Nine indispensable dishes on Lunar New Year platter in northern Vietnam

Banh chung (square glutinous rice cake), sticky rice with spiny gourd, and boiled chicken are three of the nine indispensable dishes for the Lunar New Year holiday (Tet) in northern Vietnam.

Square glutinous rice cake

Banh chung are square, symbolizing the land. The cake is meant to express gratitude to the heavens and the earth for favorable rain and wind to allow bumper crops, providing people with a prosperous life.

During Tet, banh chung is also displayed on altars of worship to show filial piety to the ancestors and deceased.

Banh chung is made from white glutinous rice with a filling of green beans, fatty meat, onions, pepper, etc. All the ingredients are wrapped in green dong leaves and tied tightly with flexible yarn to create a beautiful, square shape.

After wrapping, the cakes are bolied for 8-10 hours until cooked. The cakes are soft and fragrant, with the aroma of glutinous rice and a light green color from the dong leaves.

Sticky rice with spiny gourd

Xoi gac is an indispensable sticky rice dish among Vietnamese people, especially during the Lunar New Year holiday.

According to Vietnamese beliefs, red is the color of happiness, the color of spring, a symbol of luck and goodness. Meanwhile, the spiny gourd is the natural color of the earth, so it creates harmony and favorable conditions for the new year.

Xoi gac is made from delicious glutinous rice mixed with fresh spiny gourd and then put in a steamer. After the sticky rice is cooked, it has a beautiful bright red color, and is very nutritious with high vitamin A content.

Boiled chicken

Boiled chicken appears on every Vietnamese tray for special occasions, especially during Tet.

Chicken brings good luck according to old beliefs. Among the 12 zodiac animals, the chicken is a symbol of integrity and strength.

Delicious boiled chicked has a bright yellow color and tender meat, but tough skin.

Jellied meat

Thit dong is a kind of cold meat served during Tet holidays in Vietnam.

Jellied meat has a light color, and when frozen has a smooth layer of white fat on the surface. Diners experience the soft, greasy, fatty flavors of the meat, crispy wood ear mushroom, and the cool taste of the jelly.

The dish is unique because it is served cold, often on winter days or in spring. This is a typical dish in northern Vietnam during winter.

Pickled onion

Dua hanh allows people to eat other dishes without losing their appetiles.

With the main ingredient being pickled onions, and according to the method of micro-fermentation, it is an indispensable dish during the traditional Tet holiday.

Containing many probiotic bacteria, pickled onions can enhance family meals. At the same time, onions have hot, spicy properties. Eating onions will help warm the body during winter and help with digestion.

Vietnamese pork sausage

Gio lua is the name of the dish made from two basic ingredients: minced pork tenderloin combined with delicious fish sauce, wrapped in banana leaves and boiled.

This is a familiar dish to Vietnamese people throughout the year, not only at Tet. When presenting the dish, pork rolls are often sliced into neat pieces, which are attractive and easy to pick up.

Meanwhile, gio xao (stir-fried spring rolls) is a traditional dish with the main ingredient being the meat from the head of the pig, fried with other ingredients like wood ear, pepper, spices, etc. then wrapped and compacted. Originating in the north of Vietnam, it is now popular throughout the country.

Bamboo shoot broth

Dried bamboo shoots cooked with pig's feet is a very popular soup during Tet in the north. The bamboo should be crunchy to accompany soft, greasy, delicious spring rolls.

With the message of a warm reunion, stewed bamboo shoot soup (canh mang) is considered indispensable at Tet.

Spring rolls

Spring rolls are popular among basically all Vietnamese people thanks to their delicious porky flavor.

Crispy, delicious spring rolls are served with sweet and sour chili fish sauce.

Nem ran is usually made from pork, minced shrimp and scallions, combined with vermicelli, bean sprouts, shiitake mushrooms, carrots, onions, etc. that are wrapped in rice paper rolls and then fried.