Viet Nam has joined nine other ASEAN countries to showcase its best traditional dishes at the ASEAN Culinary Festival 2018 which is currently underway at the COEX Convention Centre in Seoul, the Republic of Korea, from 29 November to 1 December .

Organisers and chefs from ASEAN countries pose for a photo at the ASEAN Culinary Festival 2018 in Seoul (Photo: VNA)

This year, Viet Nam will bring the country’s iconic “pho” noodle soup and fried spring rolls, or “nem ran”, to the festival.

The ASEAN Culinary Festival 2018 features a live cooking show with celebrity chefs from the RoK and Malaysia. There will also be cuisine and beverage booths that will present information on gastronomy tourism in various ASEAN nations.

The event has been annually held by the ASEAN-Korea Centre since 2016 to give Koreans a better understanding of the traditional cuisines and culinary skills of ASEAN countries which are top priorities of the RoK’s New Southern Policy.

The food festival is expected to foster cultural exchange between the RoK and ASEAN member states, creating closer ties among their peoples that will pave the way for more Korean visitors travelling to Southeast Asian nations.

A Vietnamese food stand at the festival

According to the ASEAN-Korean Centre, ASEAN member states welcome around 7 million tourist arrivals from the RoK each year, who come not only for popular tourist destinations but also to taste local foods.

Da Nang is emerging as one of the destinations most favoured by Koreans.

“Nem ran” (or “cha gio” as it is known in southern Viet Nam) is a tasty, traditional dish. It is so popular that it is hard to attend a Vietnamese wedding, funeral, or Tet (Lunar New Year) party without seeing a tray loaded with these delicious spring rolls.

Meanwhile, the “pho” noodle soup originated from Ha Noi before it was brought to the south where people added their own influences to the dish.

A bowl of “pho” contains flat, soft rice noodles dipped in a fragrant beef or chicken broth flavoured with different condiments. It is served with beef or chicken, shallots, and chili and lime to taste.

This year, travel site Rough Guides named “pho” among the world’s top 15 foods that are easy on a globetrotter’s pocket, while the dish was also listed as the world’s 20^th best food experience by the travel publisher Lonely Planet.

(Source: VNA)