The 3rd Ho Chi Minh City Bread Festival took place in March, two months earlier than every year, with many activities honoring the combination of Vietnamese bread and coffee.
The festival takes place from March 21-24 at Le Van Tam Park, District 1, and is open to the public and visitors for free. The Ho Chi Minh City Tourism Association expects the event to attract more than 150,000 visitors with about 150-180 booths. With the theme "Crispy and delicious bread - rich in coffee flavor", the festival emphasizes the combination of two Vietnamese culinary symbols.
In addition to booths for locals and tourists to enjoy, the festival also has a record-setting program of "100 seafood-based bread dishes", displayed on a boat model, symbolizing the journey of Vietnamese bread to the world.
The main activities of the festival include a cultural exchange space, where visitors meet bakers and chefs, experience making bread, and enjoy bread and coffee. The "past and present bread" exhibition area introduces the history of the development of Vietnamese bread. The highlight of the festival is also a buffet of bread and coffee. This is an area that introduces and serves hundreds of "unique" types of bread from many countries and Vietnamese dishes, combined with coffee.
Many foreign tourists consider bread and coffee to be the "perfect couple" of Vietnamese cuisine. Jason, an American tourist, shared that before coming to Ho Chi Minh City last August, his friends advised him to enjoy bread and coffee for breakfast to experience the true local style.
Ms. Nguyen Thi Khanh, Chairwoman of the Ho Chi Minh City Tourism Association, said that food safety and security during the festival are the top priorities of the organizing committee. The organizing unit coordinated with the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Food Safety, requiring booths to prepare full documents and comply with regulations. Food hygiene guidance and inspection will be strictly implemented during the 4-day festival.
Vietnamese bread is increasingly asserting its position on the world tourism map, becoming a favorite dish of many foreign visitors. In March 2024, the culinary website Taste Atlas announced the list of "100 best sandwiches in the world", in which Vietnamese bread ranked No. 1 with a score of 4.6/5. Previously, in April 2023, CNN Travel ranked Vietnamese banh mi at number 5 in the 24 best sandwiches in the world.
Mr. Le Truong Hien Hoa, Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism, commented that the bread festival has achieved many successes after two times of organization, attracting the attention of many tourists and residents. Over the years, the bread festival has expanded its scale thanks to the "unbelievable" reception from the public.
"The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism will coordinate with other parties to promote this event to make it an annual activity of the city," said Mr. Hoa.
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