Hue cuisine - food for the Emperor

When the Nguyen Dynasty relocated to Hue, the Emperors constructed a mighty capitol to demonstrate their supremacy over both their subjects and their enemies. Within its walls they lived in the 'Forbidden Purple City' to distance themselves from the people. Commoners were not allowed to emulate the clothes, music or any other aspect of the lifestyle of the Imperial Court. The ban extended to food.

Vietnam's finest chefs were hand-picked and transferred to Hue to create new dishes. The chefs adapted traditional local dishes by introduced new regional flavours and textures for Vietnamese royalty.Perhaps the most distinctive feature of the food of the Imperial Court was a much greater emphasis on presentation. Hue food had always been based upon balancing tastes and ingredients with colours and designs according to geomantic principles, but 'Royal food' took culinary adornment to the extreme. Elegantly and colourfully presented, often in the form of animals, the dishes and their names were meant to impress and amuse.

Order the 'Dance of the Phoenix', and a plate with a giant cucumber bird resting on a nest of noodles, complete with a paté plume, would appear at your table. Should you fancy 'Green Papaya with Lemon in the Form of a Dragon', it would appear adorned with menacing red pepper eyes and tongue. The more subdued 'Elephant' would have carrot ears, cucumber tusks, and a paté head and body, and be properly dressed in rice paper pancakes.

If you travel with Haivenu, you'll be able to experience a small aspect of the life of an Nguyen courtier by sitting down to an Imperial Dinner cooked and served by a direct descendent of the Royal Family in her own home.