Cuisine brings Vietnam, Australia closer

The annual Taste of Australia program opened in Ho Chi Minh City the same day, scheduled to run until late April.

This highly anticipated event showcases Australia as an innovative and creative nation, highlighting the quality and excellence of Australian products while fostering collaboration between Australian and Vietnamese industries.

Speaking at the media launch, Australian Consul General Sarah Hooper said that food creates connections across cultures, starts conversations, and helps people better understand one another.

“In that sense, Taste of Australia is about friendship and about the growing connection between Vietnam and Australia,” she stressed.

The program is also a platform to build business links, strengthen cultural exchange, and connect Vietnamese consumers and firms with premium Australian products that are readily available in the local market, she elaborated.

At the event, Michelin-starred chef Sam Tran, the Taste of Australia 2026 champion, performed a cooking demonstration, showcasing dishes that combined Australian products with Vietnamese ingredients.

“I have extensive experience using premium Australian products to create innovative Vietnamese fusion dishes, and I look forward to bringing these inspirations to Taste of Australia this year,” said chef Sam.

Taste of Australia 2026, a celebration of Australia as an innovative, creative, and high-quality producer of food and beverages, brings together nearly 90 partners and sponsors across both countries, spotlighting the strength and diversity of Australia-Vietnam collaboration.

This year’s program features a fantastic line-up of activities, including the Taste of Australia Restaurant Promotion running from March 28 to April 26, an expo slated for April 18, and a gala reception on April 18.

The restaurant Promotion program attracts the participation of 11 restaurants, hotels, and food & beverage chains in Ho Chi Minh City.

As such, diners can enjoy special dishes and menus featuring Australian ingredients.

Also, the Taste of Australia Expo will offer a vibrant exhibition where attendees can sample and purchase a diverse selection of premium Australian food, beverages, and other products and talk to representatives of world-class Australian education providers.

Taste of Australia 2026 celebrates Australia’s diversity

“Australia is proud to be a diverse and open society, where people from different backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives are welcomed, and where those differences are seen as a source of strength, creativity, and innovation,” said the consul general.

“Chef Sam, the first Vietnamese woman to win a Michelin star, is Taste of Australia’s first female champion, highlighting our theme of diversity."

She noted that diversity helps shape excellence across many fields, including food, hospitality, and creative industries.

“Australia’s diversity is also reflected in our food culture – the ingredients we grow, the produce we export, and many culinary traditions that shape how Australians cook, eat and share meals," Hooper said.

Diversity can also be seen through the bilateral relationship between Australia and Vietnam – where the two governments are working together to strengthen cooperation across wide-ranging priority sectors, including economic engagement and trade, education and skills development, climate, environment and energy cooperation, science, technology, innovation, and security and defense.

In 2024, bilateral trade reached over AU$22 billion (US$15.4 billion), reflecting the strength and complementarity of the two economies.

This month marks two years since the establishment of the Australia - Vietnam comprehensive strategic partnership.

“That partnership reflects our shared ambition to deepen cooperation across many fields, and Taste of Australia 2026 is one vibrant example of that in action," said the diplomat.