Poet Ho Dac Thieu Anh "carries" cuisine on his poetic boat.

(HTV) - On the morning of September 20th, a thematic seminar on "Culinary Philosophy and Poetry" was held at the University of Economics and Finance Ho Chi Minh City (UEF), featuring a sharing session by poet and culinary artist Ho Dac Thieu Anh about his recently released poetry collection of the same name, and stories about the ethics of cooking and the ethics of being a good person.

Việt Nam•20/09/2025

"Dao Thi Cuisine" - the passion of poet Ho Dac Thieu Anh

Nhà thơ Hồ Đắc Thiếu Anh chở ẩm thực trên con thuyền thơ - Ảnh 1. — *Seminar "Dao Thi Cuisine"*

The thematic discussion "Dao Thi Cuisine" took place in a warm and open atmosphere, with the participation of a large audience, especially young people and peers - the "Dong Khanh schoolgirls" who are close friends of the author Ho Dac Thieu Anh.

Opening the sharing session, the entire hall was filled with music from traditional instruments such as bamboo flutes, zithers, and Hue-style percussion instruments. Dr. Ngo Minh Hai – Vice Rector of the University of Economics and Finance Ho Chi Minh City – emphasized that traditional values infused with a modern spirit will help young people easily access and preserve their national identity, while simultaneously forming and developing global citizens.

Sharing her inspiration for the work "Culinary Philosophy," poet Ho Dac Thieu Anh believes it all stems from the "kitchen." According to the author, the warmth of the kitchen must be emanated from the warmth of the heart; the art of cooking is also the art of being a person. When cooking a dish, it's not simply about enjoyment, but also a way to express one's feelings to others, to children to their parents—that's the true meaning that makes a dish "delicious."

The poetry is gentle and kind, with a distinct "Dong Khanh Schoolgirl" spirit.

Also at the seminar, poet Ho Dac Thieu Anh shared stories about her childhood in Hue, where she lived in a traditional, Confucian family. This family background contributed to the gentle flow of her poetry, like the Perfume River, subtly permeating every aspect of life, and naturally, the kitchen, where she learned culinary lessons from her mother, was no exception.

The poetry collection "Dao Thi Culinary Cuisine" begins humbly with an "Introduction" written by the author's daughter, Master Nguyen Ho Tieu Anh. The author reveals the circumstances surrounding the creation of the collection: cooking lessons from her childhood, passed down by her mother, were distilled, shared with her daughter, and presented to readers through 600 verses in the lục bát (six-eight) meter.

Nhà thơ Hồ Đắc Thiếu Anh chở ẩm thực trên con thuyền thơ - Ảnh 2. — *The opening section, with its "Preface," reflects the author's humility.*

Reading a poem or a piece of prose is not just about reading the content, but also about understanding a love, a soul, a personality. Turning over the pages, contemplating the words, we will encounter a portrait – a portrait not painted with pen and ink, but from the emotional resonance of the heart before the words. "Dao Thi's Culinary Poetry" is no exception to these rules. The choice of the traditional Vietnamese six-eight verse form evokes familiar folk songs like "shrimp whiskers cooked with gourd intestines - husband and wife eat together, nodding in praise," or even lines from Nguyen Du's epic poem, "Goodness resides in our hearts - The heart is worth more than three talents," as a way of affirming the "Vietnamese soul" within the familiar yet profound "words" of the work.

Nhà thơ Hồ Đắc Thiếu Anh chở ẩm thực trên con thuyền thơ - Ảnh 3. — *Poet Ho Dac Thieu Anh, with his serene, gentle beauty and strong traditional character (Photo: Le Nam)*

Kitchen fire, craft fire

The poetry collection "Dao Thi Culinary Cuisine" also marks a significant milestone in the journey of spreading traditional culinary values by artisan Ho Dac Thieu Anh. Besides her passion for literature, she is also a familiar face on television as a chef, appearing in many popular cooking shows. Furthermore, she is not only involved in the culinary arts as a chef but also as a scholar, passionately researching and preserving the beauty of traditional cuisine, especially the imperial cuisine of Hue .

Her passion for food not only burned brightly within her but also spread and was passed down to her children—just as she received it from her own mother. Artisan and Master's degree holder Nguyen Ho Tieu Anh, her daughter, has continued that tradition and is now telling the story of Vietnamese cuisine to future generations, ensuring that this flame continues to warm and blaze in Vietnamese kitchens.