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UPCOMING PROGRAM

VIETNAM

TASTING VIETNAM: AN ADVENTURE IN CRITICAL FOOD STUDIES

Vietnam banner 2025 - 2026

HANOI, HUE, HOI AN, AND HO CHI MINH, VIETNAM | 3 or 4-week sessions

  • WINTER (J-TERM) 2025-26: DECEMBER 27, 2025 (ARRIVAL) - JANUARY 17, 2026 (DEPARTURE) [3 weeks]

  • SUMMER 2026: MAY 30, 2026 (ARRIVAL) - JUNE 27, 2026 (DEPARTURE) [4 weeks]

An Immersive Learning Experience Blending History, Cuisine, and Sustainable Innovation

Gustolab International (GLi) is delighted to offer our popular “Taste Vietnam: Critical Food Studies” programs in Vietnam!  Vietnam offers a rich history and culture, making it a stunning social and sensory experience for students. Using a Critical Food Studies perspective, the Gustolab International Vietnam programs explore the distinctive food cultures and systems of Vietnam, which are intensely regional and deeply intertwined with geographical, historical, and economic factors.   

GLi’s Vietnam programs study topics that include agricultural and marine production, processing, consumption, technology, loss, and waste management.  Employing anthropological and sociological tools to critically analyze food systems, students visit villages, markets, growers, manufacturers, chefs, and Vietnamese food and environmental experts to gain insight into food issues and the realities of nutrition and sustainability.  As a field-based experience, students prepare Vietnamese regional cuisines, learn how to “taste,” and understand ingredients and flavors that reflect geographical, historical, and cultural differences in cuisine. They also learn Vietnamese food vocabulary and how to describe the sensory aspects of Vietnamese ingredients and food.

The Vietnam programs aim to understand how food shapes social identities and group formation, analyze regional and class differences in cuisines, and examine how interactions with other societies influence Vietnamese cuisine, while also investigating and imagining sustainable practices for the future.

WINTER (J-TERM) 2025-26 / DECEMBER 27, 2025 - JANUARY 17, 2026

3 WEEKS | 2 COURSES | 10 CREDITS:

  • TWO COURSES:
    • Critical Food Studies: Food Systems in Vietnam 
    • Culinary Vietnam

SUMMER 2026 / MAY 30, 2026 - JUNE 27, 2026 

4 WEEKS | 3 COURSES | 15 CREDITS:

  • THREE COURSES:
    • Critical Food Studies: Food Systems in Vietnam 
    • Culinary Vietnam
    • The Sociology of Vietnam: Conflict, Contradiction, & Change

HIGHLIGHTS OF GLi’s VIETNAM PROGRAMS:

  • FIELD VISITS: Hanoi Street Food, Thai Minority Tea Plantation And Fruit Farms, Banh Chung Village, Hmong Village Farms, Duong Lam Ancient Village, Tra Que Vegetable Village, Cam Thanh Fishing Village, Tra Que Vegetable Village, Tien Giang Rice Processing Factory, Cu Chi Rice Paper Village, Thieng Lieng Island
  • CULTURAL EXPERIENCES: Hanoi City Tour, Trekking To A Hmong Village, Hue City Tour, Imperial City And Emperor Tombs, Bicycle To A Fishing Village, My Son Temple Sanctuary, Bicycle in the Mekong Delta, HCMC City Tour
  • COOKING CLASSES: Northern Staples, Central Seafood, Mekong Delta Cuisine, Your Farewell Dinner
  • SUSTAINABILITY TOPICS: Food Systems, Agriculture And Aquaculture, Urban Development, Environmental Issues, Biodiversity, Safety And Hygiene, Waste Management

LEARNING OBJECTIVES: 

  • Understand the geographical, historical, and economic factors that have contributed to the development of Vietnam’s regional food culture, and critically analyze the country's food systems and socio-cultural meanings.  

  • Discover how to “taste” by preparing Vietnamese regional cuisines, using ingredients and flavors that reflect geographical, historical, and cultural differences in cuisines.
  • Observe Vietnamese agricultural practices, food processing techniques, and culinary preparation methods. 
  • Learn the Vietnamese food vocabulary and how to describe the sensory aspects of Vietnamese ingredients and food.
  • Understand and be able to explain the cuisine of Vietnam through study, fieldwork, and hands-on experience in the kitchen.
  • Investigate and imagine sustainable practices for the future.
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A Country of Incredible Regional Histories and Cuisines

Vietnam is a beautiful country, with a remarkable landscape that unites the mountains with the sea.  For most of its existence, Vietnam was a wet rice agricultural society, primarily centered in village life around the rice paddies.  While Vietnam is steeped in tradition, it has rapidly sought to become a modern industrial society.  This has led to significant issues with food cultivation, production, consumption, and waste management.  You will learn how the Vietnamese are addressing these complex issues to ensure their future.

Vietnamese cuisine is highly regional, reflecting the diverse culinary traditions of the people who comprise the country of Vietnam—its lands, migrations, histories, and politics. Vietnam is a country with a distinctive and recognizable blend of social and cultural expressions, influenced by Vietnamese, Chinese, Cambodian, Cham, French, and American cultures. Even as the Vietnamese have resisted incursions by outsiders, they have also absorbed elements from all these cultures, often adopting their languages, social norms, and culinary traditions.  You will discover and appreciate the great variety of socio-cultural expressions that distinguish each region of Vietnam. 

