Top 10 Hue specialties you must try

Hue – the romantic and quiet ancient capital, where the unique cultural and historical values ​​of Vietnam are preserved. With the ancient beauty of the citadel, the majesty of the mausoleums, and the poetic beauty of the Perfume River, Hue becomes an ideal destination for those who love to explore and experience. In this article, Vietnam Motorbike Tours Club will guide you on how to travel to Hue in the most detailed way.

When is the best time to visit Hue?

Each season of the year, Hue has its own charm, but spring and autumn are the most popular times for tourists. From January to March, spring in Hue brings fresh, cool air with colorful flower gardens. This is also a great time to stroll through historical sites or relax by the peaceful Huong River. The fresh green space and gentle spring breezes make Hue peaceful and full of life.

This is also a great time to stroll through historical sites or relax

Autumn, from August to October, brings a dreamy beauty with cool weather and a chilly atmosphere. The soft golden sunlight through the foliage, along with the scene of yellow leaves falling on the streets, makes Hue a poetic and lyrical picture. At this time, visitors can enjoy leisurely afternoons walking around the city or watching the sunset on the Huong River. That romantic scene is an ideal source of inspiration for those who love nature and tranquility.

No matter the season, Hue always brings memorable experiences, suitable for each visitor’s preferences. Spring is a vibrant start, while autumn has a quiet, romantic beauty. A journey to explore Hue at these two times will help you fully feel the beauty and peace of the ancient capital.

Top 10 Hue specialties you must try

Hue is known as one of the famous culinary destinations in Vietnam, where unique and diverse dishes converge, bearing the mark of the Central region. Thanks to the skillful combination of typical ingredients and spices, Hue cuisine always leaves a strong impression with rich, attractive and unforgettable flavors. If you have the opportunity to visit the ancient capital, do not miss the opportunity to enjoy the 10 typical dishes that VietNam Motorbike Tours Club would like to suggest below:

Hue beef noodle soup

Bun bo Hue is a dish originating from the ancient Hue royal cuisine, now it has become a familiar part of the lives of the people here. Although time has passed, this dish still retains the culinary essence of the ancient capital. When coming to Hue, visitors can hardly miss the opportunity to enjoy a bowl of delicious, hot bun bo. The point that makes bun bo Hue attractive is the rich and delicate broth.

This dish still retains the culinary essence of the ancient capital

To achieve the characteristic flavor, the cook must harmoniously combine shrimp paste, bone broth and spices. The main ingredients to create the dish include pork leg, muscle meat, beef, sausage and a little color to create an attractive color for the broth. When enjoying, bun bo is often eaten with banana flower, basil, bean sprouts, a slice of lemon and a few slices of chili, creating a spicy and sweet flavor that makes diners exclaim.

Mussel Rice / Mussel Vermicelli

When mentioning Hue, no one can ignore the dish of Com Hen – a specialty that bears the culinary mark of the ancient capital. This dish appears everywhere, from small shops in the market, alleys to luxury restaurants in Hue. Mussels – the main ingredient of the dish, are prepared very elaborately: soaked in rice water to remove dirt, washed and boiled until the mussels open their shells. The mussel broth is left to settle to make the dipping sauce, while the mussel meat is separated, creating two important components of the dish.

The mussel broth is left to settle to make the dipping sauce

Com Hen is attractive not only because of the mussel meat and rich dipping sauce but also thanks to the delicate combination of accompanying ingredients. The main ingredients include cold rice, sour star fruit or sour mango, herbs, julienned banana flower, elephant ear, along with fish sauce, pepper, pork rinds, fried pork skin, raw shrimp paste, roasted peanuts and chili powder. The special thing about mussel rice is that all the ingredients are cooled, only the mussel water is kept hot, creating a unique harmony of temperature and flavor in each bowl of mussel rice.

Banh bot loc

Banh bot loc is one of the typical dishes of Hue cuisine, which can be used as a snack, or as a meal or main meal of the day. Although this type of cake is popular in many places, only when enjoying it in Hue can you feel the unique flavor, bearing the mark of the Central region. Banh bot loc with shrimp and pork filling with an attractive soft and chewy crust has made many tourists fall in love and linger. The main ingredients to make this cake include tapioca flour, shrimp and pork. The shrimp is kept intact to create a beautiful red color when steamed, while the pork is carefully braised, creating a rich and delicious filling.

