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| Hue sweet soup, the dish enjoyed by various visitors when visiting Hue Ancient Capital |
Enjoying local flavors
It was an evening by Dong Ba Market, I came across a young tourist from Ho Chi Minh City wandering along the food court with 2 foreign friends. They sampled small portions of dishes such as bun mam nem (Rice vermicelli with fermented fish sauce), bun hen (Hue mussel noodles), nem lui (grilled pork rolls)… As he was enjoying the dish, the young man enthusiastically introduced Hue’s culinary culture to his friends.
In recent years, local food has become one of the main reasons that many tourists, especially young people, choose Hue for their trips. Through videos and posts on social media, a great number of tourists are seeking to experience truly “local-style” street food at small eateries hidden deep inside the hard-to-find alleys.
With over 4.7 million followers on his TikTok channel, Tina Thao Thi from Ho Chi Minh City has produced numerous videos exploring Hue’s street food. According to Tina Thao Thi, Hue cuisine is not only full of flavor but also surprisingly affordable. In the gentle, unhurried atmosphere of Hue, at modest street-side eateries, the Tiktoker and her team repeatedly affirmed: “Hue food is always the best”.
For those who love exploring food across different regions, like Nguyen Hai An (from Nghe An), the experience runs even deeper. He said that Hue is not only famous for its sophisticated royal cuisine, but also memorable for the richness of its folk dishes. Especially, the street food here is like a vivid painting of culture. He recalled: “There was a time when I visited Hue on a rainy day, I stopped by a small roadside eatery. Although the eatery just provided dinners with a few plastic stools, it still gave me a strangely warm and familiar feeling. I noticed that the way people enjoy food here is very different - they eat while watching the rain, unhurried and calm. They do not eat just to be full, but to savor the flavor, and chat with friends”.
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| Hue is in need of a new space for culinary experience |
A novel point of view for tourism development
Back to Hue City; the richness and uniqueness of its street food are undeniable. Affordable prices and distinctive flavors, all meet tourists’ expectations. However, for sustainable development in connection with tourism services, Hue needs to create more appropriate street food spaces that are properly planned, with clear standards, from food hygiene and safety to the environment and service style.
At present, the tofu vendors along the riverbanks in front of Thien Mu Pagoda can be considered a charming street food corner in Hue. Visitors call it a street food space worth experiencing because they can enjoy a childhood dish while watching the stunning sunset of Hue. However, one thing to keep in mind is to avoid competing for customers in a way that harms the image of Hue’s tourism.
According to Ms. Tran Thi Hoai Tram, Director of the Department of Tourism, identifying cuisine as one of Hue’s strengths, the tourism sector has been organizing numerous events, festivals, and culinary weeks for promotion. At the same time, long-term solutions are also being implemented to turn this advantage into a unique tourism product, in which street food plays an indispensable role.
“It’s known that the tourism sector, in coordination with various organizations, has organized annual culinary festivals to create experiences and opportunities for people to enjoy Hue cuisine. In the city’s plans and strategies for tourism development, cuisine must be upgraded into a form of tourism, just as many destinations around the world are doing,” Ms. Tram shared.
In the long term, local authorities and the tourism sector, together with relevant agencies, need to conduct research and develop appropriate plans to effectively make use of existing walking streets and night quarters, creating culinary streets showcasing Hue’s street food and traditional cuisine. In those places, it is essential to preserve the “soul” of Hue cuisine, from the preparation to flavor to the way that the dishes are served, and even the vendors’ clothing and stall decoration.
Hue cuisine, especially its street food, is not just about eating, it is a part of memory and cultural identity. Every bowl of mussel noodles, every stick of grilled pork rolls, every tiny plate of beo cakes… carries within it the elegance and delicacy of Hue local people. It is this simplicity yet depth that makes Hue’s street food a “gift” that anyone who tastes it even once will find hard to forget.