Once the royal
seat of the emperors and the capital of Vietnam, chefs turned out 50 course
meals day after day for the emperors.
Due to this, of the almost 3000 dishes Vietnam produces, about 2/3 of
them originated in Hue, and many of them never left. This creates a foody paradise just waiting to
be explored. Below, I’ve rounded up my
10 must try foods in Hue.
Vietnamese food varies
a lot from region to region, but nowhere has more of a distinctive cuisine and
unique dishes as Hue.
Traditionally eaten as a breakfast soup, you
can find it at just about every restaurant all day long.
different types coagulated pig’s blood in
the soup, which may sound and look odd but is actually pretty good.2. Nem Lui
Nem
Lui was one of my favorite Hue specialties and is basically all the parts to a
build-your-own-spring roll. The main
difference is the meat. With Nem Lui
they press seasoned ground pork into sausage type links on the end of lemongrass
skewers and then grill them. These are
then served with lettuce, herbs, pickled carrots and green papaya, and
cucumber. All of these ingredients are
added onto rice paper that is then wrapped and dipped into a peanut sauce.
3. Com Hen
Com
Hen mean ‘clam rice,’ but this name sorely understates the unique chaoticness
of flavors this dish embodies. This rice
dish includes stir-fried clams, crispy pork rinds, roasted peanuts, bean
sprouts, mint, peppers, fried shallots and herbs, and is served with a bowl of
hot clam broth that you can add if you wish.
4. Mi Xao Don
This
dish is similar to the regular Mi Xao (stir fried noodles) you are used to, but
with a twist. In Mi Xao Don the thin egg
noodles are transformed into a crispy golden nest, then this is piled high with
stir-fried beef, shrimp and crunchy vegetables, and then topped with a
light sauce. It’s everything your used
to, but with a crispy fried noodle instead.
5. Banh Loc
Banh Loc, a typical Hue snack,
can be found just about anywhere and is one of my favorite Hue dumplings. This dumpling is made of tapioca flour and
stuffed with caramelized shrimp and pork belly.
The dumpling is wrapped and tied lightly in banana leaves and steamed.
Served in pairs, once you unwrap these clear dumplings from the banana leaves
you will top it with a sweat chili fish sauce.
6. Banh Nam
Bahn Nam dumplings are much like Bahn
Loc, but are made from rice flour instead of tapioca. The rice flour batter is spread onto a
banana leaf with ground shrimp, scallions, and pork. These flat dumplings are
then wrapped in a banana leaf and steamed.
7. Banh Beo
Banh
Beo, also known as water fern cake, is another dumpling specialty that is
usually served in groups of 5 – 6. These
dumplings are made of a combination of rice and tapioca flour and topped with
dried shrimp, pork rinds, and a bean paste.
8. Banh Ram It
Last but not least of the dumplings is the lesser known Banh Ram
It. Slightly different from the rest,
these dumplings are made from sticky rice and filled with shrimp, pork belly,
and bean paste. They are then served on
crispy, fried dough circles for an extra crunchy texture.
9. Banh Ep
Bahn Ep is a crepe like dish that
is made with tapioca flour. The cooks press
the dough into thin cakes between two pieces of cast iron, then put the filling
on top, and press them again. Banh Ep is
usually filled with egg, green onions, minced meat, dried meat, or any
combination of those.
10. Banh Khoai
Banh Khoai is another crepe style dish, but is far more popular than it's cousin Banh Ep. Banh Khoai is made of rice flour with a healthy dash of tumeric and then pan-fried into a thick crispy
crepe. This is then stuffed with shrimp,
pork belly, and herbs and folded like a sandwich. The crepe is served with hoisin-based
dipping sauce. Easy to eat and portable,
Banh Khoai is a popular Hue dish for those on the go.
If you travel to Hue with an
open mind and an empty stomach, I promise you will leave happy. So, grab your chopsticks and soup spoons you
foodies and find your happiness in Hue’s Central Vietnamese cuisine!
What are some of
your favorite dishes from Hue?
Comment
below!
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