From the elaborate and exquisite Bat Trang ceramic feasts created by artisan Nguyen Thi Lam to the journey of reviving Hanoi's cuisine through books and online platforms by journalist Vu Thi Tuyet Nhung, these efforts are contributing to keeping the flame alive and spreading the value of traditional cuisine in contemporary life, so that the deliciousness of Hanoi is not just a memory, but continues to be present, vibrant, and enduring.
Keeping the Bat Trang pottery flame alive!
Preserving the essence of Hanoi's cuisine is not just about preserving the dishes themselves, but more importantly, about preserving the way the people here eat, live, and love, a tradition that has been nurtured over generations.
Artisan Nguyen Thi Lam, the first person in Bat Trang village to be awarded the title of Artisan of Culinary Arts, shared that to enjoy a Bat Trang feast, one must order in advance because the ingredients are not readily available. Furthermore, shopping for ingredients, preparing them, and cooking require a great deal of effort.
Mrs. Nguyen Thi Lam is very proud to have found someone to help keep the flame of the traditional feast alive – her daughter-in-law, Nguyen Thi Thu Hang. Following in her mother's footsteps, Ms. Nguyen Thi Thu Hang never simplifies any step of the process. A complete Bat Trang feast can have up to 50 ingredients; the reason for this elaborate preparation is that this feast used to be a "feast for the wealthy," with each household in the village having a different feast, but those with means demanded meticulous attention to detail down to every leaf of vegetable and sprig of onion...
The "soul" of a traditional Bat Trang feast must be the squid and bamboo shoot soup. This dish is a symphony of forest, mountains, sea, and plains, as it contains a combination of products bestowed by nature, such as dried squid from the former Thanh Hoa province and carefully selected bamboo shoots from the Thanh Bi region (former Yen Bai province).
Bamboo shoots are soaked in rainwater, keeping only the middle section, and then sliced into thin strips like toothpicks. Squid is also cleaned with ginger and rice wine, all the tentacles and membranes are removed, only the body is used, then boiled, cooled to about 40%, then grilled and shredded.
But bamboo shoots and squid alone aren't enough; pork is also essential. The bamboo shoots, squid, and pork are stir-fried together until they absorb the flavors, then the cook adds broth and simmers it. Even if the bamboo shoots are crispy and the squid is sweet, without a rich broth, the dish lacks its soul. Therefore, villagers often choose broth from chicken stock or pork bone broth. However, even with chicken broth, Mrs. Lam skims off the fatty layer on top, using only the clear liquid.
"Seeing is believing," after listening to Mrs. Lam share her recipe, we had the chance to see for ourselves the bowl of bamboo shoot and squid dish, which looked golden and rustic, but tasted rich and deeply sweet.
Spreading the flavors of old Hanoi
Like artisan Nguyen Thi Lam, journalist Vu Thi Tuyet Nhung, former Head of the Culture and Society Department of Hanoi Radio and Television, is also a woman who grew up in the kitchens of the old quarter. She has been striving to preserve and revive traditional Hanoi dishes that have gradually faded away over the years.
With a deep love for food and skillful hands, Mrs. Nhung has revived Hanoi dishes that seemed to have disappeared from modern life, reminding future generations of the refined, unhurried, and affectionate lifestyle of Hanoians of a bygone era through her cookbooks.
Living through the difficult subsidy period, the journalist was meticulously taught about lifestyles and eating habits by her grandmother, mother, and aunt. Therefore, stories revolving around traditional dishes don't begin with dry culinary theories, but rather from the warm kitchen – a place that holds family memories and, more importantly, a place that preserves the lifestyle of the people of Thang An (Hanoi) in the past.
“Hanoi: Ancient Flavors and Traditional Tastes” is a three-volume work that takes readers back to the eating habits of Hanoians of the past, along with the changing tastes of today's youth. It presents a meticulous study of the cuisine of the capital city, where each dish is named and given its rightful place in Hanoi's life of the past. These include dried cakes from Lang Ve village, sticky rice cakes from Trieu Khuc village, sticky rice cakes from Tranh Khuc, and bamboo shoots and squid from Bat Trang…
In addition to her books, journalist Vu Thi Tuyet Nhung also strives to spread her love for Hanoi's cuisine through articles regularly posted on the Facebook group "Hanoi's Old Flavors and Flavors," which has attracted over 23,000 members in more than four years since its launch.
“In the early days, I was almost the only one writing the articles. Gradually, fellow journalists, Hanoi enthusiasts, and members of the group joined in sharing. Many traditional dishes that were rarely seen in modern life were revisited and instructions on how to make them were provided. One young person learned how to cook duck with vinegar dressing, made it themselves, and then took photos to post. The recreated dish was even more visually appealing and refined, surpassing the original version by the author,” Ms. Vu Thi Tuyet Nhung enthusiastically shared.
With each post, the effort to preserve Hanoi's cuisine goes beyond simply "practicing," and also inspires a continuation and retention of the essence of the capital's dishes.
When asked about the difficulties, Ms. Vu Thi Tuyet Nhung slowly shared: "The biggest difficulty lies in the fact that many people today no longer have the opportunity to experience traditional dishes. Especially young people, or those who have lived in Hanoi for many years but come from families that did not have the means to maintain old customs, they feel strange and unfamiliar when they hear about these dishes."
In the context of today's youth having many opportunities to experience global cuisine, "if we don't preserve our identity, Hanoi cuisine in particular and Vietnamese cuisine in general will find it very difficult to spread to the world," the woman from the Old Quarter confided.
The efforts are not limited to individuals like artisan Nguyen Thi Lam and journalist Vu Thi Tuyet Nhung; promoting the value of Hanoi's cuisine has gradually been placed within the city's cultural and tourism development strategy. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Hanoi Department of Culture and Sports have implemented many activities to honor traditional dishes, viewing cuisine as an inseparable part of the capital's identity.
Numerous food festivals are organized, bringing together reputable culinary establishments and contributing to promoting Hanoi's cuisine to tourists from near and far. In particular, the launch of the "Hanoi Food Map" on December 19, 2025, will allow tourists to explore and experience the capital's culinary scene for themselves. However, for this value system to truly flourish, greater connection is needed between policies, researchers, artisans, and the community so that cuisine not only appears in festivals but also thrives sustainably in today's urban life.
Source: https://hanoimoi.vn/no-luc-giu-lua-va-lan-toa-nhung-mieng-ngon-ha-noi-729976.html
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