Hue lotus rice

"Busy season" of titles

Over a cup of familiar salted coffee, it is a great pride that the drink I am drinking has appeared on the American news site CNN. Without using too many beautiful words, this famous news site still makes Hue people proud when it says that on social networking sites, there are more and more articles sharing how to order a drink of Vietnamese origin at a large coffee chain originating from the US. What these customers need is salted coffee.

Through a few lines of description, CNN shared, Ca Phe Muoi (Salt Coffee) - a small, simple coffee shop in the ancient capital of Hue is known as the place where this drink was created. Salt coffee is made by adding sweetened condensed milk to Vietnamese coffee, topped with salty cream, and can be drunk hot or with ice. Vietnamese salt coffee is becoming a new culinary trend. In the US, many people try to customize their coffee to resemble this drink.

The story of salted coffee in American newspapers may be the first time, but Hue cuisine is not unfamiliar in the world 's newspapers. A few months ago, along with Vietnamese beef stew and grilled pork broken rice, Hue beef noodle soup was listed in the "Top 100 best breakfasts in the world " by the international culinary magazine Taste Atlas. This introduction to the standard taste of Hue beef noodle soup was described in detail by Taste Atlas, the most notable thing is the 50th position for Hue beef noodle soup in the top 100 best breakfasts in the world .

Speaking highly of the brand of Hue cuisine, Mr. Le Tan, Vice President of the Vietnam Culinary Association, confidently said: “Hue cuisine will continue to have a bumper crop of titles. The sophistication and uniqueness of Hue cuisine is beyond dispute because its value and position have been established in the hearts of tourists from all over the world. In the past few years, the press from all over the world has never forgotten to mention Hue cuisine.

In 2023, after Hue was listed in the top cities with the best food in the world 2023 - Best Food Cities in the World, Hue continued to be the locality to be "named" when it had two culinary dishes and gift specialties that set Asian records in 2023 - 2024: mussel rice and sesame candy. The journey to evaluate Hue's culinary brand has probably gone through a very long time, it is the most genuine feedback from tourists from all over the world that has made the press everywhere have to dedicate their pens and ink to praise Hue's delicacies as culinary quintessence.

Vegetarian dishes are one of the characteristics of Hue cuisine.

All the delicacies of the world

Having the opportunity to chat with European and Asian tourist groups, I am often interested in what has become the “most attractive invitation” that makes them choose Hue as their destination. Cuisine! That is the most favorable feedback I receive besides the landscape, culture and heritage. A tourist from Spain even humorously said: “Hue cuisine is so diverse and attractive. I come to Hue to taste all the delicacies of the world”.

The Spanish tourist’s sharing may sound “big and heavy”, but it is actually well-founded. In the treasure trove of nearly 3,000 dishes of the whole country, Hue cuisine accounts for more than 65%, with two main culinary lines: royal cuisine and folk cuisine. Many dishes originating from the royal court during the feudal period, originally reserved for the emperors, are elaborately prepared, beautifully presented, and elevated to the level of a work of art.

Going back in history, Hue was once the center of Dang Trong during the Nguyen Dynasty for several centuries, and by the 19th century, it was a prosperous and urban capital, and for nearly a century and a half it was the capital of Vietnam. In that context, chefs were born who prepared extremely sophisticated dishes that were likened to delicacies served in the royal palace. Today, when looking for new experiences in the ancient capital, visitors do not need to spend a lot of time searching for "Royal food" dishes; when coming to Hue, they can easily enjoy "royal meals".

The dishes are beautifully decorated to serve diners.

Hue people are famous for their culinary skills, so not only do the top artisans create culinary masterpieces, but every common dish also has a rich flavor. Mr. Yvan, a Canadian tourist who had the opportunity to enjoy the skills of a rural chef during a community tour at Thanh Toan tile bridge, said: “I have to use all my senses to be worthy of enjoying these delicious dishes. The aroma that reaches our nose, the sound of the chef cooking makes us excited, the presentation is very beautiful and especially when enjoying it, we don’t want to spend time doing anything else.”

As a gourmet and curious person, Mr. Yvan believes that Hue people create dishes as a way to express their philosophy of life with a variety of sour, spicy, salty, sweet, bitter, astringent flavors... but each flavor is unique and worth trying. As for vegetarian cuisine, Hue people also encapsulate philosophy and a bit of spirituality in addition to the delicious taste.

I asked Mr. Yvan, how did he know about Hue cuisine? This Canadian visitor replied: “Hue cuisine is famous everywhere, appearing in famous newspapers and magazines around the world”. On each trip, tourists from different countries give feedback and evaluations about the quality and service of the destinations, which is the basis for travel enthusiasts to learn more about. And, when Hue cuisine wins the hearts of tourists, they will not hesitate to give 5-star ratings to the delicious dishes of this land. That is also the basis for newspapers and magazines to refer to when conducting surveys and ranking assessments.

Hue cuisine, as shared by Mr. Yvan and many international tourists, is a typical cultural feature of the land of Huong River and Ngu Mountain. When mentioning Hue's delicious dishes, everyone wants to enjoy them even once and remember them for a long time.

Huynh Phuc