Once the sous chef of a five-star hotel in Hue and a multiple award-winning chef, Tran Huy Cuong took an unexpected turn in his career, venturing into entrepreneurship in his 50s. Driven by the desire to “turn simple things into specialties,” he chose the figs as the starting point for his journey to bring Hue’s traditional culinary products to Vietnamese dining tables and beyond.

Hue is famous for its delicious cuisine, and the local authorities are actively promoting the brand name “Hue - The Culinary Capital”. However, the city has yet true food tours (Food Tour) in a proper and structured manner.

Drawing from nearly 720 years of Thuan Hoa - Phu Xuan's heritage, Hue boasts a treasure trove of culinary excellence, offering a competitive advantage for tourism in the ancient capital. Becoming a centrally governed municipality brings Hue new opportunities, and alongside its fresh, vibrant identity, people will think of Hue as a culinary city where quintessence converges.

Decision No. 3979/QD-BVHTTDL dated December 10, 2024 of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has recognized the “Van Cu noodle-making craft” being in the National Intangible Cultural Heritage List under the Traditional Handicraft category. This serves as a foundation for building an intangible cultural heritage profile with a national and international vision for Bun Hue (Hue noodles) culinary heritage in the coming time.

TasteAtlas, a food magazine, has just set the list of 50 most worth-experienced culinary cities all over the world in 2024. Notably, 2 places in Vietnam including Hue and Hanoi were named in this list.

From the historical roots of Thuận Hóa - Phú Xuân nearly 720 years ago, Hue has inherited a rich culinary elite resource, offering a competitive edge for the ancient capital tourism. Achieving the status of a centrally governed municipality brings new opportunities for Hue. Alongside its fresh and vibrant developments, Hue is increasingly recognized as a culinary city where quintessence converges.

On November 11th, Hue Tourism College collaborated with Vietnam - Japan Friendship Association of Thua Thien Hue Province to host a seminar and exchange event featuring Vietnamese - Japanese traditional New Year culinary culture.

On the afternoon of October 28th, Hue Tourism College, in collaboration with Cholimex Foods, held the fifth season of the “Search for Hue Culinary Ambassadors” competition, themed “Hue cuisine - Convergence of essence,” for the year 2024.

Many renowned dishes representing various regions have been recognized as National Intangible Cultural Heritage, such as Quảng noodles of Quang Nam province and the craft of making phở of Nam Dinh province. In light of this information, diners are asking where bún bò Hue (beef noodle soup) stands on the culinary map and why it has not been recognized yet.

The distinctive images and flavors of local specialties brought by women’s union (WU) members to contests, or food stores owned by members, are actively introduced and promoted by the Provincial WU and its local branches, contributing to introducing Hue's culinary culture far and wide.