Tây Ninh to host vegetarian food fest with celebrity chef Martin Yan

HCM CITY — The Vegetarian Food Festival will be held on September 21-23 in Tay Ninh Province, with the participation of internationally acclaimed celebrity chef Martin Yan and dozens of other chefs, according to the province’s People’s Committee.

Chefs from the province and neighbouring provinces as well as HCM City will offer cooking demonstrations of 182 vegetarian dishes.

Chinese-American chef Yan has been promoting Vietnamese food to the world since 2003 when he was named the country’s Culinary Ambassador by Saigontourist, the country’s leading tourism agency.

He has introduced Viet Nam and its tourist attractions through several television cooking series, such as Cooking Everyday with Chef Yan and Martin Yan’s Taste of Vietnam.

The chef makes a range of Vietnamese dishes while also providing humorous, running commentary during his cooking demos.

The food festival, which will include workshops on vegetarian cuisine and its benefits, will feature Viet Nam’s leading chefs and nutrition experts.

The event will include a photo exhibition on vegetarian cuisine in the community, and a competition for vegetarian chefs will be held during the festival.

Nguyen Nam Hung, vice chairman of Hoa Thanh District’s People’s Committee, said at the press conference on July 25 that the Vegetarian Food Festival is a “special cultural event to promote vegetarian cuisine of Tay Ninh Province and Viet Nam”.

“It is also a chance to introduce the province’s landscapes and culture as well as traditional craft villages,” said Hung.

The festival is expected to attract one million local and foreign visitors. — VNS