Recently, in National Geographic magazine, British culture and travel writer Daniel Stables wrote an impressive article about his exploration of the ancient capital of Hue. Following a local tour guide, Daniel learned about the history, culture and especially the unique and sophisticated vegetarian cuisine of this land. To him, Hue is not only an ancient capital but also the "vegetarian food capital of Vietnam," where traditional culinary styles are reviving brilliantly.
Royal culinary heritage and Buddhist origins
Daniel Stables shares his journey to the ancient capital of Hue, following a local guide to find out why "Hue became the vegetarian 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".
British reporter on a trip to Hue, exploring the vegetarian culinary capital of Vietnam in June
The British reporter was impressed with the details: "The meals of the Nguyen Dynasty kings often had 50 different dishes. But it was these things that inspired the creativity of the chefs in ancient Hue." According to Daniel Stables, Hue's vegetarian cuisine has deep roots in the Nguyen Dynasty. The kings' meals often had up to 50 dishes, and it was this luxury and sophistication that inspired the creativity of the royal chefs.
During the Nguyen Dynasty, there were devout Buddhists who ate vegetarian food on holidays throughout the year. The combination of religion and the luxury of multi-course banquets led the royal chefs to develop the most sophisticated vegetarian cuisine in the world. This also created a unique and sophisticated feature for Vietnamese cuisine in general.
Ingredients for Daniel's vegan cooking class
The sun sets and the golden roofs of Ngo Mon Gate sparkle. Reporter Daniel and his local guide leave the Imperial City of Hue, cross the Perfume River, and join the bustling traffic in the city center. They stroll through the pedestrian street, watching the bustling night market. Diners flock to sit on plastic chairs around food stalls filled with the fragrant scents of lemongrass, peanuts, and basil, the air resounding with the clink of chopsticks and spoons and the slurps of customers eating noodles.
Today, Hue's royal vegetarian culinary heritage is turning the place into a destination attracting tourists pursuing a vegan diet.
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 is the occasion when people eat vegetarian food, and restaurants throughout the city serve traditional vegetarian and vegan dishes. The tour guide ordered Daniel a delicious banh xeo, with crispy skin, filled with perilla, mushrooms and pickled vegetables.
Because they understand the meaning of vegetarianism, Hue people are meticulous in every step of preparing and enjoying vegetarian cuisine.
When Buddhism became the state religion under the Nguyen Dynasty, vegetarianism was also associated with many solemn rituals, especially before the Nam Giao Altar Ceremony. The combination of religion and royal culinary style created an extremely rich and sophisticated vegetarian cuisine, with about 125 unique vegetarian dishes. Today, this heritage has turned Hue into an attractive destination for tourists pursuing a vegan diet, wanting to learn about a unique culinary culture of Vietnam.
Hue vegetarian dishes are delicately designed and highly aesthetic.
The art of preparing and enjoying Hue vegetarian dishes
A statistical result shows that Hue has about 108 pagodas and more than 300 Buddhist temples. Many Hue people follow Buddhism, the tradition of vegetarianism has existed for a long time, so vegetarian cuisine has developed into a unique and distinct culinary culture of the people of the ancient capital. Hue people from commoners to nobles all have a tradition of vegetarianism. Someone once said that in Hue, the mountains are not high, the rivers are not deep, but the hearts of people are calm and quiet because they know how to practice and eat vegetarian to purify their souls.
During the Nguyen Lords' reign, the entire aristocracy was vegetarian, so vegetarian dishes in Hue were very rich (about 125 dishes). Vegetarian dishes were elaborately prepared and were just as delicious as meat dishes.
When talking about Hue vegetarian food, we must first talk about the vegetarian food at the pagodas in Hue. Every month on holidays, the pagoda often prepares vegetarian meals to treat Buddhists from all over. It is called a meal, but the vegetarian dishes in the pagoda are not elaborate, just simple with soy sauce, salt, vegetables, pickles... all are products and herbs in the pagoda garden provided by the nuns and enthusiastic Buddhists. The pagoda meals are simple but always attract a lot of people.
Hue people do not only eat vegetarian food on the full moon day, the first day of the lunar month or on holidays, they eat vegetarian food as a daily habit or when the family has death anniversaries.
Hue vegetarian cuisine is not simply the preparation of dishes, but also a meticulous art from the selection of ingredients to the presentation. Hue people, from commoners to nobles, have a long tradition of vegetarianism, not only for health but also for profound philosophies about the purity of the soul. They follow the principle of "seasonal food", using natural, familiar ingredients and processing them delicately. The spices are seasoned meticulously, "strong" but not harsh, with the blend of many flavors and natural colors from plants. Hue vegetarian dishes also have many types of accompanying dipping sauces, creating diversity and appeal.
Hue people do not eat vegetarian food simply for health reasons, but for them, vegetarian dishes also contain many profound philosophies.
In terms of the use of spices, Hue vegetarian cuisine also has its own unique features. Over the centuries, accumulating the humanistic elements of many regions of the country, Hue cuisine contains the tastes of all regions: salty, sweet, fatty, rich, sour, bitter, astringent, spicy... Hue people like to enjoy all the flavors, but each flavor is clearly defined. They eat as if they are living, must taste all the joys and sorrows, happiness and suffering, sometimes must accept the challenge of tearful spiciness.
According to writer Nguyen Tuan:Hue people "eat with their eyes" before "eating with their mouths". Hue vegetarian dishes are not only delicious but also elaborately presented like a work of art. From the delicately carved vegetables to the harmonious combination of colors, all demonstrate the talent and ingenuity of the chef. The colors in the dishes are not only aesthetic but also contain the philosophy of yin and yang and Oriental medicine, helping to balance the five internal organs. This is a unique feature, demonstrating the sophistication and deep understanding of Hue people's culture and medicine. Each vegetarian dish is a perfect combination of flavors, colors and philosophy, creating an unforgettable culinary experience for visitors.
