Taking Vietnamese spices global: Lessons from Dh Foods

From experiencing different tastes to taking Vietnamese flavors further

In a recent post, Nguyễn Trung Dũng, founder of Dh Foods, recalled his years in Poland, opportunities to travel through several European countries, and exposure to tastes different from Vietnam’s. Returning home and beginning his Dh Foods journey brought a different task: finding ways to introduce Vietnamese flavors to more markets.

According to Dũng, Dh Foods seasonings are now present in more than fifteen markets, including Japan, South Korea, Australia, the UK, Germany, and the Netherlands. Yet each market has different tastes, habits, and responses to products.

The same product can be chosen for very different reasons

Vietnamese consumers may immediately recognize which dish a seasoning is for. For people unfamiliar with Vietnamese cuisine, businesses also need to explain its use, suitable dishes, and why it can belong in an everyday kitchen.

From a business perspective, the challenge is to retain product identity while helping customers in a new market understand it, try it easily, and find a reason to repurchase.

Packaging, instructions, presentation, and distribution therefore need to be considered alongside product quality. Entering a market is a milestone; becoming a familiar consumer choice there is the next journey.

The Bài Học Kinh Doanh perspective

For founders building Vietnamese brands, this story raises three worthwhile questions:

In what situations will customers in the new market use our product?

What should we retain to differentiate ourselves, and what should we adapt to make the product accessible?

After the first purchase, what will make them choose it again?

Nguyễn Trung Dũng is scheduled to speak at Flavors Conference 2026

On October 10, 2026, Nguyễn Trung Dũng is scheduled to join Flavors Conference 2026 as a speaker on “The Journey of Vietnamese Flavors to the World.” According to his introduction, the session will cover Dh Foods’ practical experience across markets and some new discoveries along the way.

The topic is relevant to people working in F&B, product development, branding, and exports.

Time, venue, and organizer

Flavors Conference is part of Flavors Vietnam, Vietcetera’s F&B platform. In 2026, the event’s theme is “Thời Vị,” connecting identity with shifts in culinary culture.

The conference runs from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 10, 2026 at Le Méridien Saigon, 3C Tôn Đức Thắng, Ho Chi Minh City. All times in this article are Vietnam time.

Nguyễn Trung Dũng’s session is scheduled for 9:10–9:30 a.m. Attendees should arrive early to complete check-in.

Three groups of issues for discussion

According to Vietcetera’s introduction, the event examines changes in taste, diner behavior, and the F&B business environment.

On taste, discussions aim to distinguish short-lived trends from changes worth investing in, while considering health-related needs and sensory experience.

On consumers, the focus is how experience, spaces, and trust influence choices, and how to retain customers as their options expand.

On business, the event addresses cost pressure, operational standardization, expansion, franchising, M&A, and digital transformation. These themes connect the journey of taking spices overseas with operational challenges throughout the F&B ecosystem.

Notable points in the morning schedule

The conference page’s schedule at the time of the update lists check-in from 8:00–9:00 a.m.; opening remarks from 9:00–9:10 a.m.; and a discussion on taking Vietnamese flavors internationally from 9:10–9:30 a.m.

9:30–9:50 a.m.: Upcoming F&B consumer needs; 9:50–10:20 a.m.: Developing value for Vietnamese agricultural products; 10:20–10:35 a.m.: Break.

10:35–11:05 a.m.: Pizza 4P’s expansion experience, balancing identity and adaptation; 11:05–11:35 a.m.: Discussion of diner expectations; 11:35 a.m.–12:50 p.m.: Networking lunch.

The official page introduces speakers including Hao Tran, Nguyễn Trung Dũng, Sakal Phoeung, and Taku Tanaka. These are some announced names, not a complete list. The schedule above covers the morning; consult the program page for full-day updates.

Who can attend, and what do tickets include?

The registration page is aimed at restaurant, bar, café, and hotel professionals; chefs; brand and chain management teams; suppliers, distributors, investors, and industry media professionals.

When checked on October 5, Quickom listed standard tickets at VND 600,000 and VIP tickets at VND 1,500,000. Both provide access to the conference and exhibition area. Standard tickets do not include lunch.

VIP tickets include a networking lunch with speakers and investors, appreciation gifts, and an invitation to the Flavors Awards ceremony. Confirm benefits at the booking step.

Vietcetera’s page states that the Early Bird period has ended. Register through Quickom via the source link below; check the final price, terms, and ticket availability before paying.

Organizations interested in booths, sponsorship, or event inquiries can contact events.rsvp@vietcetera.com, according to the registration page.

BHKD perspective: Attend with a specific business problem

To turn attendance into practical value, founders can prepare a problem they need to solve: customers try but do not return, a product is hard to introduce in a new market, or operations are struggling to keep pace with expansion.

Choose relevant sessions, note assumptions to test, and prepare a short introduction to your product, capabilities, and partnership needs. Afterward, turn one idea into an experiment with an owner and evaluation criteria. This is BHKD’s suggestion, not content already presented by a speaker.

If you were taking a Vietnamese product global, would you start with your existing strengths or the needs of the market you want to enter?

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