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.

Culinary culture not simply is about food but also contains stories about the vibrant life of indigenous people. In the vast Truong Son mountains, the dishes of Ta Oi, Pa Co, Co Tu ethnic groups are rich with the flavors of the forest from available natural ingredients, combined with age-old secrets, creating unique values found nowhere else.

I was quite surprised to learn that milk sweet soup is a dessert originating from Hue, not a new snack from Saigon - where dairy ingredients are quite popular in delicious dishes for young people.