, in which pho and coffee have affirmed their position, but bread has not yet made a strong impression as expected.

Mr. Luc believes that the core factor for Vietnamese bread to reach new heights is consistent quality control.

"We should not just focus on quantity but must ensure that each loaf of bread is always hot, crispy and delicious. Production facilities need to have strict control processes to meet product quality standards," he emphasized.

According to baker Le Thi Kieu Oanh, the size of the bread is also an important factor that affects the visitor experience.

"Many diners participating in the 2025 Bread Festival 'complained' that the bread was too big, difficult to eat all or that 1-2 loaves would be enough to fill them up, and they couldn't try many types. To attract tourists, bread needs to be more flexible in size, suitable for each customer group," Ms. Oanh suggested.

Bread Festival attracts many visitors on the second opening day - Photo: NHAT XUAN

In addition, keeping the temperature of the bread is also an important factor in creating an impression on diners. Small sandwich shops often get their bread from outside ovens, making the bread easily cold and less attractive.

Therefore, according to Ms. Oanh, stores should be equipped with microwaves or heat retention devices to keep the cakes hot and crispy, reaching the standard crispy and fragrant level, helping to ensure consistency in quality when serving tourists.

A big gap in the Vietnamese bread market today is that it cannot meet the needs of the Muslim diner community - the second largest religion in the world with more than 2 billion followers, accounting for about 25% of the global population, according to data from Global Muslim Population 2023.

Dr. Nguyen Thanh Tuan - Head of the Faculty of Oriental Studies, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Ho Chi Minh City National University - commented: "Halal Muslim bread has many similarities with traditional Vietnamese bread, but the difference lies in the ingredients and processing method, which must strictly comply with the regulations of Islam.

If there is a proper strategy to develop Halal bread, this will be a big step forward to help the tourism industry and local economy develop more strongly."

To truly attract this group of diners, according to Mr. Tuan, it is necessary to build a standard production system, ensuring appropriate raw materials and processing procedures. At the same time, businesses should expand their product portfolio, cooperate with Halal certification organizations to enhance their reputation and promote international marketing activities.

Not only food but also a unique cultural product

Associate Professor Dr. Huynh Quoc Thang - Vice President of Ho Chi Minh City Tourism Association - emphasized that the value of banh mi lies not only in its taste but also in its cultural depth, reflecting eating habits, lifestyle and the diversity of Vietnamese cuisine.

"Banh mi is not only a convenient food but also carries within it a story of culture, history and the fusion of cuisines. To promote this value, there needs to be a systematic promotional strategy, turning banh mi into a unique tourism product, contributing to making Vietnam an attractive culinary destination," Mr. Thang emphasized.

Not only popular in Vietnam, Vietnamese bread is also present in many countries and gradually becomes a part of local culinary life. In Laos, Vietnamese bread appeared in the 1990s and quickly became a familiar dish.

Mr. Phonchanh Phengphouvanh - Deputy Director of the Department of Information, Culture and Tourism of Vientiane City (Laos) - commented that the introduction of bread is not simply the spread of a dish but also a manifestation of cultural exchange.

"When the Vietnamese community came to Laos, they brought with them unique cultural features, including cuisine. Vietnamese sandwiches today not only serve Vietnamese people in Laos but have also become a favorite dish of the local people," he said.

To elevate Vietnamese bread, experts say it is necessary to develop in-depth culinary tours about bread, so that visitors can not only enjoy it but also understand more deeply the bread-making process.

If the production sites meet standards and are open to visitors, they will certainly attract great international interest.

In addition to the live discussion sessions, the organizing committee of the scientific conference "Vietnamese bread - world culinary value, spreading to five continents" said it had received nearly 100 presentations from domestic and foreign experts, contributing ideas and solutions to elevate Vietnamese bread on the world culinary map.

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