Culinary specialties from all across Vietnam converge in Saigon exhibition

By Sen September 27, 2019 | 05:44 pm PT

A booth of Son La Province in the northern highlands at the exhibition in Saigon, September 26-29, 2019. Photo acquired by VnExpress.

Food buffs can indulge themselves in specialties from 45 provinces and cities in Vietnam at a September 26-29 exhibition in Saigon.

Thousands of the finest dishes from these places are presented at 450 booths at the Tan Binh Exhibition and Convention Center on 446 Hoang Van Thu Street, Tan Binh District.

The event, named "Connecting Supply with Demand", has attracted more than 2,300 businesses bringing a wide range of specialties from the northern, central, Central Highlands and southern regions.

Visitors can take home many items favored across the country including edible swift bird’s nest, lotus leaf tea, royal jelly, ginseng wine and sesame cakes.

Residents have been thronging the exhibition and buying the items on sale, especially those not normally available, like flavored, dried beef and buffalo meat from the northern mountainous region, dried tuna from Phu Yen Province and cashew nuts grown in the Central Highlands.

These highly nutritious nests were once a luxury item reserved only for kings and emperors. Now, in the modern era, more people have access to them, though not everyone can afford them at VND20-100 million ($860-4,300) a kilo. Photo by Hoang Hac

These highly nutritious swift bird's nests were once a luxury item reserved only for emperors. Now, in the modern era, more people have access to them. Photo by VnExpress/Hoang Hac.

Ly Kim Chi, chairman of Ho Chi Minh City Food and Food Association, said the event would open up opportunities for businesses to exchange and share information as well as for domestic brands to develop and expand their reach.