Five-star Vietnamese beach resort, The Anam, is delighted to launch its ‘From My Family to Yours’ cultural food tour, a new initiative allowing travelling families and groups to experience the daily lives of locals and uncover the country’s fascinating culture and history through its food.
Guests will be matched with Vietnamese families from the neighbouring countryside of Cam Ranh, who will act as their guides for the day tour. The families will introduce travellers to the farms, markets, cafes and shops that form part of their everyday routines, before welcoming them into their homes for an authentic Vietnamese cooking lesson.
After pick up from The Anam by car or Vespa, guests will meet their ‘family for the day’ at a nearby bakery frequented by locals, for a chance to get to know one another over a fresh Banh Mi baguette and a traditional Vietnamese iced coffee. From here, the group will then head to a mat-weaving house, to learn the ancient craft and try their hand at weaving their very own mats.
Accompanied by their host family, guests will then head to a local farmer’s market, herb garden and noodle-making house to gather the necessary ingredients for the afternoon’s cooking lesson. The host family will introduce guests to local farmers and artisans, acting as translators as these pillars of the community offer an insight into their trade.
With straw baskets brimming with fresh produce, guests will then travel to the host family’s home for an authentic Vietnamese cooking class. There will also be an opportunity for any children within the group to play alongside their Vietnamese counterparts and teach one other their favourite games and songs.
During the cooking class, hosts will share their most treasured family recipes which have been handed down through the generations, teaching guests to cook each dish in the traditional way without toning down spice or flavour, just as they would when cooking for themselves.
The dishes, which include bò nướng lá lốt (grilled beef in betel leaf), bún bò Huế (Hue-style beef noodle soup) and bánh xèo (crispy Vietnamese pancakes), will then be served for the group to enjoy together as they share tales and experiences from their respective cultures and family life, before heading back to The Anam with a recipe book to keep along with new memories to be treasured forever.
“The Anam is passionate about providing guests with an authentic experience of local Vietnamese culture”, says the resort’s founder and owner Pham Van Hien, “We are delighted to unveil this new initiative, and it is our hope that guests will not only return home with an impressive repertoire of authentic dishes with which to impress their dinner guests, but with some new friends for life from the other side of the globe.”
The ‘From My Family to Yours’ Cultural Cooking Tour is the latest initiative from the Cam Ranh property to demonstrate an ongoing commitment to supporting the local population and its businesses. The resort recently introduced ‘The Anam Art Trail’, an art and photography tour of the local area by car or vespa to the homes and workshops of the artists whose work adorns the hotel.
