The Taste of Australia 2024 on Saturday kicks off in Ho Chi Minh City, making the first time the event is open to the public since 2016. 

Taste of Australia is an annual celebration of Australian cuisine and culture in Vietnam to promote Australia’s safe, sustainable, and high-quality food and beverage, and how they can bring out the best in Vietnamese meals.

In previous years, the event was held at restaurants to promote Australian produces, but “the objective behind Taste of Australia is really about promoting Australian produces and beverages to Vietnamese public,” Australian Deputy Consul-General Ciaran Chestnutt said.

“The easiest way to do it is to open it up to the public and give everyone the opportunity to come along and experience it for themselves,” he told Tuoi Tre News at the Taste of Australia 2024 launch reception on Friday. 

The two-day event at Le Van Tam Park in District 1 features a wide range of activities from food and beverage booths to kid’s zone with many fun activities. 

Members of the First Nations dance group Tribal Experiences from Queensland perform at the Taste of Australia 2024 launch reception in Ho Chi Minh City on May 10, 2024. Photo: Dong Nguyen / Tuoi Tre News

It also has educational showcases, music performances by First Nations dance group Tribal Experiences from Queensland, and a zero-waste cooking demo by renowned Vietnamese Australian chef Tommy Pham.

In his showcase, Tommy will present steak with the flavors of bò lúc lắc (Vietnamese shaking beef) in the hope to infuse Vietnamese flavors to the steak and mashed potatoes that are very familiar to Australians, the chef revealed at the receiption. 

Vietnamese Australian chef Tommy Pham speaks to the guests at the Taste of Australia 2024 launch reception in Ho Chi Minh City on May 10, 2024. Photo: Dong Nguyen / Tuoi Tre News

One of the focuses of his cooking performance is to showcase innovative and sustainable culinary practices in which people can use the best of the ingredients without wasting them.

For example, Tommy said he will show people how he will use the skins of the potatoes.

“A lot of people peel potatoes to make mashed potatoes and throw the potato skins, but you can use those potato skins,” he said. 

“You wash it, fry it and it becomes like a crispy kind of cheap garnish.”

“We're promoting sustainable cooking, so, I want to show people that we can use things that are generally thrown out, and for me, I kind of connect it with rau thơm (Vietnamese herbs),” he said. 

“Because, you know, sometimes you order takeaway and they give you too much, or you have leftovers, leave it in the fridge and then it goes off. So, I think it's really nice to show people how to use that.”

Detailed schedule of the two day Taste of Australia 2024 in Ho Chi Minh City on May 11 and 12 released by the Australian Consulate-General in Ho Chi Minh City.

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