The shrimp is kept intact to create a beautiful red color when steamed

Hue banh bot loc has two types: banh bot loc without banana leaves and banh bot loc wrapped in banana leaves. For the wrapped type, the dough after being kneaded and shaped will be wrapped around the shrimp and pork filling, then tightly wrapped in banana leaves and steamed. A standard cake must have a transparent layer of dough, not stuck to the leaves, and maintain a moderate softness and chewiness. In particular, the dipping sauce of the cake is often made from the remaining shrimp stir-fry water, creating a rich, unforgettable flavor. When enjoying, the combination of soft, chewy dough, fragrant shrimp and meat filling and rich dipping sauce will leave an unforgettable impression on diners.

Hue Banh Nam

Banh nam is a famous rustic dish in Hue cuisine, comparable to banh beo and banh bot loc. This type of cake originated from Nam Pho village, Phu Thuong commune, about 3km from the center of Hue city. Initially, banh nam was made by women from rice flour, shrimp and minced shrimp. Over time, the dish became more and more popular and became a regional specialty, brought by people to trade everywhere, from the streets to Hue citadel.

This type of cake originated from Nam Pho village

Banh nam at first glance looks quite similar to banh bot loc because both are wrapped in banana leaves, but the difference lies in the crust. If banh bot loc has a transparent layer of flour that shows through the filling, banh nam has a smooth white color of rice flour with a layer of red-orange shrimp and meat evenly spread on the surface. The cake is about 1cm thick, skillfully wrapped in green banana leaves, both beautiful and retaining its characteristic flavor. When enjoying, the smooth taste of rice flour mixed with delicious shrimp and meat filling makes banh nam a dish not to be missed when coming to Hue.

Hue Banh Beo

Hue Banh Beo is a traditional dish, famous throughout Hue for its unique flavor, combining the light sweetness of the cake and the savory taste of the filling. The cake is made from rice flour, has a flat round shape like a lotus leaf, small but extremely attractive. The filling on the cake usually includes finely crushed dried shrimp, fragrant fried onions and a dipping sauce made from fish sauce, sugar, garlic, lemon, creating a characteristic harmonious flavor.

The filling on the cake usually includes finely crushed dried shrimp

The process of making Banh Beo is quite meticulous, first, rice flour is mixed with water in the right proportion, then poured into a small bowl and steamed for about 1-2 minutes. When the cakes are cooked, they are neatly arranged on a plate, sprinkled with dried shrimp, minced pork and fried onions to increase the attractiveness. This dish is not only beautiful but also has a strong hometown flavor, making it difficult for anyone who enjoys it to forget.

Hue Banh Khoai

Banh khoai is a typical fried dish of Hue, similar to Banh xeo Nam Bo but with distinct differences in shape and flavor. The cake is poured into a small round mold made of cast iron, with a diameter of about 15cm and a height of 2-3cm. Unlike the thin and wide Banh xeo, Banh khoai is thicker, has a complete round shape, and after being cooked, it will be folded in half to keep the filling inside. The filling usually includes river shrimp, raw pork, chicken eggs, pork belly, and the cake flour is mixed in the right proportions to create a crispy but still fragrant and chewy crust.

The filling usually includes river shrimp, raw pork,…

The cake is served with raw vegetables and a special dipping sauce made from more than 10 spices such as soy sauce, peanuts, sesame, pork liver, pork and shrimp paste, creating a unique, thick flavor that everyone must praise. When fried, the pancake has a golden color, placed on a pure white plate, hot steam rising up, decorated with lettuce, herbs, bean sprouts, figs and sweet star fruit, creating a dish that is both attractive and beautiful. Taking a bite, diners will feel the wonderful harmony between the crispy taste of the crust, the fatty taste of the filling, and the sour, astringent, nutty and refreshing taste of the accompanying vegetables. That flavor makes anyone who enjoys it unable to help but “like” it!

