A YouTube channel featuring local recipes by a mother in a rural area will be among representatives of Viet Nam at the YouTube FanFest 2020 that will take place on 11 October.

Dong Van Hung (left), the creator of YouTube channel Mom’s Simple Meal, is pictured with his mother. The channel will attend the virtual YouTube FanFest 2020 on 11 October. Photo Mom’s Simple Meal Facebook

First held in 2014, YouTube FanFest is a global music festival that brings together influential YouTube entertainment stars from many countries across the Asian – Pacific region.

Starting from February 2019, 'Am Thuc Me Lam' (Mom’s Simple Meal) notched up 100,000 subscribers with average views of 200,000 - 300,000 per video after three months, winning the YouTube silver button. Currently, the channel has reached more than 698,000 followers.

Such numbers might not be as high as of other culinary channels, but according to its creator, Dong Van Hung, his videos are not targeted at high views but to introduce simple meals that are popular in Việt Nam’s countryside and cooked by his own mother.

Hung also shared that his channel aims to preserve the memories between him and his mother. Meanwhile, Hùng’s mother said she was overwhelmed with joy when Mom’s Simple Meal reached so many people, but the best thing was “to be closer to her son”.

“I felt so happy and proud that I could not sleep at night, as my channel will reach many international friends as well,” Hung told Việt Nam News.

The content of Mom’s Simple Meal videos revolves around the daily activities of the mother who is also a farmer in the countryside of Viet Nam and the simple dishes she cooks, like 'banh duc cham mam' (a type of Vietnamese rice cake stuffed with peanuts and eaten with soy sauce), crab soup or peanut candies.

Particularly, the ingredients for the dishes could be found right in the home garden, reflecting the self-sufficient life of people in rural areas.

Mom’s Simple Meal videos always end with the peaceful scene of the mother and son enjoying the freshly cooked meal, surrounded by their pets.

"Through simple images and angles, I want to portray tranquillity. Together with the backdrop of a simple rustic home in the countryside, I hope the dishes that my mother cooks will somehow warm the hearts of the children who are far away from home," said Hung.

The channel was introduced on the YouTube Twitter account in May and received a positive response from international friends.

“In the future, I will integrate more videos featuring the beauty of the people, the nature in the countryside and the essence of national culture into my channel. I hope that more viewers will access Mom’s Simple Meal,” the channel creator said.

Besides Mom’s Simple Meal, some other Vietnamese YouTubers were also invited to attend YouTube FanFest 2020 including Hau Hoang, Cris Devil Gamer and FAP TV.

This year, due to the pandemic, YouTube FanFest 2020 will be held virtually, featuring over 150 YouTube creators and artists like Alex Wassabi, Matt Steffanina and Merrell Twins.

Source: VNS