Ho Chi Minh City to host Southern Land Cuisine Festival

60 booths of shops, restaurants, and hotels in cities and provinces from Binh Thuan to Can Tho will offer their best southern delights, including typical dishes from the Mekong Delta.

The Southern Land Cuisine Festival will take place from May 31 to June 3 at Dam Sen Park in Ho Chi Minh City’s District 11. Organized by the city’s Department of Tourism and Tourism Association, the annual event aims to introduce Vietnamese food from around the country in general and from the south in particular.

60 booths of shops, restaurants, and hotels in cities and provinces from Binh Thuan to Can Tho will offer their best southern delights, including typical dishes from the Mekong Delta.

A space resembling Saigon of the past, with old-style houses, handmade bamboo bridges, and ponds will be a highlight of the festival, serving fare from old Saigon and modern Ho Chi Minh City.

Elsewhere are cakes and puddings, famed fruit from Dong Thap and Ben Tre provinces, vegetables from Coopmart, Satrafood, Vina Vietgap and Dam Sen Park’s Garden, and Vietnamese beer and imported labels. A cuisine contest will be held on June 2 to select the best of the food on offer.

There will also be a corner for traditional villages to showcase their skills in making mats, noodles, and soy milk, among others. Along with performances of “don ca Tai tu” (southern folk music), this year will feature troupes from the Ede ethnic minority in the central region with their unique gongs and dance. Traditional folk games will also be held for guests and especially for kids.