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.

On the evening of February 6, at the area in front of the Imperial Academy, Ham Nghi Square, and along 23 Thang 8 (August 23) Street in Phu Xuan Ward, Phu Xuan Ward People’s Committee held the opening ceremony of the “Phu Xuan Tet - Colors and Flavors of the Ancient Capital” program, attracting a large number of residents and visitors.

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.

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.

On November 27, Permanent Vice Chairman of the Hue City People’s Committee Nguyen Thanh Binh had an official meeting with the Organizing Committee of the “100 Flavors - Michelin-Starred Chefs” program.

As a part of 2025 National Tourism Year, the Event Week titled “100 Flavors - Michelin-Starred Chefs” will take place from November 23 to 30 in Ho Chi Minh City and Hue.

Few places boast sweet soups (chè) as colorful as those in Hue. The colors of Hue’s sweet soups are not only visually captivating but also evoke sweet, rich, and tender flavors.

With appealing flavors and unique artistic designs, entremet cakes (a type of dessert originating from France) have gained great attraction and are especially loved by young people, particularly on meaningful celebratory occasions.

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.

Thanks to technology, many delicious dishes from Hue have transcended the borders of their homeland. The unique flavors of the ancient capital are now finding their way to the East and the West, driven by the rise of e-commerce and the entrepreneurial spirit.