“Thanh Hoa Culinary Quintessence Festival 2024” & Inauguration of Thanh Hoa Women’s Club in Ho Chi Minh City

DNHN - The “Thanh Hoa Culinary Quintessence Festival 2024” is anticipated to contribute to the promotion and dissemination of Thanh Hoa’s culture while upholding Vietnamese women’s tradition of “Excelling in public affairs and managing household chores."

The event was attended by leaders of the Thanh Hoa Provincial Association in Ho Chi Minh City - Southern Region and its affiliated clubs and teams; the Go Vap District Military Command; sponsors; and notably, 12 culinary competition teams representing the 27 districts/towns/cities of Thanh Hoa province who are currently studying, living, and working in Ho Chi Minh City and the southern provinces.

This event serves not only as an opportunity for bonding and encouragement among Thanh Hoa women but also as a platform for cultural exchange and interaction between women from Thanh Hoa and other provinces and cities.

During the competition, each team will have 90 minutes to complete a cooking task for 10 people and a maximum of 5 minutes to present the content and significance of their dish. The dexterity, meticulousness, and creativity of the chefs—Thanh Hoa natives living away from their hometown—will be showcased through their dishes, which embody the distinct flavours of their homeland and are presented to the public, diners, and visitors attending the festival.

In addition to the cooking competition, the “Thanh Hoa Culinary Quintessence” festival will feature a variety of other activities, including artistic performances, cultural exchanges, folk games, Muong cultural bamboo dancing, and the display of over 100 dishes, beverages, and local products from the 12 competing teams representing Thanh Hoa City, Sam Son City, Nghi Son Town, Yen Dinh, Dong Son, Nong Cong, Tho Xuan, Ngoc Lac, Ha Trung, Ba Thuoc, Nhu Thanh, and Cam Thuy.

The organising board has set forth criteria requiring each dish to reflect local characteristics, from the selection of ingredients and cooking techniques to the presentation. These distinctive features not only make the dishes unique but also serve as a bridge connecting the cuisine, culture, and people of Thanh Hoa with other regions across the country.

The competition surprised the judges, who highly commended the contestants’ creativity and skill in transforming traditional dishes, resulting in novel and enticing creations. This demonstrates the chefs’ spirit of innovation and creativity, enriching and diversifying Thanh Hoa’s cuisine. Simultaneously, the expectation is to identify outstanding dishes, carefully selected not only to award prizes but also to honour the quintessential values of Thanh Hoa’s cuisine. Based on the established criteria, the judges selected and awarded the First Prize to the Ngoc Lac Association team, the Second Prize to the Nhu Thanh Association team, and joint Third Prizes to the Cam Thuy, Ha Trung, and Sam Son City teams. However, the Sam Son City team donated their entire prize money, while the Nhu Thanh team donated 50% of their prize to support the activities of the Thanh Hoa Women’s Club in Ho Chi Minh City. The competition also served as an opportunity for the club to present 20 Tet gift packages worth a total of 20 million VND in cash to Thanh Hoa women facing exceptional financial difficulties while seeking a livelihood in the South, sponsored by generous donors.

During the competition, the organising board announced the launch of the Thanh Hoa Women’s Club in Ho Chi Minh City (HTWC), an affiliate of the Thanh Hoa Association in Ho Chi Minh City. The club’s members include women from various professions, such as office workers, teachers, business managers, homemakers, and students, who currently reside in Ho Chi Minh City and the southern provinces.

The “Thanh Hoa Culinary Quintessence Festival 2024” is the first significant event to welcome the Lunar New Year 2024 and celebrate the establishment of the Thanh Hoa Women’s Club in Ho Chi Minh City. It serves as a foundation, a source of inspiration, and a driving force for the club’s continued growth, attracting more benefactors and enabling the implementation of even more meaningful humanitarian activities.

H.C