The visiting chefs will demonstrate their countries’ culinary specialties made with herbs and ingredients from Hoi An in the week-long festival that will remain open until Sunday.

On Tuesday, the chefs toured the Hoi An Market to get herbs and other ingredients to make their dishes, and then joined a cozy cocktail party at Vy’s Market Restaurant and Cooking School.

They will join local chefs in introducing traditional dishes from 5-10pm in the park on the Hoai River banks from March 23-26.

Trinh Diem Vy, chairwoman of the festival, will also cook some of Viet Nam’s specialties.

It’s the second time that the festival has been held in the UNESCO-recognised world heritage site of Hoi An.

The event’s organising committee will present awards to the chefs during the closing ceremony at the An Hoi Sculpture Park on Sunday.

Hoi An City has been honoured by the World Association of Chefs as Viet Nam’s Capital of Culinary Arts and Cuisine.

Hoi An Vice Chairman Nguyen Van Son said the festival has become a rendezvous for chefs from around world, giving locals and tourists the opportunity to taste food from different countries while enjoying cultural performances and the lighting of lanterns.

The International Food Festival is the first-of-its-kind in Viet Nam that celebrates global food made with the finest locally sourced ingredients.