Hue Sets Its Sights on a Global Culinary Brand Name

The quintessence of Hue cuisine. Photo: Hoang Hai - Hoang Le

While cities in Vietnam have sought membership in UNESCO’s Creative Cities Network (UCCN) in various fields such as film, design, and music… no city has yet pursued membership in cuisine. If successful, Hue would be the first Vietnamese city to join the network in this field.

Drawing on the experiences of Asian cities

After an extended period of efforts to advance the initiative, Hue City’s Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism recently signed a memorandum of understanding with Vietnam National Institute of Culture, Arts, Sports, and Tourism to strengthen cooperation in preparing Hue’s application dossier to join UNESCO’s Creative Cities Network (UCCN).

Joining the UCCN in the field of cuisine is a necessary step for Hue. It is not only an opportunity but also a responsibility to put the cuisine of the former imperial capital on the global map.

Before Hue, several Asian cities have already joined UNESCO’s Creative Cities Network (UCCN) in the field of cuisine, notably Jeonju in South Korea and Phuket in Thailand.

According to Dr. Le Anh Tuan, Deputy Director of the Central Sub-Institute of Culture, Arts, Sports and Tourism, Jeonju offers a valuable model for reference, as the two cities share many similarities. Both are major cultural centers with rich culinary traditions rooted in history, blending royal court and folk influences.

Particularly, Jeonju has focused on the “internationalization” and “standardization” of its cuisine through education, establishing culinary innovation academies, and a globalization fund for signature dishes through socialization.

Meanwhile, Phuket has focused on turning its culinary heritage into a direct driver of economic growth through its “Old Town Festivals,” strict food safety program, and vocational training for young people to preserve traditional recipes in a modern context.

The “Hue - Culinary Capital 2026” program, themed “Hue Beef Noodle Soup Day”

Looking at Hue, Dr. Tuan notes that traditional cuisine remains deeply rooted and diverse. Therefore, it is essential to properly identify the value of culinary heritage and its role as an asset within the cultural industries ecosystem. This will help identify endogenous resources and operational models to address the challenges of heritage preservation in a contemporary context, while laying the groundwork for a “culinary ecosystem” as Hue seeks to join the UCCN.

“As cultural industries continue to develop, joining the UCCN offers a way to reconcile heritage preservation with urban development, transforming culinary heritage from a ‘source of pride’ into an ‘endogenous driver of growth’. In the current context, culinary heritage can serve as a powerful lever for turning the city’s cultural assets into economic value. The model of a creative city of cuisine, meanwhile, offers a way to realize Hue’s ambition of becoming a cultural and tourism hub for the region and Asia,” Dr. Tuan said.

Recognizing Hue’s Advantages

Associate Professor. Dr. Nguyen Thi Thu Phuong, Director of Vietnam National Institute of Culture, Arts, Sports, and Tourism, stated that research and studies of other major cities around the world show that Hue has the potential not only to become a prominent culinary destination in Southeast Asia, but also to aspire to become one of Asia’s leading culinary centers.

Choosing cuisine as Hue’s field to join the UCCN is not simply a matter of building on its existing strengths. It also reflects the city’s distinctive identity in cultural, economic, and social life, contributing to its sustainable development goals.

Hue cuisine is undoubtedly diverse and multifaceted, with prominent forms including folk cuisine, royal court cuisine, and vegetarian cuisine. Each is closely linked to the cultural and historical values and daily life of the community, together forming a distinctive culinary heritage.

Hue’s ‘Nem Cong Cha Phuong’ dish (peacock-shaped spring rolls and phoenix-shaped steamed pork sausage)

Hue cuisine is also supported by a rich ecosystem of local ingredients, skilled artisans, and a diverse workforce. These are essential elements in building a well-grounded application dossier that highlights the existing value of Hue’s culinary heritage, while demonstrating its capacity for innovation and future growth.

An important part of preparing the application dossier is to identify the place and role of cuisine in Hue’s cultural, economic and social life, as well as in the city’s sustainable development. It is also essential to demonstrate Hue’s creative capacity and its ability to develop new values based on its culinary heritage. These factors will provide a foundation for Hue to connect with others and establish its position on Vietnam’s and the world’s creative map.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thi Thu Phuong noted that, in developing its application dossier, Hue should learn from cities that have already joined the network by setting up an advisory group or committee comprising government representatives, experts, culinary creatives, and businesses. The group would review the city’s existing data to assess whether it meets the network’s stringent criteria for creative cities in cuisine. This process would also help identify the city’s strengths to build on and weaknesses to address before joining the network.