On the Lantern Festival (the Full Moon of the First Lunar Month) more than 15 years ago, the most “pure Hue native” friend I know, architect Nguyen Trong Huan, and I put on thin raincoats and walked together through the light, drifting drizzle to search for Hue’s culinary specialties. Having lived in this city for many years, Huan still longed for the flavors he once tasted.

Hue Ancient Capital is a paradise for vegetarian cuisine. On the first and fifteenth days of the lunar month, even restaurants that usually serve meat often switch entirely to vegetarian dishes. This is hardly surprising, given that Hue is one of Vietnam’s major Buddhist centers, a land steeped in spiritual traditions, where eating vegetarian food has become a beautiful cultural feature.

Eating products of the forest, tears welling up. Climbing to the highest hilltops, and trudging under dark forest canopies, mushroom hunters always face many hidden risks, such as being stung by forest bees, bitten by snakes, fallen off motorcycles, or falling into holes..., and often have to endure sudden thunderstorms in the forest. In return, along with the joy and excitement that mushroom hunting brings, many people can earn millions of dong each day to improve their livelihoods.