Traditional Culinary Tasting
Hue is famous not only for its thousand-year-old history but also for its diverse traditional food culture. As the home of Vietnam’s last royal dynasty — the Nguyen Dynasty — many iconic dishes were created here, originally crafted for the kings, where refinement and meticulous preparation were of utmost importance.
The city was proudly ranked 35th — the highest in Vietnam — in TasteAtlas’s Best Food Cities Awards.
Me Xung Workshop
Start this fascinating culinary tasting tour around Hue city. Your first stop will be at a “Me Xung” sweets workshop. Me Xung is a delightful combination of sesame seeds, crushed peanuts, and handmade malt syrup — one of Hue’s most beloved traditional desserts, perfectly enjoyed with a cup of hot tea.
"Ba Do" Hue's Dumpling Restaurant
Then drive to Ba Do's house to learn how to make some other Hue’s specialties such as "banh beo" (small steamed rice cake), "banh nam"(steamed rice cake wrapped in banana leaves), "banh bot loc" (clear shrimp and pork dumpling). Enjoy the dishes you have made while chatting with the owner to understand more about Hue’s food culture.
Everyone here knows Ba Do ( Ba mean Grandma and Do is her name) , a beloved spot that has been around since 1982. The name “Ba Do Bánh Lọc” was actually given by customers over the years, and it simply stayed. Despite the name, the shop offers not only bánh lọc but the full range of traditional Hue cakes such as bánh bèo, bánh nậm, bánh ram ít, chả tôm, and more.
If you ask any local where to try the best bánh nậm or bánh lọc in Hue, you’ll almost always get the same two answers — whichever is closer: Ba Do or O Lé. Conveniently, O Lé is located right along our Phu Mong walking tour route.
You can take a look at our Phu Mong Walking Tour here.
The tea cherished by the royal court of the Nguyễn Dynasty
Complete your day by tasting Hue royal tea. Once served only to the Royal family in ancient times, royal tea has now become widely enjoyed throughout the country. The royal tea includes a variety of herbs such as: artichoke, chrysanthemum, sweet grass, kudzu, ginseng, apple, liquorice, jasmine, and more. The royal tea includes a variety of herbs such as artichoke, chrysanthemum, sweet grass, kudzu, ginseng, apple, liquorice, jasmine, and more. Not only is it flavorful, but it is also regarded as a health-boosting elixir.
Artichoke contains gallic acid, a powerful antioxidant that helps rejuvenate the body, continuously fights against the formation of cancer cells, and supports detoxification. It is particularly known for promoting liver health, making it one of the most nourishing ingredients.
Chrysanthemum helps cool the liver and acts as a mild diuretic, supporting the body’s natural detoxification processes.
Stevia (sweet grass) provides natural sweetness without affecting health — it has zero calories, does not raise blood sugar, and has no side effects. Its sweetness is gentle and subtle, unlike cane sugar.
Yam (củ mài) offers many health benefits, but its most useful property is its compounds that help break down sugars. After a meal rich in refined sugars, drinking yam tea can aid digestion and reduce sugar absorption without spiking blood sugar levels.
You can read more about its full benefits here.
Return to Ancient Hue
NOTES
- Availability: Morning, Afternoon
- Suggested time: 10:00, 15:00
- Duration: 3.5 hours
