Bringing cuisine from everywhere to the "sunny land"

Although it only lasted three days, from July 12th to 14th, the International Cultural and Culinary Festival "Flavors of the Sunny Land," a key event in the series of events for the Festival for Peace, made a strong impression on tourists and locals alike. Many delicious and attractive dishes, showcasing the unique cultural characteristics of various regions both domestically and internationally, were presented at this festival.

Mr. Ha introduces to diners the Mongolian herbal-wrapped pig's stomach dish - Photo: TP

Diverse cuisine from the three regions of Vietnam.

Arriving early at the "Flavors of the Sunny Land" International Cultural and Culinary Festival, Mr. Nguyen Van Long (35 years old), a tourist from Quang Binh, and his family members were very excited to visit the stalls and enjoy the food. He considers himself a food enthusiast and has participated in many other food festivals before, but this festival still left a particularly strong impression on his family.

Spaghetti and Italian sausage dishes are appealing to diners in both appearance and taste - Photo: TP

“The festival is very grand, bringing together cuisine from many localities. Of all the dishes, my family likes the refreshing taste of Mai Xá clam noodle soup the most. Watching the chefs prepare and present it simply, but when you taste it, this dish is very appealing to tourists.”

"Hopefully my family will return to Quang Tri to enjoy Mai Xa clam noodle soup and explore more of this region's cuisine," Mr. Long happily stated. At the "Flavors of the Sunny Land" International Cultural and Culinary Festival, besides Mai Xa clam noodle soup, Quang Tri province also introduced to friends from all over the world dishes that are rich in local identity such as: Sai Market spring rolls, Cua chicken, Gio An pork platter, Hai Lang rice porridge, Cua Viet seafood, dishes of the Van Kieu and Pa Ko ethnic groups, vegetarian dishes, and OCOP products.

Besides Quang Tri specialties, visitors can also enjoy delicious dishes from many other localities across the country such as: Western-style banh xeo (Vietnamese savory pancake), Nghe An eel soup, Quang Nam cassava pho... According to many diners, each dish has its own unique flavor, both unfamiliar and familiar.

Through the festival, people not only experience the diversity of cuisine but also learn about the unique cultural characteristics of different regions across the country. Among the countless delicious dishes at the festival, the group of young people from Thao Nguyen, Hoang Son, and Vu Long (Vinh Linh) were particularly delighted with Thang Co beef and goat stew, a dish that embodies the distinctive character of the Northwest highlands.

According to the owner of the "Ha Giang Stone Plateau Cuisine" stall, thang co means meat soup, therefore the ingredients used to prepare this dish are mainly meat and offal such as heart, liver, and lungs, simmered together with various herbs from the mountains and forests.

“This dish has a slightly pungent smell of animal intestines, but once you start eating it, it's incredibly addictive; you can't stop eating. We haven't had the chance to visit Northwest Vietnam yet, but through this festival, we've had the opportunity to enjoy the specialties there. Indeed, Vietnamese cuisine is very unique and diverse,” Thao Nguyen shared.

Impressed with international cuisine

This year's International Cultural and Culinary Festival "Flavors of the Sunny Land" features nearly 100 food stalls from across the country and abroad. Notably, not only are there delicious Vietnamese dishes, but cuisine from countries such as Korea, Japan, Italy, and Mongolia has also won the hearts of visiting diners.

Taking advantage of his free time, Duong Van Ha, from Da Nang, who directly prepared the Mongolian herbal-wrapped pig's stomach dish, rearranged and decorated the food to prepare for the next group of customers. Speaking with reporters, this multi-talented chef said: "I previously brought my goat sausage dish to the 2023 Vietnam Culture and Food Festival with the theme 'Soul of the Nation - Taste of the Homeland' and it was very well received by diners."

Therefore, this year I'm bringing you a new dish: Mongolian herbal-wrapped pig's stomach. Mr. Ha personally went to Mongolia to learn how to prepare this dish. Not only is it crispy, delicious, and unique, but it's also very nutritious thanks to the combination of 42 different herbs.

"Through the 'Flavors of the Sunny Land' International Cultural and Culinary Festival, I want to promote to Vietnamese people more knowledge about the richness of world cuisine," Mr. Ha confided.

Numerous customers visited the Mai Xá clam noodle stall - Photo: TP

Similarly to Mr. Ha, Ms. Le Hong Anh, owner of the Italian food stall, was delighted to bring three famous Italian delicacies to the food festival: Italian sausage, spaghetti, and Italian ice cream. "I'm confident that these delicious Italian dishes won't disappoint diners," Ms. Hong Anh said. Indeed, the dishes at her stall all had a very unique and distinctive flavor. Many visitors who came to sample them shared this sentiment.

Speaking with reporters, the Standing Vice Chairman of the Quang Tri Provincial People's Committee, Ha Sy Dong, said: The "Flavors of the Sunny Land" International Cultural and Culinary Festival is a cultural event with widespread appeal, an opportunity to promote the cultural values, potential, and strengths of the land and people of Quang Tri to domestic and international tourists.

This is also one of the important activities in the series of events of the Festival for Peace, a national and international-scale event being held for the first time in Quang Tri. “At the 2024 International Culture and Food Festival, people will not only enjoy the characteristic dishes of this land of sunshine and wind, but also immerse themselves in meaningful events for peace.”

"Hopefully, from here, people will experience Quang Tri with its colorful landscape bestowed by nature and created by human hands. A friendly, hospitable Quang Tri that will be an attractive stop on the Vietnamese tourism map," emphasized the Standing Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, Ha Sy Dong.

Truc Phuong

Source: https://baoquangtri.vn/mang-am-thuc-muon-noi-ve-mien-hoa-nang-187033.htm