Top 5 traditional foods on Tet holiday you should know

Tet is the most special occasion for all Vietnamese family members to gather, talk and enjoy delicious traditional foods. If you have a chance to stay in Vietnam during Tet holiday, don’t forget to try one of 5 Vietnamese outstanding traditional foods suggested in this article. 

Let’s get started to know more about Vietnamese culture through these dishes.

1. Bánh Chưng / Vietnamese Square Sticky Rice Cake 

Banh Chung is a traditional and irreplaceable dish during Tet holiday. Another form of Bánh Chưng is Bánh Tét (round glutinous rice cake), which is also another favorite choice in southern Vietnam. 

What is its meaning?

Representing gratitude to the ancestors, the earth and the sky.

What does it taste like? 

Very delicious because of the harmonious combination of sticky rice, sweet green bean, mildly spicy pepper and fatty pork meat.

2. Thịt gà luộc / Boiled chicken 

Vietnamese people always cook boiled chicken and give it to ancestors and gods on every special occasion like Tet holiday, family reunion, etc.

What is its meaning? 

In the concept of 12 zodiacs of Eastern culture, chickens are symbolic of strength and aggression. In literature, chickens are said to possess five great virtues: Responsible, Clever, Strong, Brave and Humanity.

A tray of traditional dishes on Tet holiday 

3. Thịt kho hột vịt / Vietnamese Braised Pork with Eggs 

Thịt kho hột vịt is the main dish in every family (especially in southern Vietnam) during

Tet holiday.

What is its meaning?

Presenting happiness and goodness.

How to cook?

Very easy. Pork is cut into smaller square pieces and soaked in garlic. After that, you will add fish sauce, coconut water, sugar and hard-boiled peeled eggs. Then, you continue cooking them for a few hours until the pork and eggs absorb spice and coconut water.

4. Mứt / Candied Fruits 

Mứt is a special offering made by Vietnamese households to their ancestors every Tet holiday. They are also snacks to be served to New Year guests along with green tea.

What is its meaning?

There were 6 kinds of Mứt and each has its own symbolic meaning: coconut candy (happy gatherings), lotus seeds candy (fertility), ginger candy (coziness), ash gourd candy (a healthy and prosperous year), kumquat candy (luck, peace and prosperity), peanut candy (longevity).

How to cook?

The making of the candy is quite simple, with very few inexpensive ingredients needed – just seasonal fruits, seeds and vegetables, sugar, in some cases, condensed milk and vanilla.

5. Củ Kiệu / Pickled onions or pickled small leeks

Pickled Onions (Northern Vietnam) or pickled small leeks (Southern Vietnam) is a small dish in every Vietnamese meal during Tet holiday.

What is it for? 

It is used to eat along with Bánh Chưng to reduce richness when you have already eaten a lot of food which has lots of protein. It also increases the flavor of food and also helps the body digest food easily.

How to make? 

Firstly, you choose onions that are hard and then cut off the sprouts, only keeping the bulbs. They are soaked in rice water for a night. The next step is you clean the onions and cut them. After that you mix rice vinegar, sugar and a bit of salt in boiling water, then add to a jar full of onions. You can eat the onions after two weeks.

Have enjoyable meals during Tet holiday!

Reference: https://teach.emg.vn/top-5-traditional-foods-on-tet-holiday-you-should-know/