Da Nang promotes its cuisine as tourism trademark

Sliced pork rolled in rice paper (Banh trang cuon thit heo) is an alluring dish in Danang.

Danang has organized a number of activities to promote its cuisine as a trademark to lure visitors.

In June, the 2019 Danang International Food Festival (DNIFF), themed “The Taste of Homeland”, welcomed world-class chefs, who are members of the World Chefs Association, and head chefs at top restaurants in their home country. They used ingredients indigenous to central Vietnam to cook their country’s typical dishes.

Tran Thi Thom, a tourist from Bac Giang province, said, “This is the first time I’ve been to Danang, My visit happily coincides with the first Danang International Food Festival. This large event features abundant great food. I’m really excited today.”

Some very popular dishes in Danang are Quang noddle soup (Mi Quang), fish paste noodles (Bun cha ca), rice vermicelli with anchovy sauce and roasted pork (Bun mam thit heo), sliced pork rolled in rice paper (Banh trang cuon thit heo), and sizzling pancakes (Banh xeo) made with flour batter and stuffed with pork, prawns, and herbs.

Quang noodle soup (Mi Quang) has rice noodle, prawns, meat, vegetables, and little broth

Food aficionado Tran Thi Kim Chi of Ho Chi Minh City noted, “I like ‘Bun cha ca’, ‘Mi Quang’, and ‘Banh xeo’. These dishes are really great. Danang has a rich cuisine, for which I return again and again.”

Danang is a point of convergence of Vietnam’s northern, central, and southern regions, so its cuisine combines specialties from all over Vietnam. A number of food streets have been created recently, including Huynh Thuc Khang, Pham Hong Thai, and Le Thanh Nghi, where rows of restaurants offer great food at reasonable prices.

Nguyen Xuan Binh, Vice Director of Danang’s Tourism Department, said regional and international food festivals are creating new Danang tourism products. 

“World chefs have been invited to Danang to exchange techniques with local chefs. The festival is an opportunity to promote Danang’s culinary richness and diversity”, Mr. Binh said.

Thomas Andeas Guler, President of the World Association of Chefs Societies, has applauded Danang’s wonderful culinary scene and suggested it should be promoted to a wider audience. He said the Danang International Food Festival, which began in Hoi An city three years ago, put the city on the world food map once again.