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| Provincial leaders visiting Hue's culinary stalls |
Unique features
In recent years, Hue's tourism - particularly its cuisine - has gained widespread fame on international forums, rankings, and recognition by prestigious organizations. At the end of 2023, Hue was listed among the "Best Food Cities in the World 2023." Shortly thereafter, its signature dishes, such as com hen (mussel rice) and me xung (sesame candy), were awarded Asia records for 2023-2024.
Speaking of Hue, its distinctive culinary traits are inseparable from the city's identity. With two main culinary streams - imperial cuisine and folk cuisine - Hue has left countless visitors enamored. Additionally, Hue's vegetarian cuisine is a notable feature, reflecting its deep Buddhist cultural roots. This culinary prominence has helped establish Hue as a capital of gastronomy.
Recently, Hue announced plans to develop a dossier for "Hue - Creative City" to propose its inclusion in UNESCO's Creative Cities Network. It chose the culinary field as the focus, recognizing its role as one of the cornerstones of Hue's culture. This aligns with society's needs and creates opportunities to model economic growth linked to cultural and human resource development while protecting the ecological environment.
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| Showcasing Hue's vegetarian cuisine |
Every Hue dish bears a distinct essence, deeply imbued with the city's character. According to many culinary experts, Hue's cuisine is renowned worldwide for its unique preparation methods, principles, presentation, and serving style, reflecting the general eating habits of Hue's people. They are not only hospitable but also sophisticated diners. This is evident in their meticulous ingredient selection, seasoning, cooking, and artistic presentation. The variety of ingredients - from rustic to luxurious - and the craftsmanship of chefs, whether commoners or imperial cooks, have elevated Hue's culinary culture to exceptional heights.
In 2023, Thua Thien Hue had the most dishes recognized in the "Journey to Discover Outstanding Vietnamese Culinary Values." These included Hue beef noodle soup, cassava dumplings stuffed with roasted pork sweet soup, mussel rice, tapioca dumplings, vegetarian fig salad, and lotus leaf-wrapped vegetarian rice.
A convergence of quintessence
Becoming a centrally governed municipality presents new opportunities for Hue. Its tourism development will now aim to match its status as a major, distinctive center of Vietnam, Southeast Asia; and, culinary tourism is one of the key strengths of the country’s sixth centrally governed municipality.
Building on the preservation and promotion of Hue's imperial heritage and cultural identity, the city has worked tirelessly to protect its traditional values while fostering creativity. These efforts have helped develop culinary tourism that provides livelihoods, creates jobs, and generates income for locals, while producing unique cultural and tourism products. This meets UNESCO's criteria for Creative Cities Network candidates.
Mr. Le Tan, Vice President of the Vietnam Culinary Culture Association, stated that Hue's diverse culinary resources should be tied to tourism development. Tourists should view Hue as a culinary city where excellence converges. To achieve this, strategic policies and investments are needed to grow culinary tourism and engage culinary artisans. Developing food tours that showcase Hue's culinary diversity is another viable approach.
Hue is solidifying its reputation as a festival city with four-season celebrations. Cuisine is a key attraction for visitors. Based on this foundation, Hue can establish year-round culinary programs that bring together the cuisine of Vietnam's three regions and unique international dishes. According to Ms. Cao Thi Ngoc Lan, Vice President of the Vietnam Tourism Association, Hue should innovate and enhance its unique tourism products, such as organizing distinctive culinary festivals reflecting the city's unique identity.
The provincial leaders has emphasized tourism development strategies which preserves Hue's cultural soul, setting it apart from other provinces. Deputy Chairman of Thua Thien Hue Provincial People's Committee Nguyen Thanh Binh affirmed that Hue prioritizes cultural preservation in tourism growth. Its potential tourism sectors, including culinary tourism, will be carefully nurtured and developed.
In the near future, "Ancient capital - new experience" will invite visitors to discover the youngest centrally governed municipality in Vietnam, full of unique and captivating elements - including its exceptional culinary heritage.