Ram it Cake

Among the savory cakes, banh ram it stands out for its sophistication in preparation, shaping and color combination. This sophistication comes from the fact that banh ram it was once a favorite dish of the Nguyen Dynasty, before becoming a familiar specialty of Hue as it is today. The name “banh ram it” comes from the combination of two cake parts: the banh it on top with a round, soft, white shape, and the banh ram on the bottom with a crispy crust, fried to a beautiful golden color.

The name “banh ram it” comes from the combination of two cake parts

When enjoying banh ram it, diners will experience a unique culinary experience. First is the soft feeling of sticky rice from banh it, then the rich taste of shrimp and meat filling, and finally the crunchiness of the banh ram layer below. The harmony between the layers of flavor and texture makes the dish not only eye-catching but also extremely attractive. This is one of the most favorite cakes of diners when coming to the ancient capital of Hue.

Mussels with rice paper

One of the unique specialties that you cannot miss when coming to Hue is mussels with rice paper. This is a rustic dish but is very popular and often appears in the daily meals of local people. The main ingredients of the dish include mussels stir-fried with fragrant fried garlic, combined with rich spices, then served with grilled rice paper or shrimp crackers. This dish is very simple but brings a strange yet familiar flavor, easily conquering diners.

The main ingredients of the dish include mussels stir-fried with fragrant fried garlic

What makes the mussels with rice paper dish special is the perfect combination of fresh mussels and crispy rice paper. The natural sweet and salty taste of mussels blends with the rich taste of fried garlic, when combined with grilled rice paper, it creates an extremely attractive dish. Each piece of mussels brings a feeling of both crunchiness and rich flavor, making it difficult for diners to forget. This dish is not simply a snack but also shows the sophistication in the cuisine of the people of Hue, making anyone who comes to the ancient capital want to enjoy it.

Nem Lui

Nem lui is one of the typical snacks of Hue, especially loved by street food lovers. Nem lui is made from minced pork, pork skin and pork fat, combined with special spices, then skewered through sugarcane or lemongrass and grilled over hot coals. Nem lui is best when just finished grilling, still hot, with a crispy outer layer, still soft inside, served with fresh raw vegetables and delicious broth.

Nem lui is made from minced pork, pork skin and pork fat

The special thing that creates the typical flavor of Hue nem lui is the broth. The broth is made from fish sauce, pork, pork liver and ground peanuts, creating a thick mixture with a rich, sweet and very attractive flavor. When the dish is served on a plate, you will not be able to take your eyes off the harmonious colors of nem lui: the golden color of nem, the fresh green color of vegetables, the characteristic brown color of the dipping sauce, and the bright red color of chili. Each piece of grilled spring roll brings a perfect combination of fatty taste from meat, fresh taste from vegetables, and sweet aroma from lemongrass or sugarcane, creating a dish that is both delicious and beautiful.

Hue Sweet Soup

When mentioning snacks in Hue, it is impossible not to mention sweet soup, a dish that is not only delicious but also very typical of the ancient capital. Hue sweet soup is not necessarily more delicious than other types of sweet soup, but it brings sophistication, elegance and is special with sweet soups that are only available here. You can easily find sweet soup shops or sweet soup stalls from the ward sweet soup, street sweet soup, temple sweet soup to royal sweet soup, each type of sweet soup has its own unique flavor and style, full of appeal.

You can easily find sweet soup shops

Hue sweet soup stands out for its diversity of ingredients and preparation methods. Here, you can enjoy special sweet soups such as lotus sweet soup, mixed sweet soup, grapefruit sweet soup, green bean sweet soup, taro sweet soup, pumpkin sweet soup, and even roasted pork sweet soup. Each sweet soup has its own unique flavor, eye-catching color, and moderate sweetness, making it unforgettable for anyone who has tried it. Hue sweet soup can be enjoyed cold in the summer, bringing a cool feeling, or hot in the winter, helping to warm the body with a sweetness and sophistication that cannot be found anywhere else.

Hue is not only charming with its beautiful scenery but also with its rich and unique cuisine. Each dish contains a cultural story, the pride and love of the people for their homeland. Come to Hue to fully experience the unique flavors of the specialties, which will surely leave an unforgettable impression in your heart!