Hue Cuisine – Exploring the Capital of Vietnam Gastronomy

The ancient capital of Hue is a famous tourist destination not only by the beauty of the Perfume River, Ngu Binh Mountain, historic mausoleums and temples, but also by talented and skillful people who have created a unique cuisine associated with the culture of this beautiful land.

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   Hue Cuisine- The own pride of Hue people

When visiting Hue City, besides admiring beautiful scenery, many tourists choose to do a food tour to enjoy the local dishes. With a long renowned cuisine history, Hue’s food is famous for its mouthwatering taste and fastidious way of decoration.

Hue cuisine is the result of the creative endeavors of many generations and is also the interference of various regions and cultures. Hue cuisine reflects the city’s history, culture, and distinct gastronomic traditions. With more than 1,700 dishes varying greatly from street food, vegetarian food, traditional dishes to royal cuisine, Hue’s food shares the same point of perfection.

Top 10 Hue Specialties Must-Try

1.Hue Beef Noodle- Bun Bo Hue

When it comes to Hue cuisine, most people think about Bun Bo Hue. It is one of the most distinctive dishes of Hue that has been famous for a long time.

The typical flavor of Bun Bo Hue makes it different from other dishes like Pho or noodle soup. It is highly appreciated for its perfect balance of salty, sour, spicy, and sweet taste. This wonderful blend comes from various spices and ingredients, such as lemongrass, chili, pepper, onion, fish sauce, pork blood, a few slices of beef, and most importantly, the fresh vegetables served when tasting it. A salad of shredded banana blossoms, lettuce, basil, and bean sprouts is usually served with Bun Bo Hue. Fish sauce, lime wedges, and fresh chili are also available so that diners can adjust to suit their taste.

2.Mussel rice- Com hen

Most tourists rate mussel rice as the most unforgettable dish when visiting Hue city. The special thing that makes the taste of mussel rice become unique is the mussel water, which is a little strange for people tasting it for the first time.

Mussel rice is a sophisticated dish originating from a land located in the heart of the river of Hue: Con Hen. It is the combination of many ingredients: boiled mussel shells, cold rice, herbs, sliced banana blossoms, chopped mint, chili sauce, fish sauce, peanut, fried pigskin, etc. Nowadays, you can try mussel rice anywhere in Hue, it can be found in small alleys, streets, markets, and restaurants, at a very cheap price.

3.Lemongrass Pork Skewers-Nem lui

The main ingredient that makes Lemongrass Pork Skewers is pureed pork marinated with spices. Then the meat is put into lemongrass skewers and grilled on charcoal stove.

This dish is served with a side of rice paper, lettuce and cucumber slices, rice vermicelli, and fresh herbs. The delicacy of this dish is in the sauce made from dozens of different elements such as ground peanuts, fermented beans, sesame seeds, chopped garlic and chili.

4.Hue crispy pancake- Banh Khoai

Hue crispy pancake is quite like Banh Xeo dish of Southern Vietnam regions. However, Banh Khoai is smaller and the crust is also thicker, and it is distinguished by the crispy texture.

Banh Khoai is made from rice flour and deep- fried in cooking oil. Its fillings include pork, shrimp, and bean sprouts. It is often served with raw vegetables and a small bowl of dipping sauce made from minced lean pork and ground peanuts.

5.Nam Pho Thick Noodle Soup- Banh canh Nam Pho

Banh canh Nam Pho originates in Nam Pho village in Phu Thuong Ward, Hue city.  Nam Pho noodle soup is cooked from rice flour and tapioca flour in a ratio of 3 – 1. A bowl of banh canh Nam Pho is a combination of beautiful colors: white noodles, red fillings (grounded crab and meatballs), and green onion. The dish is usually served with fish sauce and spicy green chili. Compared with ordinary noodle soup, Banh canh Nam Pho has a very special color and distinct flavor that makes you unforgettable.

6.Steamed rice cake- Banh Beo

In Vietnamese, Banh Beo means “water fern cake” because of its resemblance to the shape of a water fern floating on the surface of a lake.

Banh Beo is a simple dish made of rice flour, topped with dried shrimp, oil, and crispy pork skin, and served in small round-shaped cups. It is accompanied by sweet sour fish sauce. This is a popular snack that visitors should give a try when traveling to Hue.

7.Tapioca dumplings- Banh Loc

Tapioca dumpling or shrimp and pork dumpling is made with tapioca flour and filled with shrimp and pork. It is wrapped in banana leaves and steamed until cooked. This specialty impresses your taste with the perfect balance of chewy and sticky. Tapioca dumpling is typically served with a dipping sauce made from fish sauce and sliced green chili.

8.Rectangular Dumpling-Banh Nam

Banh Nam is the same as Banh loc when wrapping it in banana leaves and steamed. However, this dumpling is rectangular and flat, and it is made from rice flour with minced shrimp and pork. Unwrap the dumpling and drizzle it in a bowl of sweet spicy fish sauce is flavorful!

9.Hue Sweet Soups- Che Hue

Among a variety of Hue desserts, sweet soup is well-known for many kinds including both royal and folk. There are more than 36 types of Hue sweet soup, including green bean sweet soup, lotus seed soup, corn sweet soup, grapefruit sweet soup… You can taste different types in most of the sweet soup stalls in Hue city at a very reasonable price.

Hue also has a unique sweet which is roasted pork powder sweet soup. This dish is meticulously created, from pieces of roasted pork cut into small pieces and wrapped with glutinous rice flour. You might find that it’s a little weird, but the taste is unique and worth giving a try.

10.Thin Scallion Pancakes- Banh Ep

This pancake is also a specialty that is only found in Hue. Banh Ep is made with tapioca flour, eggs, minced meat, and scallions. The word “Ep” means to flatten the pancake until it is as thin as possible. It is usually served with vegetables and herbs like pickled papaya, cucumber, and a flavorful fish sauce.

Top 3 Hue Specialties You Can Buy as Gifts

1.Pickled Shrimps- Mam tom chua

Pickled shrimps are a specialty of Hue that you can hardly see in other regions.

A perfect pickled shrimp product must be made from fresh shrimps living in brackish water areas of Hue. Shrimps are packed in glass or plastic jars with a variety of spices such as galangal, sliced garlic, sliced chilies, young bamboo shoots, fish sauce, and so on. Most tourists coming to Hue want to buy a few jars of pickled shrimp to bring back as gifts or to eat gradually.

2.Sesame Candy- Me xung

This is the most popular snack that visitors often buy for their friends and family as a gift. Sesame candy is usually hand-made, based on the mix of peanut, sesame, and maltose sugar. Sesame candy impresses your taste buds with the sweetness of sugar, crunchiness of peanuts, and distinctive flavor of sesame.

3.Fruit-shaped Mung Bean Cake- Banh dau xanh trai cay

Another kind of cake in Hue is fruit-shaped mung bean cake that used to be served for upper class in former society. These cakes nowadays are widely sold in many local markets and have become a specialty of Hue that was bought by tourists as gifts for their children. As the name says, the cake is shaped into miniature versions of popular fruits and vegetables such as oranges, mangoes, star- fruits, peaches, etc.

During your trip to Hue city, it would be a pity if you did not make a food tour to taste local cuisine and buy some Hue specialties as gifts for your loved ones. Each dish of Hue seems to contain the hearts of local people and will leave you with beautiful memories of the ancient capital.