HANOI: The spicy aroma of mala hotpot drifted from the Chinese booth at the second Cultures of the World Festival in Hanoi earlier this month, drawing a long queue of Vietnamese visitors curious to sample its fiery flavours.
The scene was one sign of a growing curiosity about Chinese food in Vietnam, where diners are discovering not only familiar hotpot and dim sum but also the cooking traditions of different Chinese regions.
For some young Vietnamese, the attraction begins with the heat.
Pham Linh Dan, a 19-year-old university student in Hanoi, said she eats at Chinese hotpot chain Haidilao two to three times a week and has also tried several other Chinese-style hotpot restaurants.
Dan, who describes herself as a fan of spicy food, said what draws her to Chinese cuisine is not simply the level of heat, but the way different spices build the flavour.
"Chinese food is not just spicy in an ordinary way. It combines spices such as cinnamon and star anise, which create a kind of spiciness that is different from what we have in Vietnam," she said.
The distinctive taste has also made her curious about the culture behind the food.
"It makes me like Chinese food even more and want to explore more of Chinese culture and cuisine," Dan said, adding that Sichuan would be her first choice if she had the chance to travel to China for food.
That enthusiasm is also reflected in the performance of larger Chinese restaurant brands in Vietnam.
According to data released by Super Hi International, Haidilao generated about US$57 million in revenue in Vietnam in the first half of 2026, up 31 per cent year-on-year and accounting for more than 10 per cent of its global revenue.
But the appetite for Chinese flavours is no longer confined to Vietnam's major cities.
In central Vietnam's Nghe An province, a newly opened restaurant specializing in Jiangxi cuisine has also been drawing local diners as well as visitors from neighboring areas curious about Chinese food.
Nguyen Thu Hien traveled about an hour from neighboring Ha Tinh province to Nghe An and took the opportunity to try Chinese food for a change.
"Before trying it, I thought Chinese food was quite spicy and a little oily," Hien said.
After tasting the dishes, however, she said they were less oily than she had expected and thought the flavours had been adjusted for local diners.
Pham Thi Nhu Quynh, who had previously traveled to south-west China's Yunnan Province and eaten Chinese food there, offered a different perspective.
"I think the food is quite authentic, still oily and spicy," Quynh said, adding that it was neither too sweet nor too spicy for her taste.
For Quynh, seeing more Chinese regional cuisines appear in Vietnam also carries meaning beyond the meal itself.
"I think it is also a way to convey culture, especially food culture, and gives Vietnamese people more diverse choices," she said.
For Wang Shixiang from the Jiangxi Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam, the spread of regional Chinese cuisines to more parts of the country carries a broader cultural meaning.
"We hope to use food as a bridge to preserve and promote Chinese culinary culture, bring Chinese cuisine to the world, and help more people learn about China and fall in love with Chinese flavours," Wang said. - Xinhua
