ROYAL COURT CUISINE – 19TH CENTURY
According to “An Nam Phong Tục Sách” by Đoàn Triển (1854-1919), royal court banquets were divided into three grades, with varying numbers of bowls, cups, and plates.
First-grade banquet: consisting of 12 bowls, cups, and 12 plates.
Second-grade banquet: consisting of 8 bowls, cups, and 8 plates.
Third-grade banquet: consisting of 6 or 4 bowls, cups, and plates.
The number of tables in each type of banquet depended on the number of invited guests. Dishes included diverse meats, seafood, and dried foods, but pork and sticky rice were essential. Food was served on bronze trays and placed on mats for guests to enjoy. Alcohol was a must-have beverage.
Vietnamese proverb says “thực cụ, thụ phần”, meaning “eat the feast, take the portion”.Guests were given portions of dried dishes to take home after the banquet ended, a tradition the author suggested abandoning due to its cost.