BBC’s Travel Blog Features Four Signature Hanoi Dishes

An online map and museum of Vietnam's culinary delicacies were recently unveiled, showcasing the first 1,000 iconic dishes of the country.

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Hanoi is renowned for its culinary delights, with four dishes making it onto the prestigious list of 121 Typical Delicacies of Vietnam. These include the iconic pho (noodle soup), bun oc (vermicelli soup with snail), com Vong (dishes made from young stick rice flakes), and bun thang (vermicelli noodle with assorted toppings).

Bun thang is one among Hanoi delicacies honored.

On September 29, the Vietnam Culinary Culture Association (VCCA) held a ceremony in Hanoi to recognize and award certificates to 121 exemplary culinary dishes selected for Phase 1 (2022) of the project “Building and Developing Vietnamese Culinary Culture into a National Brand”. The association also announced Phase 2 (2023) of the project.

During the first phase, a total of 421 culinary dishes from 60 out of 63 provinces and cities were nominated.

With the expertise of cultural, historical, and gastronomic experts, the VCCA carefully handpicked 121 typical Vietnamese dishes for the project. These dishes include 47 northern specialties, 37 dishes from central Vietnam, and 37 southern delicacies. Each dish embodies the unique cultural essence of its respective locality or region.

Nem nuong (grilled fermented pork) is a specialty of Nha Trang, the coastal province of Khanh Hoa. Photo: Ngo Minh/The Hanoi Times

According to Nguyen Quoc Ky, Chairman of VCCA, the main objective of this project is to collect and promote the heritage and essence of Vietnamese culinary culture, ultimately establishing it as a national brand. The aim is to position Vietnam as the “kitchen of the world” and contribute to the preservation and promotion of Vietnamese cultural values.

With the awarded culinary dishes, Ky hopes that further projects and plans will be developed to disseminate the cultural values of Vietnamese cuisine and create unique selling points for each locality. He envisions collaborative efforts from businesses to elevate Vietnam’s culinary culture and transform it into a national treasure and a prominent tourism brand for Vietnam.

Nguyen Quoc Ky, Chairman of the VCCA speaks at the ceremony. Photo: The Hanoi Times

The project involves comprehensive research and data collection on Vietnamese culinary culture, aiming to compile a list of approximately 1,000 typical dishes of Vietnamese cuisine. This will also contribute to the creation of an online map and online museum dedicated to Vietnamese cuisine.

The project, titled “Building and Developing Vietnamese Culinary Culture into a National Brand, Period 2022-2024,” consists of three component projects: Collection of 1,000 typical Vietnamese culinary dishes; Online Vietnam Cuisine Map; and Online Vietnam Culinary Culture Museum. These initiatives are guided by the objectives of preserving the value of culinary culture, promoting nutrition science, and cultivating the culinary economy.

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