DISCOVER ROYAL CUISINE FROM SEN HUE

Báo Thừa Thiên Huế•22/06/2023

Following two previous events in 2018 (theme "Legend of a Flower") and 2022 (theme "Lotus - the Essence of Heaven and Earth"), the Hue Lotus Festival 2023, themed "Lotus Beautifies Hue," will be held at Tinh Tam Lake for three days, June 23rd, 24th, and 25th. This is an opportunity to honor the elegant beauty and symbolic significance of the lotus flower in Hue's Buddhist culture in particular, and Vietnamese culture in general, as well as to help visitors appreciate the existing values and spirit of the lotus flower in the court and folk culture of Hue.

The Hue Lotus Festival 2023 includes special performances and activities such as the opening ceremony and cultural performances at the Bong Lai Island stage; booths showcasing lotus products and demonstrations of two lotus- based dishes ; boat trips and photo opportunities on the lotus lake; guidance on brewing and enjoying lotus tea; a talk show on "Hue Lotus Cuisine"; guidance on spinning lotus silk, making Hue lotus lanterns and conical hats; and activities sharing and experiencing 133 Hue lotus rice dishes offered to the king, including instructions on making Hue lotus rice.

Lotus is an endless source of inspiration for both home and professional chefs in Hue to create new dishes. It's a special plant, as every part of the lotus plant—from leaves and stems to roots, seeds, and even the lotus heart—has its own unique applications in cuisine and medicine. Hue's "royal lotus" (lotus offered to the King) is harvested from Tinh Tam Lake, a place with a unique structure: a layer of sand at the bottom and a layer of soft mud on top. This gives the lotus grown there a delicate fragrance, a pure white color, and soft, nutty seeds. Famous dishes made from Hue lotus include lotus seed sweet soup, lotus jam, lotus flower tea, lotus heart tea, longan sweet soup, and lotus leaf rice…; among them, the most luxurious and elaborate are lotus leaf rice and lotus seed and longan sweet soup, two dishes favored by the emperors and nobility of the past.

Steamed rice wrapped in lotus leaves is made from high-quality, round, beautiful rice grains and the freshest lotus seeds. To decorate and enhance the flavor, fried tofu, vegetarian shrimp, vegetarian sausage, green beans, shiitake mushrooms, carrots, etc., are added. Savory rice dishes may also include cinnamon pork sausage, vegetarian sausage, chicken eggs, char siu, Chinese sausage, shrimp, etc., a little of each. Hue chefs skillfully stir-fry the ingredients separately before placing them on top of the rice, then wrapping it in lotus leaves so that the leaf's flavor permeates each grain of rice. Steamed rice wrapped in lotus leaves is the pinnacle of the art of "eating with the eyes" in Hue's royal cuisine.

Longan and lotus seed dessert is a dish originating from the Hue imperial court. Its sweet and refreshing flavor is best enjoyed in precious bowls such as gold-rimmed bowls (for royalty), silver-rimmed bowls, or antique bowls (for officials) to showcase status. The dessert is made from simple ingredients like lotus seeds, longan fruit, rock sugar, and water… but thanks to the distinctive nutty aroma of the lotus seeds from Tinh Tam Lake and the sweet, chewy texture of the Kim Long longan, the dessert has a unique and unmistakable flavor. This dish also demonstrates the skill, meticulousness, and elaborate carving techniques of the ancient imperial chefs, who skillfully placed the lotus seeds into the longan fruit through a small opening.

Lotus is an indispensable part of royal cuisine thanks to its "color," "fragrance," and "flavor," as well as its rich nutritional value and noble character. Attending the "Hue Lotus Festival 2023" will make you love this versatile plant even more!

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