Warm “Doctor White blouses”

Growing up from the fields, steeped in rustic flavors of the countryside - “salty fermented vegetables, sour white eggplant”, yet it was not until my late forties that I first heard of mut ca phao (white eggplant preserves) from Hue. The humble eggplant, so familiar on simple family meals, appears here in an entirely unfamiliar form - a delicately beautiful preserves for the Lunar New Year.

I did not grow up in a family devoted solely to farming, yet my childhood held a clear and gentle chapter shaped by the cycles of rain and sun in my grandparents’ fields. Those years, and the memories they carry, have left a lasting mark, so that even now, I am stirred by an inexpressible emotion whenever I see farmers busily preparing for a new sowing season.

In this weekend’s edition, Hue Today Weekly would like to present a collection of photos taken by Anh Le, a photographer, designed to stir the senses of readers near and far with dishes rich in Hue flavors.

After days of floods, Hue welcomes the cold along with light, lingering rain, in between dry days and occasional sunshine. Once again, Hue gently returns to its peaceful rhythm of everyday life, preparing itself as best as possible to welcome the New Year 2026.

People say that after days submerged in floodwater, when the water recedes, the ground is left with a dull, gloomy gray. Yet it is within that muted palette that the resilient life force of nature begins to sprout - taking root, greening again, and stirring with new vitality through the caring hands of the city’s green-park workers.