The
head of the Institute of Vietnamese Gastronomic Research wants the 23^rd
of the 12th lunar month to be designated “Ngay Bep Viet” or Vietnamese Stove Day
in honour of Ong Tao, the Kitchen God.

According to
traditional belief, the Kitchen God returns to heaven on that day every year to
report to the creator about all households on earth during the past year.

The Institute, along
with Saigontourist Hospitality College, MINT Culinary School, and others also
has a programme to popularise Vietnamese cuisine globally called “Together Build
Vietnamese Stove in the World.”

A meeting they held
last weekend to discuss plans for the programme’s second year attracted more
than 100 gastronomy and nutrition professors, members of the Saigon Professional
Chef Association, and heads of restaurants in HCM City.

“Using the Kitchen
God’s Day to popularise Vietnamese cooking will remind everyone about their mission
to develop Vietnamese cuisine as the nation’s pride,” Nguyen Nha, the head of
the Institute, said.

Individuals and
organisations who join the programme should help each other not only on
Vietnamese Stove Day but also during the rest of the year to promote Vietnamese
cuisine to food lovers around the world, he said.

“Tourist companies
should be close fellow-travellers with Vietnamese restaurants in helping
international tourist enjoy special local foods, ” he said.

The Institute took the
initiative to launch the “Together Build Vietnamese Stove in the World” and
apply to UNESCO for recognition of Vietnamese cuisine as an intangible cultural
heritage.

Under the programme,
it offers courses for foreigners who want to learn how to cook Vietnamese food
and for Vietnamese who plan to go abroad to work or study.

It is also teaming up
with local firms to export Vietnamese cooking utensils.

VietNamNet/Viet
Nam News