The Traditional Dishes No Tet Feast Is Complete Without

Tet is a time for the whole family to sit together, swap stories about the year gone by and the great things they achieved, or simply see relatives they haven't met in 365 days.

Every household, rich or poor, does its best at Tet to prepare traditional dishes as offerings to their grandparents and ancestors, asking them to watch over their descendants and grant them a healthy, prosperous and happy year. That simple joy feels even more complete when we gather around the Tet table with banh chung and banh tet, a steaming pot of pork braised with eggs, bowls of glistening white rice and a plate of tangy pickled shallots we haven't tasted in ages. Let's look back at the dishes that instantly bring the bustle of Tet to mind, and the smiles of children who live far from home.

Banh chung and banh tet

The North has banh chung, the South has banh tet. These cakes, painstakingly wrapped in banana leaves by skilled hands, are etched deep in the memory of every Vietnamese person each time Tet and spring come around.

Banh chung is perfectly square, symbolizing the vastness of the earth, and it is a defining feature of traditional Vietnamese Tet food. Whether bought ready-made or wrapped by hand at home, a single cake placed on the ancestral altar at Tet is enough to warm people's hearts.

From around the middle of the twelfth lunar month, market stalls selling string, wrapping leaves and mung beans are busy calling out to customers. Every family is ready to buy the best ingredients for the tastiest batch of cakes, to share with the whole family or simply to give to loved ones during the joyful Tet holiday.

Like banh chung, banh tet is made with glutinous rice and mung beans, but it is shaped into a long cylinder, and every roll carries the dedication of the person who made it. Banh tet comes with various fillings: mung bean, the traditional and much-loved version, banana, mixed fillings, fatty pork and more, each delicious in its own way.

Today banh tet comes in eye-catching new variations. Instead of the traditional plain glutinous rice, cooks now add magenta plant leaves (la cam) to create a range of vibrant colors that delight those who eat them.

Braised pork belly with eggs

In the chilly weather of the North, how happy it is to have a hot pot of braised pork waiting on the table for the whole family. Thit kho tau is made with pork belly, combining rich fat and tender meat.

According to our grandparents, pork braised with duck eggs is a traditional dish symbolizing harmony between the generations of a family, as well as prosperity. For Southerners especially, it is a soul-food dish that Tet simply can't do without. Children love eating the braised duck eggs from the pot, while the adults share the succulent pieces of pork, filling the whole house with the aroma of Tet.

Pickled onions and pickled shallots

These two are always served together, like an offering tray reflecting the balance of the five elements. They are also eaten as a condiment alongside braised pork or a slice of banh chung at Tet. Their sharp, tangy flavor with a gentle heat on the tongue is also good for your health during the holiday.

Chicken

Vietnamese people have always loved chicken, so a Tet table without it would feel like something was missing. Most Tet feasts in the North and Central regions feature the familiar plate of chicken, believed to bring a smooth, favorable start to the year and good luck all year round. Boiled chicken is the most common preparation: pieces of golden chicken dipped in salt, pepper and lime, every bite bringing out the sweet flavor of the meat.

Bamboo shoot soup

Bamboo shoot soup is the top choice of soup for the Tet feast. The bamboo shoots are cut into thick slices, soaked overnight and simmered with pork hock or chicken bones, creating a warming flavor for the holiday.

Sticky rice

Xoi gac, sticky rice cooked with gac fruit, turns a beautiful, naturally bright orange. In our Eastern tradition, xoi gac stands for good luck all year round.

Whatever the region of Vietnam, Tet is always lively, because every family has its own feast with its own character. The meal itself is something tangible, but the intangible meaning it carries matters more than anything. The whole family sitting, eating, sharing and talking together: such moments are rare, so always cherish Tet with your family, the times spent at the table with your grandparents, or simply sharing a piece of meat with a younger sibling. All these little moments will stay in our hearts for a lifetime.

Source: compiled