Japanese students are amazed by the taste of Hue cuisine

Recently, a group of students from Kyoto Seika University (Japan) had the opportunity to visit Hue and join students from the University of Sciences , Hue University to participate in a workshop to experience local culture with the theme: "Traditional market architecture in a modern context".

The workshop took place over 4 days, with Vietnamese and Japanese students divided into groups to get to know each other. To quickly become friends with their group mates, Anh Thu, Thu Ha and Tan Dat proactively invited two Japanese friends, Fuji Hina and Noguchi Taiki, to explore the cuisine at Dong Ba market. Here, the Japanese friends had experiences with the cuisine and people of Hue.

“I was invited by my Vietnamese friends to eat banh loc, bun bo, che Hue ... These dishes were so delicious that I kept exclaiming “oishii” (so delicious). Especially the che bot loc wrapped in roasted pork had a strange flavor, because I had never tried anything like it before. I was also impressed by the friendliness and hospitality of my three group members and the vendors at the market,” said Fuji Hina.

Next, the students experienced meditation practice at Cat Tuong Quan Monastery. This activity made their Japanese friends feel familiar, because of the similarities with the Zen and tea ceremony culture in the land of cherry blossoms.

Making Sinh village folk paintings by hand - a traditional art form of Hue is the next activity that students experience. This is a famous painting genre from a long time ago, bearing the traditional cultural beauty of the ancient capital and playing an important role in the spiritual life of the people of Hue.

The process of making a Sinh village painting is very elaborate. The painting paper must be diep paper, made from the bark of the dó tree, dried, then covered with a layer of diep (a type of powder from seashells or mussel shells). Each painting is printed from traditional woodblocks, meticulously carved by hand. The colors of Sinh village paintings are all taken from natural materials such as bamboo charcoal (black), red soil (brown), leaves (green)... In the workshop space, the students were guided by artisans step by step to draw the paintings of the 12 zodiac animals.

Vietnamese and Japanese students experience making banh loc together. (Photo: Thua Thien Hue Newspaper)

The final experience of the workshop journey was making banh loc by hand. Students and teachers together performed the steps of kneading dough, making filling, shaping cakes... making the atmosphere in the kitchen always cheerful and filled with laughter.

“The Vietnamese students enthusiastically guided me step by step. We even competed to see which group made the best cake. I was quite confused on the first day, but now I feel very close and connected with everyone. Hue culture and my friends in Hue are really wonderful,” said Kakimoto Miyu, a student in the Japanese group.

Mr. Ayako Fujieda, the leader of the delegation in charge of leading students from Kyoto Seika University, said that the Japanese teachers and students were surprised by the diversity of Hue culture. "Two years ago, I also had the opportunity to lead a group of Japanese students to Hue and visit the Perfume River Ceramic Museum, explore the cuisine and go SUP boating on Tam Giang Lagoon. This year, returning to Hue, I was able to experience many other interesting activities. I was very impressed with Hue culture and the way the teachers and students enthusiastically welcomed us."

The workshop ended with many memorable memories and new friendships. The experiences in Hue not only helped Japanese students understand more about the ancient capital but also connected them with Vietnamese friends. This was not only an opportunity to learn but also a bridge of cultural exchange between the two countries, opening up opportunities for cooperation and sharing in the future. Saying goodbye to Hue, the Japanese students all carried warm feelings and promised to return to continue discovering many interesting things.

Source: https://thoidai.com.vn/sinh-vien-nhat-ban-tram-tro-truoc-huong-vi-am-thuc-hue-206799.html