Hue Cuisine - Best authentic food in the Central Vietnam
Hue food is the cuisine of the ancient capital city of Vietnam, Hue, which features a variety of dishes with distinctive flavors and beautiful presentations. Read on if you want to have a flawless food excursion here!
Characterized by the use of fresh herbs, vegetables, and spices, Hue food is a traditional Vietnamese cuisine that stands out for its bold flavors, yet delicate presentations, and complicated cooking methods. Just try some famous dishes here and you will understand the long history and rich culture of the old capital.
Bún Bò Huế
Hue Beef Noodle Soup or Bún Bò Huế is one of the most famous dishes from the city. It’s a spicy beef noodle soup that features tender slices of beef, pork, and often pig’s blood cubes, served in a flavorful lemongrass-infused broth. The dish is typically garnished with fresh herbs, lime, and chili.
Bánh Bèo
Steamed rice cakes or Bánh bèo are small, round, steamed rice cakes topped with minced shrimp, scallions, and crispy fried shallots. They are usually served on a plate with a dipping sauce made from fish sauce, sugar, and chili.
Bánh khoái
Bánh khoái is a crispy pancake made from rice flour and turmeric, stuffed with shrimp, pork, and bean sprouts. It’s often served with fresh herbs and a special peanut dipping sauce.
Nem Lụi
Nem lụi are grilled pork skewers that are marinated in lemongrass and other spices. The grilled pork is typically wrapped in rice paper along with herbs and served with a dipping sauce.
Banh Canh Nam Pho – One of the best foods in Hue
Another must-try Hue food is banh canh Nam Pho (Nam Pho thick noodle soup). This dish is an impressive Hue appetizer or a perfect breakfast choice for the day ahead. This hot soup is served with thin pork belly slices and shrimp on top, with a naturally sweet broth made of crab and shrimp. Fresh herbs are added to enhance the aroma, making it even more delectable.
Banh Canh Ca Loc – A Hue food tour must try
A perfect Hue culinary tour must include banh canh ca loc (thick noodle soup with snakehead fish). This is the perfect hot dish to enjoy on rainy or cold days. The soft, moderately chewy noodles have a white appearance, and the snakehead fish taste rich. The clear broth perfectly complements the dish’s flavors.
Banh Uot Thit Nuong – A famous Hue Vietnamese food
Banh uot thit nuong (rice noodle rolls with grilled pork) is another popular Hue food – a signature dish with various unique herbs. This Hue local food features rice noodle rolls served with grilled pork, dipping sauce, and local herbs and vegetables. What makes it stand out is its signature dipping sauce made of soybean paste, creating a perfect blend of flavors and textures.
Bun Thit Nuong
Another not-to-be-missed Hue food is bun thit nuong (vermicelli with grilled pork), which is among the top-rated Hue foods by tourists. Made with simple ingredients such as vermicelli, pork, pickles, peanuts, and fish sauce, this dish offers a pleasant taste suitable for a hot day.
Banh Ep – Hue specialty food
A dish that can only be found in a Hue food tour is banh ep (thin scallion pancake). This dish embodies the unique and delicious flavor of Hue cuisine. The small and thin pancake is filled with delectable shrimp paste and served with a tasty dipping sauce.
Banh Nam – A must-try Hue food
Banh nam, or flat steamed rice dumpling, is a must-try street food in Hue. Made with tapioca flour, rice flour, and shrimp, wrapped in banana leaves, this dish is loved for its delicate texture and shrimp flavor. The dumpling is soft but not greasy, and it’s best enjoyed with a sweet-and-sour fish sauce.
Banh Beo – Among the Hue foods to try
Banh beo (steamed water fern rice cake) is a simple yet delicious Hue food. This rice cake is served in a small bowl with shrimp, green onions, and sweet and spicy fish sauce, creating a delightful combination of flavors. Its presentation in a ping-pong bowl adds to the dish’s charm, making it a popular choice among tourists exploring Hue’s culinary scene.
Banh Loc - Local Hue food
Banh bot loc (Hue clear shrimp and pork dumpling) is a beloved dish in many parts of Vietnam. However, to truly experience its authentic taste, one must try it in Hue. With a soft and chewy wrapper, this dumpling is filled with a savory mix of simmered shrimp and pork, making it a perfect combination that will light up your Hue food tour.
Banh Ram It – An interesting Hue food
“Banh ram it” is among the most interesting Hue foods, with a perfectly harmonious blend of softness and crispiness. The dish’s striking appearance is matched by its exquisite flavor of the two parts: A soft dumpling (it) on top filled with yummy simmered shrimp and pork, and a fried “ram” that creates the crispy texture.
Com Hen – a food in Hue that you will remember forever
Com hen, a dish made of rice, clams, and local spices, is a simple yet flavorful Hue food. It is typically served with various toppings, fish sauce, and local herbs and veggies, adding more layers of taste and texture to the already delicious combination.
Cafe Muoi Huế - Special Salt Coffee
A unique coffee that you can only find in Hue is coffee with salt. Some may think that this is a weird combination, but cafe muoi (coffee with salt) is such a tasty drink that you must include it in your Hue food tour. The charm of this drink is that people add salt with sweetened condensed milk in order to create salted caramel. This salted caramel layer blends perfectly into the coffee, making a flavor explosion in your mouth.
Che Hem – A must-try royal food in Hue
Hue food is renowned for having the most variations of sweet soup in Vietnam, with over 36 variations available. You can try many of these variations at one of the most famous sweet soup shops in Hue – Che Hem (meaning Alley Sweet Soup in English). As its name suggests, this shop is located in a small alley on 29 Hung Vuong Street- Huế
Hue vegetarian cuisine
The city of Hue is a bit of an exception, as it has a strong tradition of vegetarianism, with many of its residents eating vegetarian food twice a month. Hue is a great place for anyone looking to enjoy vegan food. There are a lot of vegetarian food types in Hue city from vegetable noodle soup to vegetarian cakes such as tapioca cake
