Hue – the ancient capital, has been a favorite destination of both domestic and foreign tourists. Most of Hue tours will include some activities such as visiting mausoleum system, temples and the famous historical sites. In addition, visitors have a chance to enjoy some famous dishes with unique flavor in dreamy Hue city.
Visiting Hue, tourists shouldn’t miss to try some tasty food such as Hue mussel rice, Hue cakes, Hue beef vermicelli… Here are top 10 dishes that tourists should enjoy when travelling Hue.
1. Hue mussel rice (Com Hen)
Hue is very famous for mussel rice. It is a rustic dish appearing in everywhere of Hue, from rural to urban area. Hue mussel rice is made from cooked white rice, and then it is served with fried mussel and crispy greaves. Mussel rice along with salted fish tastes spicy and pungent. People often eat mussel rice with vegetables included banana, bean sprouts and little Indian taro. Roasted peanuts fried in oil to make beautiful color. In addition to mussel rice, there is also mussel vermicelliwith strange flavor.
Tourists can enjoy these dishes in Con Hen or food stalls on Tran Nhan Tong Street near Tay Loc market.
Com Hen – Mussel rice
2. Hue beef rice vermicelli (Bun Bo Hue)
The dish is enough to show typical features of the ancient capital. Beef vermicelli soup is made from beef bone broth mixed with pork rolls or beef rolls and salted fish with particular taste. The dish is quite spicy because Hue resident love spicy flavor. It is often served with chili, lemon, bean sprouts and some other local vegetables. Some addresses recommended for tourists to enjoy Hue beef rice vermicelli: Thuong Kiet, Nguyen Cong Tru, Kim Dong park…
Hue beef rice vermicelli (Bun Bo Hue)
3. Different types of Hue cakes
Hue cakes are made from the basic materials in the culinary arts of Vietnam. You will feel regretted if you miss Hue cakes when visiting here.
Hue owns different kinds of cakes with distinct flavor such as “Banh Beo”, “Banh ram”, “Banh bot loc”. “Banh bot loc” tastes tough, pure that can see shrimp at the middle of cake. “Banh ram” is soft at the top, crispy at the bottom. “Banh beo” is a tight fin in small plate with crispy greaves. Each cake is served with a different sauce that cannot exchange for each other. You can enjoy Hue cakes in the market, or food stalls along Chi Lang Street, Dien Bien Phu, Nguyen Hue…
Banh Bot Loc
4. Grilled pork with vermicelli (Bun Thit Nuong)
Referring to Hue, tourists cannot forget the fragrant flavor of grilled pork with vermicelli. A special thing of this dish is grilled pork. Pork is marinated with local spices so that the meat is tender and not dry, which has specific flavor compared to other regions. Enough sour sauce is served with fresh vegetables, fresh and green herbs. Some famous grilled pork vermicelli food stalls are located on Kim Long – Thien Mu Pagoda.
Grilled pork with vermicelli (Bun Thit Nuong)
5. Hue pancake (Banh Khoai)
Banh Khoai, a traditional cake of Hue, looks like pancake of the South but smaller.
Cake is made from milled rice mixed with cool water and egg yolk; then added some pepper, onion, salt, grilled beef, bean sprout. Tasty dish or not depends on fatty soups, hard-to-do sauce, which are secrets of making this cake. Thuong Tu pancake in Lac Thien, Lac Thanh and Bach Yen is the most delicious pancake stores that travellers love so much.
Hue pancake (Banh Khoai)
6. Banh Canh Nam Pho
Nam Pho (Phu Vang) specializes in Banh Canh (homemade noodle soup) with particular savor. Noodles are made from a special type of rice, soup of the dish cooks from crab, grinded pork, shrimp, pork rolls along with its own secret of cooking style. Nam Pho noodle soup is often served in non-fixed stores, and it is sold by street vendors who daily carry Banh Canh in some markets.
Banh Canh Nam Pho
7. Hue lemongrass skewers (Nem lui Hue)
Nem lui Hue is the most common dish attracting both domestic and foreign tourists. Nem lui is often grilled on charcoal’s fire and served with fresh vegetables, hot soup. Nem lui has simple cooking way with crushed pork mixed with marinated pork fat with salt, pepper, sugar. Then, people put it into small bamboo chopsticks and grill it over charcoal. People often eat Nem Lui with Banh Trang, herbs, sour star fruit, green banana, fig depending on each person’s taste. Two most famous Nem Lui restaurant are located on Nguyen Hue Street which are always crowded with local people and tourists.
Nem lui Hue
8. Nhat Le’s sticky rice cake (Banh Chung Nhat Le)
For long time, Nhat Le street of Hue is famous for making traditional Chung cake. On the road of Nhat Le, people easily catch the sights of selling Chung cake. The sticky rice cakes are wrapped in green colorbanana leaves. Cool Nhat Le’s sticky rice cake is more delicious than hot ones. It is favorite specialty that travelers often buy as a good present after their trip.
Nhat Le sticky rice cake
9. Che Hem
Hue is known for not only scenic beauty, but also unique dishes, especially Che Hem with different flavor and colors. Resident calls “Che hem” because the stalls selling “Che hem” lies on small street lane of Hue. Che Hem has different kinds such as green bean, red bean, corn, lotus seeds… Che Hem in 27 Hung Vuong has become a popular stall in ancient capital. There are many street vendors selling “che” with very cheap price near Tuoi Tre Park.
Che Hem Hue
10. Vegetarian meal of Hue
As a city of many pagodas, Hue is home to delicious vegetarian cuisine for Buddhists, local residents as well as tourists. The vegetarian dishes are processed from fresh natural ingredients such as vegetables, tofu, mushroom… If travelers want to enjoy Hue vegetarian meal, they can visit Tu Dam Pagoda or Lien Hoa vegetarian restaurant–3 Le Quy Don.
Vegetarian meal of Hue