Vietnamese cuisine can be described as three countries in one bowl: the North, Center, and South, each with its distinctive style. In all cases, rice and noodles are the staples.  In the three primary culinary regions of Vietnam, food is typically eaten fresh, fish sauce is used to season almost every dish, aromatic herbs are frequently used, and small pieces of meat or seafood are often wrapped in lettuce or rice paper. Vietnamese food characteristically combines the raw with the cooked, the cold with the hot, and the soft with the crisp.  Each meal must have certain harmonizing elements to make it complete.  You will be immersed in these varied food experiences, in markets, restaurants, and kitchens, and learning to cook an array of Vietnamese dishes.

Program Supervisor

Jack D. Harris, Ph.D.

◾ Director, Extension Programs & International Development, Gustolab International, LLC

◾ Professor Emeritus in Sociology, Hobart & William Smith Colleges

GLi-logo-orizzontale (2)

About Gustolab International

Gustolab International has been actively involved in educating the public about food systems and sustainability since 2006, when interest in food studies was still in its infancy.  Since 2017, students from partner universities have explored Food Studies through the lens of Vietnam's food culture.

Gustolab International, headquartered in the United States, offers educational programs in Vietnam, as well as in Japan, China, and Italy. Our unique study abroad experience transforms Vietnam into your living laboratory and classroom. Students consistently describe GLi programs as exceptional, both academically and personally. By actively engaging in daily Vietnamese life—exploring neighborhoods, shops, restaurants, and markets—students are fully immersed in an environment that fosters investigation and discovery. Our curriculum is enhanced through fieldwork, special projects, workshops, excursions, and various activities. Students report that navigating unfamiliar territory and adapting to a new international setting cultivates valuable skills, promotes personal growth, broadens their perspectives, and creates future professional opportunities.

 In Italy, GLi’s Borromini Institute has 12 PhD-level professors and collaborates with 50 universities worldwide. Every year, between 300 and 400 students from around the world visit Rome for training programs.

Essential Destinations (Traditional & Modern Perspectives)

🛕 My Son Sanctuary – A journey to this historic Indo-Hindu temple dating back to the 4th to 13th centuries CE.

🎣 Tam Thanh Mural Village – A field trip to the historic fishing village to explore the lives of local fishers.

🌊 Mekong River Delta – Discover the local aquaculture, lives, and society through these vast floating markets. 

Cultural & Culinary Experiences (Hands-on Learning)

🥘 Northern Vietnamese Staples Cooking Class – Master traditional dishes from northern Vietnam in this hands-on cooking class.

🌿 Mekong Dinner Cooking Class – Prepare an authentic Mekong dinner using local ingredients sourced from the floating market.

Courses

Critical Food Studies (Winter & Summer)

The Case of Food Systems in Vietnam (5 Credits)

  • Examine Vietnamese food systems, such as agricultural and marine production, food processing, consumption, technology, loss, and waste. Develop an understanding of the environmental impact on Vietnamese food systems.

  • Hands-on Activities

    Farm, fishery, and village visits that reveal Vietnam's generational food innovation

Culinary Vietnam (Winter & Summer)

Exploration of Vietnam's Culinary Culture (5 Credits)

  • Discover Vietnamese food and how its culinary cultures are intensely regional and deeply intertwined with geographical, historical, and economic factors. Appreciate these factors in the context of their historical, ethnic, and social backgrounds.

  • Hands-on Activities

    Farmers' market field trips and cooking classes, prepare local ingredients for your meals

The Sociology of Vietnam (Summer)

Conflict, Contradiction & Change (5 Credits)

  • Explore Vietnam's diverse social landscape and intricate history, culture, and social dynamics.  Gain a deep appreciation of what it means to be Vietnamese with a focus on social institutions to identify signs of change, conflict, and consensus. 

  • Hands-on Activities

    Extensive travel throughout the country, meet with local residents, foster firsthand understanding of both historical and contemporary issues

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Application

We welcome applications from university students (both undergraduate and graduate) and independent scholars or professionals from all fields of study. 

Vietnamese language proficiency is not required.

Eligibility:

Undergraduate and graduate students are required to have a minimum GPA of 2.5 and maintain a good academic and social standing at their home university. 

If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Enrollment Fee:

  • Winter (J-Term) 2025-26
    • Early Enrollment: $4,250 USD
    • Regular Enrollment: $4,750 USD
  • Summer 2026
    • Early Enrollment: $5,250 USD
    • Regular Enrollment Fee: $5,750 USD

Application Deadlines:

  • Winter (J-Term) 2025-26
    • Early Application Discount: September 1, 2025
    • Regular Application: November 3, 2025
  • Summer 2026
    • Early Application Discount: February 2, 2026
    • Regular Application: April 6, 2026


Program Fees Include:

  • Local accommodations
  • Special program lunches and dinners
  • Course materials and guided field visits
  • Local transportation for study trips

Credits :

Students can earn university credits upon completion of all course obligations by passing the final assessment. It is recommended that you consult your university advisor to discuss studying abroad and to ensure you receive full academic credit, either directly from them or through transfer credits. 

Transfer credit transcripts are available through Portland State University for a transcript fee of $600.  

All participants are awarded an official Certificate of Attendance.

Program Cancellation :

Failure to recruit a sufficient number of students will result in the cancellation of the program.

For more information contact :

Jack D. Harris, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus
Director, Extension Programs & International Development
Gustolab International, LLC
28 College Avenue
Geneva, New York 14456 USA
+1-315-521-1387
jack.harris@gustolab.com