adminAt the age of 93, National Culinary Artisan Mai Thị Trà is compiling a culinary book that showcases both refined dishes once served in Hue’s aristocratic households and rustic specialties rooted in the local culinary tradition.
Artisan Mai Thị Trà was born in Hue in 1934. She is the niece of Mai Thị Vàng, the First Consort of Emperor Duy Tân. Her paternal grandfather, Mai Khắc Đôn, served as a tutor to Emperor Duy Tân, while her father was a district magistrate under the Nguyễn Dynasty.
At an age rarely attained, the artisan has decided to pass on her culinary secrets and traditional cooking techniques for a number of refined dishes once served in Hue’s aristocratic households, as well as rustic local specialties that are now at risk of being lost. In response, a multidisciplinary team has joined together with Mrs. Trà to produce a book entitled “Ẩm thực Huế- Phủ đệ và dân dã- nghệ nhân Mai Thị Trà” (Hue Cuisine – Aristocratic and Rustic Traditions – Artisan Mai Thi Tra)
Hue-style fermented tofu, prepared by the artisan using a traditional fermentation method with wood ash and ngái leaves
The book project has now entered its initial phase: a 10-day period in Hue during which the dishes are prepared together with Ms. Trà. The process begins with conversations with her about memories of the culinary traditions of Hue’s former aristocratic households – how members of noble families in Hue selected ingredients and how dishes originating from the imperial court were adapted and integrated into everyday life.
Using food to nourish the body and promote health, while making use of seasonal produce, local specialties unique to Hue, and high-quality, nutritious ingredients sourced from other regions, was one of the distinctive characteristics of Hue’s aristocratic culinary tradition.
Artisan Mai Thị Tra recalls: “From a very young age, I found myself observing Hue cuisine very closely, though I cannot say why. When I was about ten years old, I accompanied my mother on a visit to Madam Đích, the principal wife of Emperor Thanh Thai, who was there to offer her advice on matters concerning my mother’s younger sister, Mai Thị Vang. On that occasion, I carefully observed Madam Đich’s meal. It was so elegant, refined, and pure. The rice, cooked from De An Cuu rice, gave off a delicate and exquisite fragrance. It was a distinctive agricultural product of Hue – one that, sadly, no longer exists today.”
Te Dieu cake – a famous traditional cake in Hue
Mrs. Tra further recalled that, over the years, she carefully observed and committed to memory the refined dishes served at family memorial feasts, as well as at the residence of Madam Sanh, the mother of Emperor Duy Tan, along with the distinctive culinary traditions of Hue.
Artisan Mai Thị Tra is opening the treasury of traditional Hue cuisine to future generations, sharing her knowledge of time-honoured cooking techniques, including the recipes for dishes that have all but disappeared from the culinary memory of Hue. Through carefully documented recipes, videos, and intimate recollections, she seeks to preserve and pass on this precious heritage, so that generations to come may simply turn the pages of the book or watch the videos and recreate these dishes with their own hands. For Mrs. Tra, preserving the craft means keeping no secrets, but allowing the culinary wisdom entrusted to her to live on.
Sour shrimp sauce in Hue style
Such clarity, precision, and meticulousness in her teaching are rooted in Artisan Mai Thị Tra’s own rigorous educational and professional background. A former student of Đong Khanh School in Hue, she went on to become a teacher of literature and domestic arts at several prestigious schools, including Nguyen Tri Phuong, Nu Sinh Thanh Noi, and Dong Khánh.
After retiring in 1991, she continued to teach at the Thua Thien Hue Provincial Women’s Union and Hue Tourism College. In 2000, she represented Vietnam in Belgium, where she introduced and promoted the country’s culinary heritage.
Photographer Minh Hoa, one of the members of the team behind the book project, shared: “I had met and spoken with Mrs. Tra several times before. But after spending three days watching her go to the market and prepare dishes for our photography and film crew, I came to admire her deeply. She felt so warm and familiar to me, almost like a mother. She has been a vegetarian for 30 years, yet she continues to prepare Hue’s traditional meat and seafood dishes for our team, so that we can document and preserve the culinary heritage of Hue through this book.”
Thang luc vi – a vegetarian dish in Hue style
Tu Phuong Thao, who is overseeing the design of the publication, shared: “Throughout my career designing books, newspapers, and magazines, I consider it a great honor to have been entrusted with designing this book by Artisan Mai Thi Tra.”
Chef Vo Quoc has great admiration for Mrs. Tra: “What is truly remarkable about Mrs. Tra is that she does not need to taste a dish to know whether it has turned out properly. She can tell simply by smelling it and looking at it. That is why, despite being a vegetarian, she is still able to prepare traditional Hue dishes made with meat and other savory ingredients. I joined the project to standardize the measurements, making her recipes clear and accessible for readers to recreate.”
Former food journalist Giang Vu said: “For a very long time, I have regarded Vietnam’s culinary heritage as one of the treasures we can take pride in. So when I learned that Mrs. Tra wanted to create a book, I immediately agreed to join as its editor and food stylist. After just three days working alongside her, I realized that she is a true master of food styling. What impressed me most was her remarkably discerning eye. She could spot even the smallest errors in the manuscript simply by reading it on her phone, without a computer, at the age of 93.”
Meanwhile, Trang Nguyen, the project director overseeing the book, shared that, as a native of Hue, she was deeply touched to witness a team from Hanoi and Saigon come together to embrace, preserve, and celebrate Hue’s culinary heritage with such genuine passion and affection.
Over the days of witnessing the team work so passionately alongside Mrs. Tra, Trang was deeply touched by the remarkable bond they had formed and by their genuine affection for both Ms. Tra and Hue.
The culinary book is expected to be published in the first quarter of 2027.
Artisan Mai Thi Tra and the project team at her home
Text: Giang Vu, Photo: Minh Hoa
