In the event of Tet holiday, what traditional food for Vietnamese lunar new year?
To celebrate the most important holiday in the country, generations of
the Vietnamese have been following their traditions to cook some special
dishes, such as Banh Chung and Banh Tet (the steamed cake), Cu Kieu
(the pickled onions), etc. Read on to know the special food for Tet in Vietnam.
#1: Banh Chung (The Square Steamed Cake) – The most typical food on Tet Festival
Eating well is a key to celebrate Tet in a right away. And, Banh
Chung is the indispensable item for the Tet celebration particularly in
the North of Vietnam. It is the square-shaped rice cake including sticky
rice, seasoned pork, and mung bean, wrapped in the banana leaves. Also,
some chefs might wrap the package in plastic, tie it with the little
red or green ribbon, and stick a small red paper on it, which means good
luck. Traditionally, the square shape of Banh Chung represents the
Earth, associated with deep meanings of the universe. Besides the
steamed version, the Northern people also prefer the fried version by
frying Banh Chung on the nonstick frying pan with a little oil and
moderate heat. Packages of this square-shaped cake take 6-8 hours of
boiling to finish. Banh Chung (The Square Steamed Cake) – The most typical food on Tet Festival
#2: Banh Tet (The Cylindrical Steamed Cake)
Banh Tet and Banh Chung include the similar ingredients of sticky
rice, seasoned pork, and mung bean, but the difference lies in their
shape. While Banh Chung is square and represents the Earth, Banh Tet is
cylindrical which might represent the Moon. This is the popular item in
the South of Vietnam, which also takes long hours for boiling.
Generations of the Southern families often prepare and cook this special
cake in the New Year’s Eve so that they have the great food ready on
the first day of the New Year. The youth are expected to help clean the
banana leaves and wrap the packages following the adults’ instructions
while the mothers are in charge of seasoning the pork, steaming the mung
beans, preparing the sticky rice, etc., and mixing them. All activities
create the cozy and happy memories. Banh Tet (The Cylindrical Steamed Cake) is more popular in thr South of Vietnam
#3: Cu Kieu / Dua Muoi (The Pickles)
Various kinds of root vegetables and leeks can be fermented to create
the pickles – the delicious item to eat with the braised pork and eggs
in light fish sauce. In particular, the pickled small leeks are often
prepared by the housewives in even weeks before the Tet holiday. Also,
some families prefer to buy the plastic jars of the pickled onions in
the local market. In any way, the pickles are so common that almost
every family wants at least one jar available in their kitchens. This
kind of traditional food for Vietnamese Lunar New Year is good for digestion of the other meat-rich dishes. Cu Kieu / Dua Muoi (The Pickles)
#4: Mut (The Candied Fruits)
This is the pure Vietnamese food part. The candied fruits are wildly
popular in the local markets, which ensure every family can buy
kilograms of the candied treats like coconut, sweet potato, tamarind,
mango, etc. The brightly colored candied fruits are usually present on
the tables to serve any guest who comes during the Tet spans. People of
all ages love to chew it. So, if you travel to Vietnam on Tet and ask “what do Vietnamese eat for Lunar New Year?”, then the answers should include the candied fruits. Mut Tet – Candied Fruits
#5: Yummy Seeds and Nuts
The most popular items are the salt roasted cashew nut, lotus seed,
watermelon seed, sunflower seed, sesame seed candy, and peanut candy.
You’re sure to find these seeds, nuts, and candies in the local markets
during the Tet holiday for the easy purchase. If you have a chance to
visit any Vietnamese family, it’s taken for granted that you will be
invited to savor at least one kind of these mentioned seeds and nuts.
Otherwise, you can buy the preferred yummy food and discover the taste
by yourself. The chewing experience is rewarding. Lotus seeds in Vietnsmese Tet Festival
#6: Boiled Chicken – The most popular food for Vietnamese Lunar New Year
Most of the altars to worship the ancestors in Vietnam have a space for the boiled chicken – the delicious food for Tet holidays.
People might put the processed whole chicken to do worshipping, but
some families might decide to chop the chicken into the little pieces
and display them on the plate. The food should be topped with the
Vietnamese coriander and eaten with the sauce including salt, pepper,
and lemon juice. The yellow boiled and skin-perfect chicken represents
the good beginning of the New Year. Boiled Chicken – The traditional food in Tet
#7: Nem Ran or Cha Gio (kinds of Vietnamese Spring Roll)
“Nem Ran” is the popular item in the daily meal as well as the
indispensable food in the traditional tables for worshipping the
ancestor in the Northern Vietnam. In the same sense, “Cha Gio” is the
famous dish in the Southern Vietnam. Both are fried to be crunchy
outside while the interior includes meat, egg, mushroom, onion, shrimp,
peanut, etc. These kinds of spring roll are often served with the fresh
vegetables, wrapped in the rice paper, and dipped into the fish sauce.
The eye-catching display of both “Nem Ran” and “Cha Gio” is able to make
you mouth-watering. As usual, the spring rolls should be served while
it is still hot and crispy… See Vietnamese spring roll recipe here! Nem Ran – Vietnamese Spring Roll
Top 7 traditional dishes of Vietnamese Tet holiday
above are worth tasting to feel how the locals celebrate their Lunar New
Year. No matter how modern a family is, everybody is advised to have
some of the special food for Tet on their tables during the festive
periods. Besides cleaning and decorating houses, and exchanging the best
wishes, eating well is a must to do for the Tet celebrations. So if you
arrive in Vietnamese during the special occasion when the whole country
joins the relaxing vibe, feel free to savor the Vietnamese traditional
food for Tet that you find along the way. In fact, Vietnamese Lunar New Year is also an excellent occasion for the overseas foodies to eat the Tet delicacies which are rarely found at the other times.
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