Beyond its heritage attractions, Hue is becoming a choice of culinary destination for many travelers. The distinctive local dishes of the former imperial capital are contributing to the formation of a unique appeal for Hue’s tourism.

With many dishes featuring distinctive local flavors, Hue leaves a lasting impression on international visitors. The city’s cuisine is an integral part of its appeal, giving travelers from around the world even more reasons to remember Hue long after their visit.

Among about 3,000 dishes documented nationwide, over 1,700 are believed to be prepared in Hue styles, bearing the distinctive hallmarks of the former imperial capital’s cuisine. This rich culinary heritage is one of the key reasons that Hue has chosen gastronomy as the focus of its application to join the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN).

More than just a place serving authentic dishes from the Ancient Capital, Hue Thuong restaurant in the heart of Osaka, Japan, has become a familiar gathering place for Hue natives living far from home. Through every delicately prepared dish, the restaurant preserves and shares the cultural values and culinary essence of Hue.

The people of Hue, no one knows exactly since when, but on the full moon (15th day) and the first day of each lunar month, many eateries close, and quite a few meat and fish stalls at the market also stop selling. Many places that normally serve meat-based dishes switch to vegetarian food instead.

The cooking class is included as part of Huetourist’s all-inclusive tour package. A local instructor takes the lead in demonstrating the process and helps visitors practice each step themselves. The selected dishes reflect the daily culinary traditions of Hue locals.

As part of the celebrations for Vesak 2570 (Buddhist Era) and Hue Festival 2026, the Vegetarian Food Festival - Hue Festival 2026 officially opened on the afternoon of May 28th (the 12th day of the fourth lunar month) at the riverside area along the Perfume River. The event is jointly organized by the Executive Board of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha in Hue City and the Organizing Committee of Hue Festival 2026.

On May 28 and 29 (corresponding to the 12th and 13th days of the Lunar April), Nguyen Dinh Chieu Pedestrian Street will be transformed into a large-scale and distinctive vegetarian culinary space for the Vegetarian Food Festival - Hue Festival 2026.

Rolling up their sleeves, preparing ingredients by hand, seasoning dishes and enjoying traditional specialties, many international visitors are discovering Hue’s culinary culture in the most intimate way possible.

It took a whole month of scheduling before I could meet the famous Vietnamese-American chef Kevin Tien in Washington, D.C. It’s truly fascinating that in the heart of the U.S. capital, there’s a culinary space called Moon Rabbit - where this young man quietly plants seeds of creativity to bring Vietnamese cuisine to the world and inspire the Vietnamese expatriate community.

In Hue, the traditional Lunar New Year “Tet” does not arrive with fanfare. It begins quietly in the kitchen, from a pot of banh tet (a cylindrical sticky rice cake with mung beans and pork) glowing over the fire, from the warm scent of ginger, from a jar of mixed pickled vegetables. Just by looking at these dishes, people in Hue know that Tet is very near.