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With a ticket price of 2 million VND per guest, the grand musical feast program is part of the Imperial Night event at Hue Festival 2014, recreating the royal banquet on the nights of April 15 and 19, 2014.
Mr. Phan Thanh Hai, Director of the Center for Conservation of Hue Old Capital Relics and Deputy Head of the Festival organizing committee, revealed that the program aims to provide a more accurate perspective on Hue imperial cuisine. All dishes served this time are named exactly as in the documents of the Nguyen dynasty. The person responsible for restoring these dishes is culinary artist Ho Thi Hoang Anh, a descendant of Mr. Ho Van Ta, the team leader in the late stage of the Nguyen dynasty.
There are 6 royal dishes selected for restoration to their original form:
The appetizer, GỨp tư used with pickled vegetables, is made from natural Hue shrimp marinated with fish sauce, onions, pepper, and chopped fat, steamed and grilled to create an appetizer served with pickled vegetables.
The second dish is Sea cucumber cooked with tiger prawns and vegetables. This high-quality dish is made from precious ingredients and features an elaborately processed broth, simmered for a day and night to create a naturally sweet and salty taste without additional spices.
For the third course, indulge in Purple Sweet Potato Cake and Ke Cake. Purple Sweet Potato Cake, crafted from exquisite sticky rice flour sourced from Hương Cần village (Hương Toàn commune, Hương Trà town), is infused with purple sweet potatoes for natural aroma and color. The rich filling includes fresh local shrimp, grass-fed pork, Mạnh Tông bamboo shoots, and tender cat mushrooms. Ke Cake, made from small golden persimmons in their prime season in Huế (known for being the most fragrant and tender persimmons), features a vegetarian filling with green beans, mold-shaped beans, and a unique forest-scented mushroom blend, resulting in an enticing fragrance.
Moving on to the fourth dish, savor Hue Chicken Salad. This dish, once served in the imperial court, distinguishes itself with a delightful sweet and sour taste, making it a sought-after appetizer in both Northern and Southern Vietnam. Similar to the Northern dish Bún Thang, the ingredients include shredded tender chicken, Song Thần vermicelli made from mung beans, pork sausage, chicken eggs, and pork, all intricately mixed together. Garnished with sesame seeds, peanuts, and rice paper, the dish is topped with a flavorful and concentrated chicken bone broth.
As the fifth course, relish Stuffed Duck with Sticky Rice. This delectable dish is meticulously prepared by cleaning ducklings, removing the bones, and stuffing them with finely chopped chicken heart mixed with eggs and cat mushrooms. The ducks are then wrapped in pandan leaves and placed in a pot with sticky rice until both the duck and rice are thoroughly cooked. Notably, the ducks are positioned upside down in the pot to ensure the ingredients remain securely sealed inside.
And now, the finale – French Silk Cake. This vibrant cake boasts an exterior mold made from the multicolored paper of Thanh Tiên village, Huế, following the artistry of Huế's silk embroidery. According to artisan Hoàng Anh, this particular cake, long unseen in Huế family gatherings, was rediscovered through extensive research in the United States, consulting with old Huế families to recover the original recipe and wrapping technique. The cake is made with fragrant new-season sticky rice flour, along with refreshing watermelon and watermelon seed pulp. It offers a sweet, clear taste and a wonderfully pleasant fragrance, making it a perfect dessert to accompany aromatic tea.
To resurrect this type of cake, the artisan had to travel all the way to the United States, meeting with ancient Huế families to rediscover the traditional recipe and wrapping technique. The cake is made with fragrant new-season sticky rice flour, combined with juicy watermelon and the pulp of watermelon seeds. With its sweet and refreshing taste, this dessert is ideal for pairing with fragrant tea.
Sharing insights with PV Thanh Niên Online ahead of the event, artisan Hoàng Anh expressed that the purpose of this revival program is to reconnect with the past, rediscovering the true essence and value of the ancestral dishes in terms of both quality and nomenclature.
'Diners won't encounter overwhelming opulence and extravagance here. Our goal is for participants to savor and experience the true essence of flavor, the refined nature of royal cuisine, steering clear of ostentatious displays,' expressed artisan Hoàng Anh.
As per Thanh Niên
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Reference: Travel Handbook Mytour
MytourJune 18, 2014
