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Press Conference: ASEAN Food Festival 2019 Is Set To Be Held In Mandalay During August

7 August 2019
10521
2019-08-07 16:48

A very first ASEAN Food Festival 2019 is set to be held on 17th and 18th of August at Mandalay Convention Centre, Theik Pan Street in Mandalay.

The festival will be organized by Myanmar Restaurant Association under the direction and support of the Ministry of Hotels and Tourism and Mandalay Regional Government. It intends to promote the culinary delicacies of Asia to international visitors. It also aims to offer them a memorable food tour of participating countries. A press conference for this event was held in Yangon on Wednesday.

Director, Ministry of Hotels and Tourism, Zeyar Myo Aung said “ASEAN and other Asian countries including China, Japan, Korea and India will showcase their traditional foods at the festival. Gastronomic tourism which is a type of tourism that is based on visiting food producers, food festivals, restaurants and special places in order to taste a special type of food, to watch a food processing or to eat a food cooked by a famous chef, becomes quite popular today. So, we plan to introduce our traditional foods to the World. We are also planning to organize this kind of festival not only in Mandalay but also other regions such as Bagan, Central Myanmar and other significant regions in Myanmar in the upcoming years.”   

Senior Vice Chairperson (2), Myanmar Restaurant Association, Tin Mar Myint said “We are promoting to raise our traditional handicrafts, souvenirs and foods which are from each regions and state in Myanmar to the International level through this festival. We also promote to make our Myanmar traditional foods with the high standard International level. We will also make Myanmar traditional foods to the foreigners who come into our country. Also, this event is the cultural exchange program between Asian countries' foods and our traditional foods. By organizing such event, our traditional foods including destinations and regional tourism sector will become well-known and will give many benefits.”          

The ASEAN Food Festival is a celebration of the variety of cuisines of Asia. With various activities planned during the 2-day festival and food counters offering a taste of traditional cuisines, the festival promises to be exciting and fun. Over 100 booths will also be displayed at the event.

Senior Vice Chairperson (2), Myanmar Restaurant Association, Tin Mar Myint said “A total of 15 zones such as Kachin, Kayah, Kayin, Chin, Mon, Myanmar, Rakhine, Shan, Mawlamyine, Kyaikto, Myeik, Dawei, Pyin Oo Lwin and other regions will show their various traditional foods, souvenirs and crafts. There will also be entertainment programs such as traditional dance and cooking performances at the festival. Myanmar Chefs Association, Myanmar Coffee Association and Bartender Association Myanmar will showcase their various items. Modern Traditional Design base in collaboration with ASEAN countries, serving authentic traditional food mixed with Southeast Asian cuisines, Traditional performances, music, games, and bar tenders show would also be associated at the event.”

Chairman, Myanmar Chefs Association, Oliver E Soe Thet said "We have around seventy chefs from all over Myanmar coming to Mandalay to join the ASEAN Food Festival. We have from Rakhine State Chefs. They will cook to this new southern Rakhine cook book to promote Rakhine especially southern Rakhine and Ngapali. We have a chef from Naypyitaw coming. Our artists visual to the ice carving and food carving together with the Mandalay Chefs. We have also have a food carving section where the public can learn and participate onto the food carving..."      

The festival will be attended by locals, international tourists, delegates from Myanmar’s government ministries, officials from the Mandalay regional government, ambassadors from ASEAN member states as well as other participating Asian countries, and representatives of Myanmar Restaurant Association, Myanmar Chefs Association and Myanmar Tourism Federation.

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