The Canadian embassy in Hanoi on Monday evening held its annual “Canadian Delicacies” gala to introduce Canadian culinary specialties to hundreds of Vietnamese and Canadian foodies, as part of a Canadian food branding series in November 2019.

The event showcased Canadian delicacies including beef, a diverse selection of fish and seafood from coast-to-coast, maple syrup, apples, blueberries, wine and craft beer. For the first time, Canadian Dungeness crab was introduced, as market access has now been granted for the product in Vietnam.

“Canada is pleased to present these high-quality products that are produced with the greatest care. Their superior quality is a result of generations of skilled producers practicing their trade within the pristine environment of Canada,” said Canadian Ambassador to Vietnam Deborah Paul at the event.

The highlight of this year’s edition was the participation by representative from the governments of Alberta, British Columbia and Nova Scotia as well as the British Columbia Blueberry Council, Canada Beef International, Ontario Cattle Feeder’s Association and Ontario Ginseng Growers Association.

The event also featured a cooking demonstration by Canadian chef Nathan Fong, an award-winning food stylish from Vancouver as special guest. He combined Canadian products such as striploin beef and lobster with Vietnamese fish sauce to make a signature dish.  

The dish cooked by chef Nathan Fong is a combination and Canadian and Vietnamese ingredients. Photo: Minh Tuan

The Canadian Delicacies Hanoi event is part of the embassy’s series of activities to promote the Canadian agri-food and seafood sector to the Vietnamese market during the month of November.

Since 2015, Vietnam has been Canada’s top trading partner in Southeast Asia with agri-food and seafood being an important component of bilateral trade. In 2018, Canadian agri-food and seafood exports to Vietnam reached CAD313 million. Top Canadian agriculture and agri-food exports to Vietnam include grains, oilseeds, fish and crustaceans, fruits, beef and port, and dairy products.

Both countries are members of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). This deal, which established duty-free access for trade in goods between Canada and Vietnam, is expected to make high-quality Canadian products more affordable to Vietnamese consumers.