Preparing delicious dishes from precious medicinal herbs of Tu Mo Rong.

Mr. Vo Trung Manh, Chairman of the People's Committee of Tu Mo Rong District (left), and Mr. Pham Xuan Quang, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of the district, presided over a press conference to introduce the culinary competition combined with the implementation of the One Commune One Product (OCOP) program.

This is the first time Tu Mo Rong district has organized a culinary competition with the participation of professional chefs from the Saigon Professional Chefs Association, and traditional restaurants and hotels from provinces and cities such as Gia Lai, Dak Lak, Lam Dong, Dak Nong , Hanoi, and Ho Chi Minh City….

Previously, the district regularly organized large-scale culinary competitions throughout the district to promote and introduce traditional local dishes.

Through this competition, Tu Mo Rong district will seek out and collect delicious dishes, create attractive dishes, and introduce traditional, rustic, and unique dishes that reflect the culture and characteristics of the Xo Dang ethnic minority in the district. At the same time, it will invite and attract restaurants and chefs from within and outside the province to participate, and enhance the promotion and introduction of the district's ginseng products to a wider range of consumers nationwide.

Specifically, the program will introduce dishes that use ingredients containing Codonopsis pilosula (Codonopsis pilosula); and implement the One Commune One Product (OCOP) program in Kon Tum province, with a vision to 2030.

Furthermore, implementing synchronized solutions and mobilizing resources to carry out the Program ensures effectiveness according to the set objectives, contributing to fulfilling the criteria on production organization in the national criteria set for building new rural areas, contributing to the transformation of the rural economic structure, and improving the income and living standards of the people.

The competition is an opportunity for localities inside and outside the province to introduce delicious dishes to tourists from near and far, thereby promoting and showcasing cultural and tourism potential, attracting visitors from within and outside the province, boosting tourism recovery, and developing the local economy.

The culinary competition featured 20 teams showcasing traditional Central Highlands dishes, signature dishes from the South and North, and vegetarian dishes. Of these, 11 teams were from 11 communes and cooperatives within the district, and 9 teams were invited from other provinces and cities.

The most distinctive feature of the competition is its aim to honor the precious medicinal herbs that are trademarks of Tu Mo Rong, namely Codonopsis pilosula and Panax vietnamensis. One day before the competition, the organizing committee invited experts from the Saigon Professional Chefs Association to conduct a training course on displaying and preparing traditional dishes using Tu Mo Rong medicinal herbs for 11 teams from 11 communes and cooperatives in the district.

Delicious dishes made from ginseng.

Renowned chefs from across the country will gather in Tu Mo Rong, along with the Xo Dang people, to prepare three mandatory dishes featuring the local ginseng plant and other dishes with distinctive flavors from each region.

The organizers will provide free ginseng root to the 20 participating teams. The organizers hope that through this culinary competition, chefs nationwide and the Xơ Đăng people will create new, healthy dishes using this special ginseng root, contributing to the culinary diversity of the Tu Mơ Rông region, which is rich in cultural identity and fine traditions.

Tu Mo Rong District has a population of 95% ethnic minority people, including the Xo Dang people. The competition aims to preserve traditional culture and elevate the culinary traditions of the Xo Dang people. Through the competition, participating teams will submit the recipes for their dishes to the organizing committee, which will then print them into a book about the district's traditional cuisine. This book will be used to promote local food and tourism, attracting visitors to the district.

In addition, the Xơ Đăng people in the district will learn many local recipes that suit the tastes of tourists, thereby proactively participating in cooking for tourists visiting the area, generating income and improving their living standards.

Through this competition, the locality will also select talented young people passionate about gong playing to nurture them and become successors in preserving the Xơ Đăng culture. In addition, the district will expedite the province's recognition of OCOP products that meet standards; strengthen the promotion of OCOP products from Tu Mơ Rông district to other localities, and introduce and promote products from other localities within Tu Mơ Rông district.

HOANG CUC

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