The kitchen of the world

Mr. Nguyen Quoc Ky, Chairman of the Vietnam Culinary Culture Association (VCCA), shared his journey in making Vietnamese cuisine a national brand and then expanding it to the world .

Reporter: The fact that Vietnam welcomed 12.5 million international tourists in 2023 is largely due to its cuisine . In your opinion, what is the most important factor for Vietnamese cuisine to find a firm foothold on the tourism map of Vietnam?

We make no secret of our ambition not only to elevate Vietnamese cuisine as a source of national pride but also to make it a unique cultural representative of Vietnam on the world culinary map.

- Mr. Nguyen Quoc Ky: At the end of 2023, through voting by reputable food organizations and websites, Hanoi was honored to win the "Best Emerging Culinary City Destination in Asia 2023" award. Taste Atlas also announced that Vietnam ranked 22nd out of 100 best cuisines in the world in 2023. Hue City was ranked 28th out of 100 cities with the best food in the world… Welcoming 12.5 million international tourists in 2023 proves that cuisine has contributed significantly.

To foster a connection between cuisine and tourism, we need to objectively recognize that Vietnam has only just begun to exploit this potential. With over 3,000 diverse dishes from North to South, seafood, and mountain cuisine, a culinary cultural map has already formed and is deeply embedded in folk traditions. The government has issued guidelines on the development of cuisine and tourism. Now is the time for decisive, systematic, and scientific action to create a foundation and common direction for the entire political system and specialized social organizations. We need to develop unique culinary experience tourism models, closely integrated with local tourist destinations and culture.

Culinary artist and expert Le Khanh

We believe that this connection will not only be limited to introducing dishes but will also create unique, authentic, and historically significant experiences. Emphasis should be placed on the cultural foundation of cuisine so that when tourists come to Vietnam, they not only savor the flavors but also immerse themselves in the historical narrative and nutritional values. This will create a trend in Vietnamese culinary tourism with the slogan "eat, talk, and take home."

Vietnamese cuisine is rich and diverse, a fusion of many culinary traditions. However, many experts believe that the status of Vietnamese cuisine is still not commensurate with its potential. What are your thoughts on this?

- I think that with its unique geographical location, bordered by forests and the sea, stretching from North to South, Vietnam is seen by the world as a gateway from East to West. I also agree that, thanks to its diverse and rich advantages, Vietnamese cuisine clearly reflects the deep cultural exchange with the world, through tourism. For example, hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese restaurants are located all over the world, and conversely, in Vietnam, most provinces and cities have restaurants serving traditional dishes from many countries.

However, it is true that the perception of Vietnamese cuisine's position on the international stage does not yet match its true potential, even though Vietnam possesses a force of professional culinary artisans and experts with high skills and the ability to transform traditional dishes into contemporary ones, attracting millions of diners worldwide every year.

There are many reasons why Vietnamese cuisine hasn't developed as expected. In my opinion, a crucial factor is the lack of promotion and marketing, including a long-term lack of investment in researching, developing, and promoting the distinctive cuisine of each region on international media, resulting in many people around the world being unaware of Vietnamese cuisine.

To overcome this, we need to focus on building a comprehensive marketing strategy that combines celebrating cultural identity and culinary traditions, helping Vietnamese cuisine reach further on the world culinary map. We can bravely accept being considered "inferior" in the past to reposition our national cuisine, determining its current status and future direction. Only by achieving this can we restore balance and create the foundation for the penetration, recognition, and acceptance of Vietnamese cuisine internationally.

Given the current limited budget, what do you think would be the most effective way to promote your brand?

- In the current international context, Vietnam has clearly asserted its position. I believe it is necessary to seriously define each item in the planning and development of a culinary promotion plan, considering core competencies and relying on the strength of the community to implement each stage and disseminate information effectively.

Whether guests experience traditional Vietnamese spring rolls or not

The most effective method is to combine real-world experience and digital technology, including leveraging social media and digital platforms to widely disseminate Vietnamese cuisine. For example, VCCA, with limited financial resources, relied on the potential and strengths of the collective to successfully implement the first phase of the "Journey to Discover the Cultural Values ​​of Vietnamese Cuisine" project, laying the groundwork for subsequent phases. These projects include building a virtual museum, a digital map of Vietnamese cuisine, and integrating artificial intelligence technology to provide an easy-to-use platform, enabling people to easily access a comprehensive culinary archive. This new technology will help users explore cuisine through vivid images and video guides, support language learning, and provide statistics to discover new dishes, contributing to the development of the local economy. This is a significant step forward in promoting and enhancing the status of Vietnamese cuisine.

This project surely isn't limited to Vietnam alone, is it?

- That's right. Through this project, we are committed to building an image of a diverse, rich, and high-quality culinary culture, creating an attractive, unique, and distinctive highlight to attract domestic and international diners to experience, contributing to the development of the country's tourism economy.

I believe that the journey of "transforming Vietnamese cuisine into a national brand" is something that cannot be described in words. It's a mandate, a huge challenge! However, we are confident that we will successfully implement this plan as expected.

I believe that in the not-too-distant future, Vietnamese cuisine will not only become a national brand but also a global brand.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/bep-an-cua-the-gioi-196240205232105249.htm