HUẾ — A gastronomical event dedicated to the traditional food of the former imperial city of Huế will be held this weekend.

Themed Huế Cuisine and The Four Corners of the Earth, the event, taking place from April 27 to May 1 at Thương Bạc Park, offers foodies the chance to sample variety of Huế traditional foods. Famous dishes from across Việt Nam’s three regions will also be presented at the event, which is expected draw local residents and tourists alike during the Unification Day holiday.

Nem công chả phượng (Peacock and phoenix rolls) – a typical Huế royal dish. — Photo courtesy of Huế Department of Tourism

Organised by the Huế City People’s Committee, the event aims to honour, preserve and promote the cultural values of Huế cuisine, thus creating new tourism products to offer domestic and international tourists visiting the city.

The Week of Huế Traditional Gastronomy 2024 is also an activity to position Huế among the UNESCO Creative Cities Network in the field of culinary creativity by 2025.

The up-coming event will feature hundreds of food stalls showcasing the culinary arts of different provinces and cities across the country. It will offer visitors exciting experiences of traditional and contemporary Vietnamese cuisine.

Huế traditional food, together with its famous royal dishes, will be presented at the "Huế Traditional Culinary Space”.

Bún bò Huế (Huế-styled beef noodle). — Photo vietgiaitri.com

The “Huế Cuisine and The Four Corners of the Earth” will give visitors a glimpse of the gastronomy of different regions of Việt Nam, while the “Contemporary Gastronomy” will showcase the harmonious blend between traditional and modern cuisine.

Visitors will also have chance to enjoy cooking demonstrations of culinary artisans and famous chefs.

In 2023, Huế was ranked 28th in the list of 100 "Best Food Cities in the World" by the Taste Atlas – a world atlas of traditional dishes, local ingredients and authentic restaurants.

Among nearly 3,000 dishes from across the country, Huế cuisine accounts for over 65 per cent, with two main culinary genres – royal and traditional.

Cơm hến (rice with baby river mussels). — Photo sanphamdacsan.com

Huế’s most famous dishes include bún bò (Huế-styled beef noodle), bánh bột lọc (Vietnamese tapioca dumplings), cơm hến (rice with baby river mussels), nem lụi (grilled pork paste skewer), chè (sweet soup dessert), bánh nậm (flat steamed rice dumplings), bánh phu thê (husband-and-wife cake), and tôm chua (fermented shrimp). — VNS