On August 22 in Hue, Kinh Do Speciality Joint Stock Company coordinated with Hue One Food Joint Stock Company to organize the first container workshop launch ceremony, bringing nearly 400,000 Nam cake, filter cake, and light cake to the US market. This is a 13-ton shipment, packed in 2,000 boxes according to international standards, fully meeting strict regulations on US food quality and safety. This is a very special event, because for a long time, Hue cakes have been mainly exported to the US and other countries by small-scale route.
Most specially, this batch of cakes not only has commercial value, but also plays the role of "cultural ambassador". Hue cakes, which are associated with the daily lives of the people of the land of Than Kinh, have now become a bridge for international friends to better understand the identity of Hue and Vietnamese cuisine. The event was accompanied by the seminar program "Hue Culinary Culture - Youth Aspiring to go far", attracting the participation of many young businesses and culinary experts. There, it is not only a commercial story, but also the spirit of innovation, creativity and the desire to integrate of the young generation of Hue. Businesses believe that to bring Hue to the world, they must start with products with strong identity and accompanying cultural stories, and Hue cake is the most vivid "story".
In the strategy of building national brands, cuisine is always a soft but effective way. Look at Japanese sushi, Korean kimchi or Italian pizza - all of which have gone beyond the culinary reach to become a cultural bridge, even a billion-dollar export industry. Therefore, Hue cakes to the US this time are not only 13 tons of goods, but also open up the potential to build a "Hue culinary brand" on the journey of global integration.
cassava and cassava dishes are very familiar to Vietnamese people. However, not many people know that cassava trees originate from Brazil and South America. Since the 16th century, the first cassava trees were brought by the Portuguese and Spanish on merchant ships, spreading around the world: From Africa, the Indian Ocean, to Goa (India), Mauritius, Java, Ceylon (Sri Lanka), Malaysia... And by the end of the 18th century, cassava trees followed traders, sailors, and missionaries to Vietnam.
Initially, cassava was just a food plant to relieve hunger. But in Hue, a land with a rainy climate that makes cassava easily rot if not processed in time, people have created a way to grade the dough, soak water to remove toxins, creating "filter powder" - a typical ingredient of the ancient capital's cuisine. From flour, Hue people have created a rich treasure trove of dishes: From porridge, vermicelli, sweet soup to cakes, both salty and vegetarian. In particular, banh giay, with two forms: banh tan and banh chung, has become the "national soul of Hue". The cake is wrapped in banana leaves, shrimp filling, meat, tofu, green beans; when steamed, it is sticky and fragrant. The banh canh canh is sliced with red shrimp filling, dipped in spicy chili fish sauce - eaten once to remember.
It is worth mentioning that, from an imported species, cassava has completely "dyed", becoming the main ingredient for a culinary heritage. And today, when Hue banh loc to the US, it is not only a commercial journey, but also has historical significance: cassava has returned to the Americas, where it originated in a more sophisticated shape. This is a vivid testament to cultural continuation. A popular material, through the creative hands of Hue people, has become an intangible cultural heritage. Many centuries later, it "returns" with a luxurious appearance, international standard filter cakes in boxes, available on the shelves of American supermarkets.
The story of Hue cake clearly shows the power of folk knowledge and cultural identity. It is no coincidence that the flour is filtered, a seemingly simple ingredient that can represent the entire Hue culinary scene. That is the result of creativity, accumulated through many generations, associated with the Hue philosophy of life: vua vua vua sang. In Hue culture, food is not only for fullness but also for enjoyment, showing sophistication. The flour from the popular cassava is raised to the status of a royal dish, then spread throughout the folk. It is an appreciated cultural journey: From the ordinary, Hue has created something unique.
Therefore, the event of Hue cake going to the US is not only commercial but also raises a big question: why is folk knowledge about the art of flour and the dish system from cassava - flour - filtered cake not proposed as a national intangible cultural heritage, even of humanity? This is the "liveslide" for the preservation and promotion of Hue culture. If Japan has the art of making sushi, Korea has kimchi recognized by UNESCO, then Hue can completely build a dossier of "Hue flour and cuisine" for the world to recognize. Because this is not only a dish, but also a cultural quintessence, processing techniques, and community practices passed down through centuries.
In the context of integration, the export of Hue cakes is just the beginning. Further, there needs to be a strategy to turn Hue cuisine into a cultural industry, where each cake and each meal not only brings economic value, but also spreads Vietnamese identity to the whole world. The Hue cake batch to the US opens a new journey: From an imported cassava tree, over the centuries, it became a Hue culinary heritage, then returned to the Americas in a new look. That is a story of symbolic integration connecting the East - West, traditional and modern, indigenous and global.
In every Hue banh loc that has come to the US today, there is not only the chewy, clear taste of flour, the sweet and salty taste of filling, but also a hidden cultural journey, history and aspiration to reach far of the Vietnamese people. And who knows, one day soon, the cassava - flour - banh tet Hue will be honored by UNESCO as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity.
