Vietnamese food is appealing to international friends in South Africa.

On November 7th, in the garden of the Vietnamese Embassy in Pretoria (South Africa), members of the International Diplomatic Spouses Association in South Africa, along with members of the South African Women's Association, participated in a special cooking class featuring three Vietnamese dishes made from rice: vegetarian spring rolls, Hanoi chicken pho, and glutinous rice dumplings (banh troi - banh chay).

Proudly sharing with friends from all over the world about Vietnam's rice-based civilization, Mrs. Vu Le Phuong, wife of the Vietnamese Ambassador to South Africa, emphasized that rice is not only food but also the "soul" of the nation. For Vietnamese people, every family meal begins with a bowl of fragrant white rice – a symbol of abundance, reunion, and gratitude to heaven and earth.

The Vietnamese cooking class was designed by the wives of the staff and employees of the Vietnamese Embassy for their international friends.

From the Red River Delta to the Mekong Delta, rice feeds over 100 million people, steeped in the sweat of generations of farmers. Internationally, Vietnam is known as one of the world's leading rice exporters, shipping over 7 million tons of rice annually to more than 150 countries and territories.

Therefore, the Vietnamese cooking class, designed by the wives of the staff and employees of the Vietnamese Embassy for international friends, features three dishes: an appetizer (fried vegetarian spring rolls), a main course (chicken pho), and a dessert (sticky rice dumplings, vegetarian cakes), all involving rice.

And with the dedicated and detailed guidance of Vietnamese "chefs," our foreign friends were able to personally transform products made from rice grains into three vivid stories of Vietnam's rice-based civilization: crispy fried spring rolls with authentic Vietnamese rice paper, fragrant chicken pho with translucent white rice noodles, and round glutinous rice balls and vegetarian dumplings made from glutinous rice flour and regular rice flour.

The class on making fried vegetarian spring rolls began with enthusiastic participation from everyone. Foreign students were guided on how to select mushrooms, prepare vegetables, and roll the spring rolls to create the most beautiful ones.

Mrs. Romchalee Kanokngamwitroj, wife of the New Zealand Ambassador to South Africa, said: “I was honored to participate in this Vietnamese cooking class and I really enjoyed making spring rolls. I learned some great tips from my Vietnamese friends on how to wrap spring rolls, such as how to soften the rice paper wrappers for easier wrapping and a more appealing look. That was something new I learned and I will definitely apply that technique later. The ingredients you introduced for the spring rolls were also very new to me.”

Beyond simply teaching how to wrap spring rolls beautifully, how to season pho broth perfectly, or how to shape glutinous rice dumplings and vegetarian cakes into perfect circles, our international friends seem to be touching a part of the history, culture, and vitality of the Vietnamese people.

Mrs. Tulu İçözü Aykan, wife of the Deputy Ambassador of Turkey to South Africa, shared: “Today’s cooking class was truly a wonderful experience. I love Vietnamese food, but I’ve never tried making it before. When I actually started cooking Vietnamese dishes, I realized that cuisine connects cultures.”

I discovered some really delicious and amazing food here, and I really enjoyed the cooking class, as well as the Vietnamese people. This event was very helpful for us in learning about Vietnamese culture. Thank you so much for inviting me and sharing your culture with me.”

At the event, many distinctive Vietnamese agricultural products and handicrafts were also introduced to international friends.

The trainees not only brought back recipes but also the story of a rice-based civilization that traveled thousands of miles to flourish in South Africa.

Andile Malinga, a South African, said: “Participating in today’s Vietnamese cooking class was truly educational. Before coming here, I really enjoyed the food and the experience.”

I learned about Vietnamese culture from my open and friendly Vietnamese friends. After today, I will definitely make Vietnamese spring rolls and pho for my family and friends. One interesting thing I learned from the class is that roasting ginger and adding it to the broth greatly enhances the flavor.”

The class ended, and the students took home not only the recipes but also the story of a rice-based civilization that traveled thousands of miles to flourish in South Africa. One could feel a grain of Vietnamese rice silently sprouting in the heart of each person as they left the classroom.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/mon-an-viet-hap-dan-ban-be-quoc-te-o-nam-phi-333729.html