Vietnamese image displayed through food
By Thoa Nguyen in Hanoi
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| Gourmets try hot pot salmon mixed with vegetables - Photo: Thoa Nguyen |
An ethnic food making contest opened at Ho Tay Lake on Tuesday, starting tourism events for the year of 2010.
The contest attracts 147 contestants from 82 hotels and restaurants from 20 cities and provinces around the country. The event is aimed at improving the 
abilities of chefs, promoting Vietnamese food to tourists and providing a chance for chefs to exchange experiences.
Not only introducing normal dishes, the contest features about 200 typical indigenous dishes. Most dishes are mixed with many kinds of vegetables and tasty sauces and are decorated elegantly and meticulously. Many of the ingredients and vegetables are medicinal.
Some Vietnamese and foreign food experts say Vietnamese food day by day attracts more and more gourmets as its materials are mainly vegetables, beans and seafood with less meat than Western food, less fat than Chinese food and fewer spices than Thai food.
Many foreign tourists call Vietnam a paradise of food and Vietnam is attracting more and more international chefs. “Fish sauce is great served with main dishes and Vietnamese pho is considered one of the best dishes of the world,” said Didier Corlou, French chef of the Metropole Hotel in Hanoi.
When people mention Japan, they will absolutely think of sushi, kimchi for Korea, caviar for Russia and pizza and pasta for Italy. Vietnam is proud of its own diverse cuisine that presents its indigenous culture to tourists.
The event runs until Saturday.