Tastes of the Golden Land : Myanmar Traditional Food Competition in Mandalay

The Tastes of the Golden Land 2026 Mandalay traditional food competition and exhibition opened at the Mandalay Convention Centre on Saturday. The event was jointly organized under the supervision of the Ministry of Hotels, Tourism and Culture and the Myanmar Restaurant Association (Mandalay Zone).

Vice President Daw Nan Ni Ni Aye attended the opening ceremony, and delivered a speech, saying that the event aims to promote Myanmar traditional food internationally, attract more foreign tourists through food tourism, and showcase Myanmar cuisine to international standards.

She highlighted the diversity of traditional foods from different regions and ethnic communities and said Myanmar has strong potential for gastronomy tourism. She also encouraged to organize the event regularly and expand it to include international tourists.

The Vice President and senior officials also presented certificates and awards to sponsors, participating restaurants and hotels, as well as judges. The Mandalay event, now in its second year, showcases traditional dishes, local products and modern culinary creations from Upper Myanmar.

Chefs and food businesses were encouraged to preserve traditional flavors while focusing on modern presentation, freshness, cleanliness and healthy food preparation.

The two-day event will continue until August 23. It features traditional food competitions, food exhibitions and sales, discussions with experienced food industry professionals, entertainment programs and lucky draws. A total of 11 teams competed in the competition, while 141 booths are displaying and selling food and related products.