Bánh chưng, giò lụa sticky rice, nem rán and dưa hành are all traditional food in Vietnam on Tet holiday. And then, the article will give you more information about these foods with the detailed description of the cooking method. If having an occasion to visit Vietnam on Tet, you should not miss these dishes.
Bánh chưng (Chung cake)
Bánh chưng is considered to be the only cake associated with the long history of Vietnamese culinary culture. Bánh chưng, which is the symbol of the earth and was created by the prince Lang Lieu, the son of the 16th Hung King is the expression of the gratitude to the ancestors.
The main raw material of this food is the glutinous rice. The reason is that the rice plays an important role in wet rice culture. In addition, other ingredients involve mung beans and pork. All of them are wrapped in a square by a type of leaf called lá dong, then done to a turn.
Banh chưng is one of the traditional foods deeply imbued with the national culture.
Giò lụa or chả lụa (Vietnamese sausage)
Giò lụa is a popular dish in the meals of the Vietnamese families. The traditional giò lụa is made from three main materials including lean pork combined with delicious sauce, then wrapped in banana leaves and done to a turn.
Sticky rice is a quite common dish in the daily lives of the people who share the wet rice culture. The main raw materials are agricultural products such as rice, beans and peanuts that will be steamed.
Sticky rice is usually served hot. The required standard of this food is that the rice becomes glutinous and has good flavor when well done. During the holidays, Vietnamese people prefer cooking Gac sticky rice. According to the culture of Asian countries, the red color brings good luck and prosperity. When steamed with Gac, this dish will own the naturally beautiful red. Vietnamese people says that the red color of Gac sticky rice will help them to get lots of luck in the new year.
Nem rán (fried sausage)
Crispy nem rán accompanied with sweet and sour sauce is a tasty dish that is increasingly preferred by foreign customers.
In reality, it is not difficult to make this food. Indispensable ingredients are minced pork, chicken eggs or duck eggs, some vegetables like kohlrabi and carrot, crystal noodles and wood ear that are then mixed with spice; wrapped by rice paper and then fried until nem rán changes into yellow color.
Nem rán is a special dish in the feast of Vietnamese people. Besides the two traditional cakes including bánh chưng and bánh dày, Northern people make many other Tet dishes such as pickled onions, pork jelly and braised beef with cinnamon.
Dưa hành (Pickled onions)
Dưa hành is considered one of the must-eat food on Tet holiday and described by a popular couplet
“Rich meats, Pickled onions, red couplets
Nêu tree, firecracker, green bánh chưng”.
First of all, you need to select old and firm onions, then remove the tail and keep the root. After that, soak the onions in the lye water mixed with borax in the period of 2 days and 2 nights.
Next, the onions are taken from the water; the peels and the roots are removed and only keep 5 centimeters of the peels; then put them into jars. The onions will be dusted with some salt. After two weeks, you can take the onions from the jar and place them in a glass container. Finally, they cook the vinegar with sugar and when it gets cold, they pour it into the container. The dish will be completed in about 3 days.
If you would like to explore Vietnamese cuisine, it is recommended that you should go to visit Vietnam on Tet holiday. Besides these traditional foods, Tet is the time when many interesting festivals take place in Vietnam.