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| Bún bò Huế (Huế-style beef noodle soup), a signature dish of the city. — Photo visithue.vn |
HUẾ — The new rice festival of the Cơ Tu ethnic people and the traditional knowledge of bún bò Huế (Huế-style beef noodle soup) have both been officially listed in the national intangible cultural heritages, the Department of Culture and Sports of Huế City have announced.
The new rice festival is a representative agricultural ritual that reflects the close relationship between humans, nature and deities in the cultural life of the Cơ Tu people in Nam Đông, Long Quảng and Khe Tre communes of Huế City.
Held after each harvest season, the festival, locally known as Bhươih Haro Tơme, expresses gratitude to the deities, especially the rice god for blessing the village with abundant harvests, peaceful living and prosperity.
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| The new rice festival of the Cơ Tu ethnic people in Nam Đông Commune, Huế City. — Photo vietnamtourism.gov.vn |
This festival has been preserved and passed down through generations, becoming a distinctive feature of the traditional rice cultivation cycle of the Cơ Tu people. It also serves as an important occasion for the community to gather, celebrate and strengthen their bonds of solidarity.
The ceremony can take place within individual families or on a larger scale involving the entire community. It features various activities such as offerings, sacrifices, gong and drum performances, the traditional Pađil Yayă dance, traditional cuisine and the symbolic decoration of the Xơnur worship pole.
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| The festival features various activities such as offerings, sacrifices and gong and drum performances. — Photo vietnamtourism.gov.vn |
According to the Department of Culture and Sports of Huế, bún bò Huế is not only a dish famous nationwide and internationally, but also a culmination of hundreds of years of traditional knowledge passed down through generations.
Linked to spiritual life, community activities and traditional craft villages like Vân Cù and Ô Sa, this dish profoundly reflects the soul, lifestyle and culinary culture of the people of Huế.
A steaming bowl of bún bò Huế features thin noodles and a sweet, clear broth simmered from beef bones and pork hocks, infused with the aromatic scents of lemongrass and shrimp paste, creating an irresistible fragrance. The highlight includes tender slices of beef, rich pork hocks, along with crab cake, blood pudding and a sprinkle of green onions and coriander on top.
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| Culinary artisan Trần Thị Hồng Loan demonstrates how to make bún bò Huế. — VNA/VNS Photo Tường Vi |
In 2014, renowned chef Anthony Bourdain introduced bún bò Huế on CNN, calling it the “greatest soup in the world.” It was included in the Asian Record Organisation’s list of the Top 100 Asian Culinary Delights in 2016.
In 2023, Taste Atlas, a prestigious international food website, ranked Huế 28th among the 100 cities with the best food in the world, highlighting Huế beef noodle soup as one of the must-try dishes when visiting the city.
The recognition of this heritage not only affirms the cultural value of Huế’s cuisine but also establishes a legal foundation and important impetus for Huế City to enhance its efforts in preserving, promoting, and utilising heritage values within its cultural industry development strategy.
This contributes to local tourism and economic-cultural growth, and also serves as a meaningful stepping stone in the journey to make Huế a UNESCO Creative City in the field of gastronomy.
“The Department of Culture and Sports of Huế City will collaborate with various departments, artisans, and the community to continue implementing activities to honour and promote the heritage, contributing to spreading the value of the traditional knowledge of bún bò Huế to the public both domestically and internationally,” said Phan Thanh Hải, the director of the department.
“This dish should not only be a source of pride for the people of Huế but also a cultural symbol of Việt Nam on the global stage.” — VNS
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