By Viet Nam Embassy in the Hague
The Embassy of Viet Nam in the Netherlands attended the Embassy Festival which taken place at Lange Voorhout, The Hague on September 3, 2022. This is a prestigious cultural event organized annually by the event organization Prooost in collaboration with the city government of The Hague. After 2 years of the Covid-19 pandemic, this event was attended by nearly 50 embassies and attracted thousands of visitors. Besides foods, visitors can enjoy music performances, martial arts and traditional costumes from ethnic groups around the world.
Vietnam’s pavilion is located in the area of 5 ASEAN countries booth which included Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines, creating a highlight of ASEAN’s cohesion. This place is also one of the most crowded areas of the festival, which is visited and supported by a large number of visitors. In particular, the ASEAN culture and cuisine corner was honored to be visited and enjoyed by the Mayor of The Hague, Mr. Jan van Zanen.
Participating in this Festival, in addition to promoting Vietnamese culinary culture through typical dishes such as “bánh mỳ”, “nem”, the Embassy focused on promoting Vietnamese agricultural products through displayed products, from food and beverages such as coffee, fresh coconut water, mung bean cakes, lotus products (dry lotus seeds, lotus tea, lotus root snacks), spices to environmentally friendly non-food products like straws from grass, bamboo.
In particular, Vietnamese coffee imported and distributed in the Netherlands under Vietnamese brands such as Hoi An Roastery and Real Bean has attracted the attention of visitors. Many visitors enjoyed a cup of European-style coffee with 100% arabica beans or a mix of Arabica and Robusta beans with mostly Arabica ingredients which imported from Viet Nam. Especially, Hoi An Roastery coffee beans grew by farmers in Quang Tri Province, supported by Medical Committee Netherlands-Vietnam (MCNV) and developed in Dutch market by a Dutch company.
The group of Vietnamese students in the Netherlands performed a Silk Fan Dance on the background of the music “Beo dat may troi” at one of the three main stages of the Festival, leaving a strong impression on the audience. Many spectators who love Vietnam responded enthusiastically to the performance and lingered to ask for souvenir photos with the dance team.
