The Hanoi Culinary Culture Festival 2023, with the theme “Hanoi International Culinary Culture Exchange”, opened on December 1 at Thong Nhat Park, Hai Ba Trung District.

Vong Village's green rice products displayed at the Hanoi Culinary Culture Festival 2023. Photo: Vietnam News Agency

Hosted by the Hanoi Department of Culture and Sports, the festival aims to honor, preserve and promote the values of Hanoi cuisine and culture and offers an opportunity for people and visitors to enjoy a wide range of culinary products originating from Hanoi, other Vietnamese localities, and other countries.

Eighty pavilions will join the festival in three sections, with one displaying Hanoi’s local foods and demonstrating the art of Hanoi food making. Some outstanding brands featuring the festival include Phu Thuong sticky rice, Me Tri green sticky rice, Bao Phuong mid-autumn mooncake, Thanh Tri steam roll rice pancake, and Uoc Le porkroll.

The two other areas will display local food products from 62 other provinces and cities in Vietnam and from other countries such as India, Iran, Mongolia, Malaysia, and Myanmar.

Besides, the event features a photo exhibition that showcases the best of tourism and culture in Vietnam and other nations, a mobile book fair that advertises the global arts of cuisine, a folk performing show, a circus show, a seminar on developing the manpower for cultural industry and food culture, and other cultural activities.

This year marks the third edition of the festival after being interrupted for several years due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The festival will last until December 3.

“At the festival, local people and visitors will experience different styles of food with dishes being well-decorated, well-arranged by many artisans from nationwide and international localities,” said Vice Chairwoman of the Hanoi People’s Committee Vu Thu Ha.

“We hope to promote the local food cultures, promote them across the nation and to other countries, and tighten the friendships Hanoi and Vietnam have with international friends,” she said.

Hanoi targets to turn the cultural industry into one of the economic spearheads in 2045, which plays a key part in driving other economic sectors in the capital, improving living standards for people, and assisting the city’s sustainable socio-economic growth.