This is the second holding of the festival, following on from the success of the first last year. It aims to promote the culture of Hanoi and be an opportunity for cultural exchanges between regions throughout the country, contributing to tourism development in Hanoi in particular and in Vietnam in general.

This year’s festival will introduce specialties not only from Hanoi but also from the northern, central, and southern regions to domestic and foreign visitors through various activities.

About 50 to 70 booths are expected, with a theme of countryside villages, featuring delicious traditional dishes from around the country and gathering together artisan chefs nationwide. Along with enjoying the food, visitors can also watch the cooking process and the cooking skills of local cooks from various areas.

There will be a space with children’s food and an exhibition introducing the history of Vietnamese cuisine and the dining culture of the three regions from the past to the present.

Cuisine and cultural specialists and Hanoi researchers will also hold talks with visitors, and there will also be a range of artistic performances and folk games.

This year’s festival is expected to attract the participation of cities and provinces such as Thai Binh, Hai Phong, Hung Yen, Ha Giang, Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Hue, Khanh Hoa, Can Tho, Tay Ninh, Ben Tre, and Ho Chi Minh City.

Last year’s festival featured renowned dishes from Hanoi like “pho”, “cha ca” (grilled fish), “banh chung” (square glutinous cake), and “com” (young sticky rice) from Me Tri village in Nam Tu Liem district, “xoi” (steamed sticky rice) from Phu Thuong village in Tay Ho district, “gio cha” (steamed ground meat) from Uoc Le village in Thanh Oai district, and “banh cuon” (steamed rice rolls) from Thanh Tri district, among others. It welcomed about 70,000 visitors.