A centre for the study, preservation and development of Vietnam’s gastronomy made debut in Hanoi on April 7 as part of the ongoing Vietnam International Travel Mart 2017.

The centre is established by the Vietnam Tourism Association (VTA) with a view to preserving and bringing into play the quintessence of each food and drink of the country while popularising the Vietnamese cuisine, helping to turn tourism into a spearhead industry.

Addressing the ceremony, VTA Vice Chairman Vu The Binh said Vietnamese dishes have gradually won the heart of Vietnamese and foreign foodies, as well as famous chefs around the world. 

However, the priceless treasure of Vietnamese cuisine has yet to be optimised to become a unique and competitive tourism product, he noted.

The VTA hopes that the centre will focus on the study of some typical dishes and drinks of Vietnam, select the finest foods to serve tourism activities, and collect information about the country’s dishes and drinks. 

It should revive the foods and drinks that have been forgotten, folk cuisine festivals, and traditional craft villages. It also needs to promote the professionalisation of gastronomic workers.

The centre will also improve the skills of Vietnamese cooks, introduce Vietnamese foods and how to cook them to foreigners, create favourable conditions for Vietnamese chefs to work in other countries, and honour people who have devoted to the country’s gastronomy, Binh said.

He added the centre will work closely with travel companies and localities to launch food tours, tours of ingredient supplying areas, and cooking classes.

It is making a website in English and Vietnamese to provide information about Vietnam’s gastronomy. The website is scheduled to open in August.

Also on April 7, Binh, who is also Chairman of the Vietnam Society of Travel Agents, and Vice President of the American Society of Travel Agents Robert Duglin signed the societies’ cooperation agreement. 

The deal is hoped to open up new opportunities for Vietnamese companies to attract US tourists and facilitate Vietnamese people’s travel to the US.

VNA