Nguyen Thi My Duyen, 30, said: “I love the peaceful life in the countryside and I want to discover the cultural beauty of different areas. I also have a passion for food, and I usually cook for the family."

After gaining initial achievements in life, she decided to create a YouTube channel about the cultural and culinary values of the countryside.

Four years after setting up the YouTube channel, My Duyen has posted 200 videos showing the food and culture of the Mekong Delta, attracting 106 million viewers. Each video, lasting 15-20 minutes, introduces delicious dishes and original specialties in Ben Tre, Bac Lieu and An Giang provinces.

Duyen said before the Covid-19 pandemic broke out, she and co-workers often went to Mekong Delta provinces and filmed in many areas.

Their first destination was Mo Cay Nam district in Ben Tre province. They had to search every corner to find a thatched house to use as a backdrop, but in return, they were fortunate to be enthusiastically supported by the homeowner.

After the pandemic ended, she decided to build a thatched house in the countryside for filming. The house is the place for her and co-workers to relax on weekend.

Duyen said it takes her one or two days to produce a video.

Not only having to prepare materials, she also has to learn how to prepare and season dishes to be sure they bear the original taste, because "Vietnamese food is so diverse and people in different areas apply different recipes".

It takes time to prepare materials to process dishes.

“Ba Tri, the area where I live, doesn’t have many fruit trees. In order to shoot a video about fruit, our team had to travel tens of kilometers to Chau Thanh district to film farmers harvesting fruit, and then return to our hometown to film workers processing the fruits,” she recalled.

Every month, she spends 7-10 days to produce videos posted on the YouTube channel every Wednesday. She said the videos will help her grandchildren better know about  current life.

Thao Trinh