Vietnamese student in Australia launches YouTube food channel

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Nguyen Khanh Vuong Anh, who is studying cooking arts at Le Cordon Bleu in Sydney, cooks banh xeo (sizzling rice pancake with pork and shrimp) in a video clip shot in the Mekong Delta. — Photo courtesy of Vuong Anh

The videos of Nguyen Khanh Vuong Anh, who is studying cooking arts at Le Cordon Bleu in Sydney, depict breathtaking views from the northwest uplands to Mekong Delta, showing locals’ daily life and work as well as the culture and gastronomy of different regions.

At each destination, Vuong Anh gives instructions on how to prepare a special dish from locally grown ingredients found at markets in each region.

Such specialties include duck salad at Cao Phong in Hoa Binh Province, Moc Chau grilled pork and calf roll in Moc Chau Plateau, grilled quail in Tua Chua of Dien Bien Province, black-boned chicken stewed with veggies in Lai Chau Province, and hotpot of sturgeon in Sapa.

Between December 2017 and June 2018, she made 14 videos for Vuong Anh’s Cooking Journey.

This September, she will head for the northeastern region to make new videos and continue her journey to all cities and provinces across the country. Each clip lasts for five to six minutes and is introduced in English.

“Initially, I planned to visit the northwest to learn about two well-known spices locally known as mac khen and cham cheo to enrich my knowledge about ingredients, but then I changed my mind. I wanted to not only look into food ingredients but also to capture special cultural traits, beautiful venues, and good food to introduce to international friends,” she said.

Vuong Anh said that she inherited her love for cooking and tourism from her mother, culinary artist Doan Thi Thu Thuy.

“Three years ago, when reading my mother’s book Hanh Trinh Mon Viet (Journey of Viet Foods), which introduces delicious dishes from the south to the north, I was inspired to make a journey all over the country to study the nation’s cooking arts.

“When she found out about my intention to visit the northwest, my mom encouraged me to make a fully fledged programme with video clips in English to introduce Vietnam to the world,” she said.

Regarding her long-term plan for Vuong Anh’s Cooking Journey, she said she not only wants to show the world the country’s beauty spots and fine dishes, but also organise similar programmes abroad to introduce her friends in Vietnam to beautiful places and good food from other parts of the world.

Her YouTube channel can be seen at https://youtu.be/CAgyqvcamGA.