The Spring Festival, known as Tết in Vietnam, is one of the most significant holidays in the country, marking the arrival of the lunar new year. It’s a time when families come together to honor their ancestors, celebrate the promise of a fresh start, and share delicious food that symbolizes prosperity, happiness, and good fortune. The Tết festival is a unique blend of cultural traditions, family rituals, and, of course, an array of special dishes that are prepared and enjoyed during the celebrations.
Food plays a pivotal role in Tết, and many dishes served during the festival are deeply rooted in Vietnamese culture. Each dish carries its own significance, often representing hopes for a prosperous and healthy year ahead. From the iconic Bánh Chưng to Măng Ngọt (bamboo shoot soup), Tết offers a variety of dishes that cater to different tastes and symbolize different aspects of life. This article will take you on a culinary journey through some of the most popular and significant dishes served during the Tết festival.
1. Bánh Chưng: A Symbol of Earth and the Vietnamese Ancestors
The most iconic and symbolic dish of Tết is undoubtedly Bánh Chưng, a square sticky rice cake filled with mung beans and pork, wrapped in banana leaves. The square shape of the cake represents the Earth, as it is believed to be flat in Vietnamese mythology. The Bánh Chưng is a tribute to the ancestors and the Earth itself, as well as a way to show gratitude for the harvest and the blessings of the previous year.
Traditionally, the preparation of Bánh Chưng involves the whole family. It’s a communal effort that brings people together to work on this time-consuming dish. The rice is soaked overnight, and the fillings are carefully prepared with mung beans, pork, and sometimes salted eggs. The cake is then wrapped in banana leaves and boiled for hours. The process of making Bánh Chưng is a beloved tradition that connects generations, with older family members passing down their expertise to the younger ones.
Bánh Chưng is often served alongside Bánh Dày (another type of sticky rice cake, but round in shape, symbolizing the sky) during Tết, and it is eaten throughout the holiday, especially on the first day of the new year.
2. Bánh Tét: A Southern Variation of Bánh Chưng
In southern Vietnam, the traditional Bánh Chưng is replaced with Bánh Tét, a cylindrical sticky rice cake, which also carries similar symbolic meanings. Bánh Tét is made with glutinous rice, mung beans, and pork, but it can also be filled with other ingredients like coconut, mung bean paste, or banana. The cylindrical shape of Bánh Tét represents the continuity of life, while the fillings are symbolic of fertility and abundance.
The preparation of Bánh Tét involves wrapping the rice and fillings tightly in banana leaves before boiling the cakes for several hours. Much like Bánh Chưng, the making of Bánh Tét is an essential part of the Tết celebration, often involving family members working together to create a delicious and meaningful dish.
3. Xào Thịt Kho Tàu: Braised Pork and Eggs in Coconut Water
Another must-have dish during Tết is Xào Thịt Kho Tàu, or braised pork with eggs in coconut water. This dish is a perfect combination of savory, sweet, and aromatic flavors. The pork is braised in a mixture of coconut water, soy sauce, and sugar, which creates a deliciously rich and tender texture. Hard-boiled eggs are added to the dish, absorbing the savory and sweet flavors, and further enhancing the dish’s richness.
This dish symbolizes wealth, prosperity, and abundance. The use of pork and eggs represents fertility and family, while the sweet-savory sauce is considered a lucky combination to start the year off on a positive note. Xào Thịt Kho Tàu is often served with steamed rice, and the dish is a staple on the dining table during Tết, enjoyed by families throughout the holiday.
4. Măng Ngọt: Bamboo Shoot Soup for Good Health
Măng Ngọt, or bamboo shoot soup, is a traditional dish enjoyed during Tết, especially in the northern regions of Vietnam. This soup is typically made with tender bamboo shoots, pork, and various herbs and spices, creating a light, aromatic broth. The bamboo shoots symbolize vitality, new growth, and renewal, making them a fitting dish for the start of the lunar new year.
The soup is often flavored with ingredients like ginger, onions, and garlic, which add depth and warmth to the dish. Some variations of Măng Ngọt may include dried shrimp or pork bones for added richness and umami flavor. The dish is not only delicious but also healthy, making it a nourishing and comforting food during the busy holiday season.
5. Canh Khổ Qua: Bitter Melon Soup
While many of the dishes served during Tết are rich and flavorful, Canh Khổ Qua, or bitter melon soup, provides a refreshing balance. Bitter melon is a vegetable known for its slightly bitter taste, which is believed to cleanse the body and promote good health. During Tết, Canh Khổ Qua is often prepared with stuffed bitter melon filled with minced pork, rice, and spices, and simmered in a savory broth.
The bitterness of the melon is said to symbolize the challenges of the past year, and the soup is often eaten in the hopes of cleansing those negative energies for the new year. This dish, while somewhat unusual in flavor, is beloved for its health benefits and its symbolic meaning of renewal and purification.
6. Giò Chả: Vietnamese Pork Sausage
Giò Chả, or Vietnamese pork sausage, is another dish that’s commonly found during Tết. It is made from finely ground pork, mixed with spices and seasonings, and wrapped in banana leaves before being steamed to perfection. The texture of Giò Chả is smooth and delicate, and it’s often sliced into thin rounds for serving.
Giò Chả is a dish that symbolizes prosperity and longevity, with the round shape representing completeness and unity. It is often served alongside other dishes like Bánh Chưng or Xào Thịt Kho Tàu, adding a savory and savory touch to the meal.
7. Dưa Hành: Pickled Onions for a Sour Touch
Dưa Hành, or pickled onions, is a common side dish during Tết. The tangy, sour flavor of the pickled onions provides a refreshing contrast to the richness of the other dishes, helping to cleanse the palate between bites of the heavier foods. The pickled onions are often made from shallots or red onions, and the recipe usually includes vinegar, sugar, salt, and other spices.
Pickled onions also have a symbolic meaning, representing the removal of bitterness and negativity, making them a fitting dish to enjoy during the new year. Dưa Hành is served alongside many of the other traditional Tết dishes and is a key component of the holiday’s meal.
8. Trà Tết: Special Tea for the New Year
To accompany the meal, Trà Tết (Tết tea) is often served. This is typically a special herbal tea made from various ingredients such as lotus seeds, ginseng, or sweetened longan. The tea is aromatic and soothing, and it’s believed to promote health and wellness in the new year.
Trà Tết is often consumed throughout the day during the holiday and is a way to refresh the body and enjoy a moment of calm amidst the hustle and bustle of Tết celebrations.
9. Bánh Chưng and Bánh Tét: Sweet and Savory Cakes for Offerings
Apart from their consumption at family gatherings, Bánh Chưng and Bánh Tét are also prepared as offerings to the ancestors. It’s common for families to place these cakes on their ancestral altars as a way of showing respect and gratitude. The cakes are carefully placed and presented as a part of the ritual offerings that are central to Tết celebrations.
10. Conclude: A Feast for the Soul and the Family
The Spring Festival, or Tết, is a time for families to come together, to honor their ancestors, and to share meaningful and symbolic dishes that reflect the values of the Vietnamese culture. The food served during Tết, from the savory Bánh Chưng and Xào Thịt Kho Tàu to the refreshing Măng Ngọt soup, plays an important role in connecting people with their roots and celebrating the renewal that comes with the lunar new year. Each dish carries its own significance and contributes to a festive atmosphere of abundance, unity, and good fortune for the year ahead.
These special dishes are more than just meals; they are an embodiment of the hopes, prayers, and traditions that define Tết. Preparing and sharing these dishes is a way for families to strengthen bonds, remember their ancestors, and look forward to the blessings of the coming year.
