Vietnamese cuisine is not only diverse but also very sophisticated, and has become an ambassador to spread Vietnamese cultural identity. However, on the journey to affirm and spread Vietnamese cuisine, there are still many problems. For example, the story of food safety and hygiene has always been a burning issue for many years, or many images have left bad impressions in the hearts of domestic and foreign diners. Not to mention, the widespread organization of festivals and culinary festivals is leaving many mixed opinions. However, it cannot be denied that Vietnamese cuisine has made great strides in recent times.
Mr. Nguyen Xuan Quynh, General Secretary of the Vietnam Chefs Association, said that Vietnamese cuisine is still facing many challenges. What must be done to maintain and further promote the country's cuisine, so that it can fly higher and higher? Information about Vietnamese cuisine is not only spreading strongly in the country but also in the world, and is on the path of strong development and is highly appreciated by friends.
In recent years, Vietnamese cuisine has made a step forward to reach international standards with a series of awards. The World Cuisine Awards - a global initiative, honored Hanoi as "Asia's Best Emerging Culinary City Destination 2023". In 2022, Vietnam also surpassed many countries in the region such as China, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand... to become "Asia's Best Culinary Destination" at the World Cuisine Awards. In June 2023, the world-famous culinary guide Michelin Guide awarded stars to 4 Vietnamese restaurants, including 3 restaurants in Hanoi and 1 restaurant in Ho Chi Minh City.
In addition, many world-famous culinary travel magazines and websites also praised Vietnam's delicious dishes. In 2023, TasteAtlas - a world-famous culinary information site ranked Vietnam 6th among Asian cuisines; ranked 20th among the world's great cuisines. TasteAtlas also listed the 5 most typical Vietnamese dishes, including banh mi, pho, spring rolls, beef stew, and Hue beef noodle soup; 5 typical (culinary) products are iced coffee, Phu Quoc fish sauce, Vietnamese coffee, egg coffee, and pork roll.
Australian travel site Traveller also recommended Vietnamese rice rolls as one of the 10 attractive dishes that tourists should enjoy in 2023. American travel site Travel and Leisure honored Vietnam as the top culinary destination in Asia in the 2023 Bucket List Places in Asia list, especially street food.
Cuisine is considered a bridge between countries in the world. Culinary culture, if any country has a strong culinary culture, they are very successful in developing national brands. Focusing on developing cuisine according to a clear roadmap, this is one of the fastest ways to introduce culture, country, and people to international friends. The value of culinary culture has the power to spread quickly and widely. Many foreigners have never been to Vietnam but have known Vietnamese cuisine in their own homeland. Culinary culture is an indispensable part of creating a national brand.
However, along with the encouraging results and impressions, there are still many challenges. According to Mr. Nguyen Xuan Quynh, there needs to be appropriate investment, because otherwise it is clearly very difficult. It must be done from top to bottom, how to orient, how to implement, how to standardize... there is a lot of work to do in the culinary industry. When we have not standardized, it is a challenge and needs to be done as soon as possible. When we standardize, there will be something to compare, otherwise it is just spontaneous and without direction. If we want to develop like Thailand, India, Japan, we must do it systematically and have investment to have a worthy position.
When tourists come to a land or country, in addition to admiring the landscapes and learning about history, cuisine is also something they want to explore. Therefore, it is necessary to position Vietnamese cuisine on the world culinary map. To assert itself on the world culinary map, Vietnamese cuisine needs to demonstrate the values of cultural identity. Because from cultural identity, cuisine will have many paths to develop. This is also a way to develop Vietnamese cuisine in a sustainable direction.
Associate Professor Dr. Bui Hoai Son, Standing Committee of the National Assembly's Committee on Culture and Education, said that there are many ways to promote and position Vietnamese cuisine, but the most important thing is to build a brand. "We also have to think about submitting to UNESCO to register our culinary heritage, such as pho, for example. Registering a heritage is a dish that has a huge economic and social impact and that helps us develop the socio-economy from that brand. That means we don't just stop at a small brand anymore. We also need to think about a brand for a city about cuisine."
Culinary culture will be a "gold mine" for developing tourism in particular and promoting national culture to international friends in general. However, the most important thing is to affirm and create a brand for Vietnamese cuisine. To do this, not only creating dishes with delicate and unique flavors, but also other factors such as ensuring food safety and hygiene, service attitude... must also be thoroughly resolved. In particular, there needs to be smooth and consistent coordination from management agencies to the community, as well as a policy that is sufficient to encourage the community as well as the team of chefs. "The culinary profession needs to be focused on and highly appreciated. There needs to be appropriate policies to develop the culinary profession commensurate with the needs and requirements of society. We should pay attention to the quality of training as well as professional regimes to honor the culinary profession in a new era of culinary development" - Mr. Nguyen Xuan Quynh emphasized.
Vietnam has long been considered one of the world's famous culinary destinations. However, we have not yet fully exploited our strengths and potential to increase competitiveness and attract tourists. It is time for our country to affirm its position for Vietnamese cuisine with more than 3,000 dishes, diverse and unique, not inferior to the world's culinary capitals such as Thailand, China, etc. We have the basic foundations to be able to take off faster based on our internal strength. Vietnam has become a culinary destination chosen by Michelin Guide in 2023 after Malaysia had this honor in 2022. By awarding the "stars" of hope, Michelin has contributed to helping Vietnamese cuisine change significantly to gradually conquer a new position.
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