Vietnamese dishes attract international friends in South Africa

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

Proudly sharing with friends from all over the world about Vietnam's rice civilization, the wife of the Vietnamese Ambassador to South Africa, Vu Le Phuong, 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 fullness, reunion and gratitude to heaven and earth.

Vietnamese cooking class designed by the wives of Vietnamese Embassy staff for international friends.

From the Red River Delta to the Mekong River, rice has fed more than 100 million people, soaked in the sweat of generations of farmers. International friends also know that Vietnam is currently one of the world's leading rice exporting countries, with more than 7 million tons of rice per year to more than 150 countries and territories.

Therefore, the Vietnamese cooking class was designed by the wives of the Vietnamese Embassy staff for international friends with 3 dishes from appetizer (fried vegetarian spring rolls), main course (chicken pho) and dessert (dumplings, sticky rice cakes) all related to rice.

And with the dedicated and detailed instructions of the "Vietnamese chefs", foreign friends were able to personally turn rice products into three vivid stories of Vietnamese rice civilization: crispy fried spring rolls with Vietnamese rice paper, fragrant chicken pho with clear white rice noodles, and round banh troi and banh chay made from sticky rice flour and regular rice flour.

The class on making fried vegetarian spring rolls started with great enthusiasm from everyone. Foreign students were instructed on how to choose mushrooms, prepare vegetables and how to roll them to create the most beautiful spring rolls.

Ms Romchalee Kanokngamwitroj - Wife of the New Zealand Ambassador to South Africa, said: “I am very honored to join this Vietnamese cooking class and I really enjoyed making fried spring rolls. I learned some good tips from my Vietnamese friends when rolling spring rolls, such as how to soften the rice paper to make it easier to roll and make the spring rolls look more beautiful. That is something new that I learned and I will definitely apply that technique in the future. The ingredients that you introduced in the fried spring rolls are also very new”.

Not only is the class instructing how to wrap spring rolls beautifully, how to season pho broth to the right taste, or how to make round banh troi and banh chay, international friends seem to be touching a part of the history, culture and vitality of the Vietnamese people.

Ms. Tulu İçözü Aykan - Wife of Deputy Ambassador of Turkey to South Africa, shared: “Today's cooking class was a truly wonderful experience. I love Vietnamese food, but I have never tried it. When I actually started making Vietnamese food, I realized that cuisine connects cultures.

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

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

Students brought back not only recipes but also stories of a rice civilization that traveled thousands of miles to blossom in South Africa.

Ms. Andile Malinga – a South African, said: “Joining the Vietnamese cooking class today really helped me broaden my knowledge. Before, I knew nothing about Vietnam, but when I came here, I really enjoyed the food and the experience.

I learned about the 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 very interesting thing I learned from the class is that after you roast ginger and add it to the broth, it will enhance the flavor a lot.”

At the end of the class, the students not only brought home the recipes but also the story of a rice civilization that traveled thousands of miles to bloom in South Africa. It was possible to feel a grain of Vietnamese rice quietly sprouting in the heart of each person when leaving the class.

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