HCMC - The Australian Consulate General in HCMC held the Taste of Australia 2025 on April 12, a full-day celebration featuring a cooking competition, trade-consumer-education exhibition, and a grand gala dinner, highlighting the growing cultural and economic ties between Vietnam and Australia.

Speaking at the gala dinner, Nguyen Van Dung, vice chairman of the HCMC People’s Committee, described the event as a “dynamic cultural bridge” that helps enhance mutual understanding and explore new business and cultural opportunities between the two countries. Dung also announced that HCMC will organize a series of trade, investment, and cultural promotion activities in Sydney, Melbourne, and Darwin in May to further boost bilateral engagement. Australian Consul General in HCMC Sarah Hooper noted that this year’s Taste of Australia comes at a meaningful time, as Vietnam and Australia recently elevated their relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. “This gala celebrates our friendship and collaboration through food, education, culture, and people-to-people connections,” she said.

Earlier in the day, a cooking competition brought together Vietnamese chefs who used Australian ingredients to create innovative dishes that blended the culinary traditions of both countries. The contest aimed to promote Australian food products and foster creativity in Vietnam’s food and hospitality sector. Running in parallel with the gala, the Taste of Australia exhibition at The Reverie Saigon featured more than 30 booths showcasing a wide range of premium Australian products. These included truffle mushrooms, Manuka honey, seafood, meats, cheeses, wines, and offerings from Australian educational institutions. The Taste of Australia program, held annually by the Australian Consulate General in HCMC, aims to deepen bilateral cooperation across key sectors while promoting people-to-people links through culinary and cultural.