Daniel Stable is a writer specializing in cultural and travel writing for British and American newspapers and magazines. Recently, in National Geographic magazine published in the UK, Daniel shared about his trip to the ancient capital of Hue, following a local guide named Quoc Dung, to find the reason why "Hue became the vegetarian food capital of Vietnam? ".
Daniel feels: "In Hue, the ancient capital of Vietnam, traditional culinary styles are experiencing a brilliant revival, turning this Central city into a unique destination for vegetarian cuisine".
Mr. Quoc Dung told the story of the Nguyen Dynasty and took Daniel to visit the mausoleums in the Hue Imperial Citadel.
The British reporter was impressed with the details: "The meals of the kings of the Nguyen Dynasty usually have 50 different dishes. But these things have created creativity for chefs in ancient Hue".
Under the Nguyen Dynasty, there were Buddhists who worshiped and ate vegetarian food on holidays during the year. The combination of religion and luxury interests with multi-dishes of bird's nest has helped the royal chefs develop the most elaborate vegetarian cuisine in the world. This at the same time creates a unique and sophisticated look for Vietnamese cuisine in general.
Today, the vegetarian culinary heritage of Hue's royal court is turning this place into an attractive destination for tourists pursuing a vegan diet.
Mr. Dung shared: "Whether Hue is the culinary capital of Vietnam or not is still a controversial topic, but Hue is definitely the capital of vegetarian cuisine".
The sunset and the yellow tiled roofs of Ngo Mon Gate sparkled. Reporter Daniel and Mr. Dung left the Hue Imperial Citadel, crossed the Huong River and joined the bustling traffic in the city center. They walked through the walking street, watching the bustling night market. Diners come to sit on plastic chairs surrounded by stalls with the scent of lemongrass, peanuts, basil, the atmosphere echoes with the sound of clubs and spoons and the sound of customers eating noodles.
Daniel arrived in the ancient capital of Hue on the first day of the lunar calendar. Along with the full moon day, the first day of the month is an occasion for people to eat vegetarian food, shops across the city serve traditional vegetarian and vegan dishes. The tour guide gave Daniel a delicious portion of banh xeo, crispy shells, fillings of perilla, mushrooms and salted vegetables.
After returning to the hotel with a full belly, Daniel understood why Mr. Dung introduced the Hue army as a happy army. They not only look like a smile but are also attractive because of their wonderful flavor and crispiness.
The next morning, Daniel explored Dong Ba market. According to Mr. Dung, Vietnamese people do not like to go to supermarkets, people like to go to the market every morning to buy more fresh food. "Sopping in the refrigerator at home does not change this habit much," said Mr. Dung.
experiencing Dong Ba market early in the morning, Daniel felt like standing in the middle of a crowded crowd like two islets lying in the middle of the river. Vehicles carrying machinery are lurking around, the driver is controlling the seller with one hand. The smell of gasoline blends with the scent of shrimp paste pots, while the stalls are struggling under the weight of thousands of newly caught clams and clams from the river.
The British reporter was also impressed with Dong Ba market because of the scene of goods and fresh ingredients overflowing. Bitter melon, cucumber in high content, ginger turmeric in a basket. Lotus seeds are tied into rounds, green peppers are clustered like small grapes. Mr. Dung bought some pepper for customers to chew and taste the spicy taste while roaming around the stalls.
Not only going to the market and enjoying the dishes, Daniel is also interested in registering for a cooking class with the desire to "discovering the secret of Hue vegetarian cuisine". After going to the market to buy ingredients, Mr. Dung took Daniel to a famous vegetarian restaurant in Hue, owned by young chef Thuy Nhien.
In the peaceful garden, foreign visitors can practice pruning vegetables and learn how to make vegetarian garlic dishes from the Nguyen Dynasty. Daniel is taught how to make garlic from figs, carrots, soy sauce mushrooms and vegetarian fish sauce. The garlic dish is eaten lightly on the stomach but still has a lot of flavor. The reporter took a sip of the finished product and listened to the chef tell more about the vegetarian eating habits of Hue people.
