Vietnamese people have a very good habit of saving, which are reflected by the regular meals – rice with a main dishes (meat or fish/shrimp), a vegetable food and a bowl of soup. However, at Tet holiday, it will be quite special time as a Vietnamese idiom said: “Hungry on the father’s death anniversary, full on three New Year days”.
Banh Chung/ Banh Tet (Square Cake) – Banh Day (Round Cake):
At TET, people often make both Chung cake and Day cake; but Banh Chung (steamed square cake) and its Southern variety called Banh Tet – is unique and most popular.
Banh Chung is a food made from glutinous rice, mung bean and pork, added with many other ingredients. It is the spirit of the Vietnamese New Year days, expressing the essence of the heaven and the earth through the skillful hands of humans.
Sticky Rice – Xoi
Xoi (Sticky rice) is also a very important part of Tet holiday in Vietnam, since the meals to worship the ancestors cannot missing this dish.
Xoi in Tet holidays can be seen in many forms: Xoi Lac (sticky rice with peanuts), Xoi Do Xanh (sticky rice with mung bean); but Xoi Gac (sticky rice with special “gac” fruit) is the most favorite dishes.
Boiled Chicken – Thit Ga
Thit ga (boiled or steamed chicken) plays an important role in Tet holiday cuisine because all the tribute meals to the ancestors must contain a boiled chicken, whole or chopped.
Chicken meat in Tet meals are various in forms: usually chicken are boiled and sliced, but sometimes people can place the whole chicken in a plate, or nowadays some families use roasted or fired chicken to replace the original boiled ones.
Vietnamese Sausage
Gio Cha (Vietnamese ham/sausage) is another traditional food in Tet holiday, and usually served with Xoi (sticky rice) and Banh Chung.
Gio is different from Cha since Gio is boiled and Cha is deep-fried. Vietnamese people make Gio from lean meat, added fish sauce and covered by leaves then boiled for hours.
Mut – Candied Fruits
Mut Tet (Tet jam) is not a food to serve in a meal during Tet holiday, but more like a snack to welcome guests in this special period. Mut is always kept in beautiful boxes and placed at the table in the living room, and it is the main food for the owners and guests to taste when they’re talking, enjoyed over a cup of tea.
If you want to understand Vietnam culture, one of the best way is travelling on the Tet holiday. You will have a great experience to enjoy the Tet atmosphere and also the special and delicious foods.
