Gastronomy event in Seoul promotes Vietnamese cultural, culinary heritage through ‘phở’
Saturday, October 05, 2024, 14:22 GMT+7
The ongoing Vietnam Phở Festival 2024 held in Seoul, South Korea offers opportunities for South Koreans, Vietnamese expatriates, and international tourists to explore the richness of Vietnamese culture, history, and cuisine through its iconic dish, phở.
The culinary festival is taking place at Pie Factory, 441 Gwangnaru-ro, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul from Saturday through Sunday.
Vu Ba Phu, head of the Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, expressed his pride in the global popularity of both phở and kimchi while addressing the opening ceremony of the festival on Saturday morning.
These two dishes, from Vietnam and South Korea, respectively, are widely enjoyed without the need for translation on menus across the world, he said.
"I believe that at least half of the South Korean participants at today's opening ceremony have already tried Vietnamese phở, either in Vietnam or here in South Korea.
“This speaks to the unique flavors of phở and kimchi, but more importantly, it reflects the cultural heritage, spirit, and centuries of agricultural, production, and culinary expertise embedded in these dishes,” the Vietnamese official said.
He expressed his confidence that the festival will provide an opportunity for South Korean consumers and businesses to connect with renowned Vietnamese phở brands.
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| Saigontourist Travel Service Company - a subsidiary of Vietnam’s leading tourism corporation Saigontourist Group, Vietnam Airlines' South Korea branch, and Arirang Tour Service Company - a top South Korean travel agency signed a memorandum of understanding at the culinary festival, marking a commitment to developing two-way tourism between Vietnam and South Korea. Photo: Tuoi Tre |
The event also offers the people of both nations a chance to explore other rice-based products from Vietnam’s rice cultivation tradition, including noodles, rice paper, shrimp crackers, seafood, and more, opening doors for greater trade between Vietnamese producers and South Korean markets.
The organizers have set up a business exchange space for South Korean and Vietnamese businesses throughout the festival, facilitated by the Vietnam Trade Office in South Korea.
The Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency and the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency, as government agencies, are committed to fostering these connections and are ready to support businesses from both countries in seeking trade and investment opportunities in the fields of agriculture, aquaculture, food processing, and many others.
As part of the festival, Saigontourist Travel Service Company - a subsidiary of Vietnam’s leading tourism corporation Saigontourist Group, Vietnam Airlines' South Korea branch, and Arirang Tour Service Company - a top South Korean travel agency signed a memorandum of understanding, marking a commitment to developing two-way tourism between Vietnam and South Korea.
Pham Huy Binh, board chairman at Saigontourist Group, emphasized that Saigontourist is committed to bringing the best cultural and culinary experiences of Vietnam to the overseas community, local residents, and international visitors in Seoul, as well as to promoting tourism exchanges between the two nations.
Binh elaborated that this marks the second time that Saigontourist Group has partnered with Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper to bring a Vietnamese culinary and cultural event abroad, following the success of last year's festival in Japan.
The Saigontourist leader added that phở is more than just food. It is a cultural symbol of Vietnam.
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| Pham Huy Binh, board chairman at Vietnam’s leading tourism corporation Saigontourist Group, speaks at the opening ceremony held in Seoul, South Korea, October 5, 2024. Photo: Tuoi Tre |
Festival-goers will have the chance to savor bowls of phở and other Vietnamese delicacies prepared by top Vietnamese chefs, including those from Saigontourist Group's premier restaurants.
During a talk show at the festival, the head chef of the Majestic Saigon Hotel will share the secrets behind making a perfect bowl of phở, while the head chef of the Saigon - Morin Hotel will demonstrate the preparation of a royal dish from Vietnam's Nguyen Dynasty, Binh said.
The Vietnam Phở Festival 2024 is co-organized by the Embassy of Vietnam in South Korea, Tuoi Tre, and Saigontourist Group under the direction of the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the People’s Committee of Ho Chi Minh City.
The event is made possible through the collaboration of the Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency under the Vietnamese Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Industry and Trade, the Association of Vietnamese Communities in Korea, the Business Association of Vietnamese in Korea, and the Korea-Asia Economic Cooperation Association.
The Vietnam Phở Festival 2024 will feature a performance stage, along with nearly 70 booths including more than 40 offering phở and other Vietnamese and Korean delicacies.
There will be spaces for cultural experiences, exhibitions, and showcases of Vietnamese cuisine and tourism.
With the slogan 'Enjoy Phở, Discover Vietnam,' the organizers aim to use the festival to promote people-to-people diplomacy, strengthen the friendship between the two nations, and highlight their culinary cultures.
They also hope to foster trade connections, leveraging the economic and tourism potential of both Vietnam and South Korea.
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| The promotional banner for the Vietnam Phở Festival 2024, taking place in Seoul, South Korea on October 5 to 6, 2024 |
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