Vietnam’s Ethnic Food Offerings During Lunar New Year

Discover the essence of Vietnamese food offerings during the Lunar New Year. You can learn how to get a taste of traditional cơm, món mặn, món canh, món rau, and nước chấm. 

The Lunar New Year (Tết) festival in Vietnam is a time of deep cultural significance, where every ethnic group showcases their culinary heritage through special dishes offered to pay homage to their ancestors.

Preparations for Tết

Preparations for Tet commence a month in advance for the majority Kinh ethnic group. And the offerings will consist of various dishes, characteristic of that particular region.

In the Northern region, there is often square sticky rice cake (bánh chưng), pickled onions (dưa hành), boiled lean pork sausage (giò lụa), frozen meat (thịt đông), fried spring rolls (nem rán), bamboo shoot soup (canh măng), and boiled chicken (gà luộc).

In the Southern region, people often eat cylindrical sticky rice cake (bánh tét) instead of square sticky rice cake, braised pork belly with eggs (thịt kho trứng), bitter melon soup (canh khổ qua), and Chinese sausage (lạp xưởng).

In the Central region, there is a blend of Northern and Southern cuisine, yet there are still unique dishes of this region such as fermented pork rolls (nem chua), cured meat in fissh sauce (thịt ngâm mắm), pickled vegetables (dưa món), sour shrimp (tôm chua), and mung bean sticky rice (xôi đậu xanh).

Usually, the offerings are meticulously and elaborately prepared to express gratitude and hope that the ancestors will bless a smooth year ahead. After offering to the ancestors, families gather together to enjoy the meal. For many families with numerous members, it is an opportunity to reunite and reminisce about the past year.

Bánh Chưng (Square Sticky Rice Cake): The Soul of Tết

Among all the culinary treasures, banh chung stands as the epitome of Tet, capturing the essence of heaven and earth through the skilled hands of the Vietnamese people. This savory cake is meticulously crafted with fragrant and fibrous sticky rice, enclosing a filling of pork, green beans, dried onions, and pepper.

Xôi 

On Tet day, across all regions, a simple and easily made dish that every family loves is a plate of fragrant, sticky, and sweet xôi. As an agricultural country, Vietnamese people have long been accustomed to dishes made from regular rice and glutinous rice, and they have creatively crafted delicious and hearty sticky rice dishes called xôi, suitable for pairing with various meat dishes during Tet. While the Northern region often enjoys xôi gấc (steamed momordica glutinous rice) and xôi xéo (sticky rice with mung beans)  the Central region favors xôi đậu xanh (green bean sticky rice). 

Nem Rán or Chả Giò (Fried Spring Rolls)

Fried spring rolls, in Vietnamese, we call nem rán (Northern Vietnam), chả giò (Southern Vietnam), or chả ram (Central Region), are traditional dishes typically enjoyed on special occasions, especially during Tet.

These fried spring rolls feature a crispy outer layer, harmonizing with the rich and savory filling inside, made from lean pork, crab meat, or shrimp, along with wood ear mushrooms, vermicelli, and other carefully selected ingredients that are sure to captivate anyone’s taste buds.

To fully savor the flavors, fried spring rolls are best enjoyed with a dipping sauce made of lime and spicy garlic, enhancing the overall taste experience.

Gà Luộc (Boiled Chicken)

Boiled chicken is a familiar and indispensable dish in the Tết banquet, especially in the Northern region and among the Vietnamese people in general.

On Tết day, boiled chicken is often presented as a whole chicken for ancestral worship, and afterward, it can be shredded or chopped for consumption or for making various dishes.

According to tradition, the chicken chosen for worship is a healthy rooster with a bright red comb, smooth feathers, sturdy claws, and golden legs. During the boiling process, the chicken is tied to maintain an elegant shape, and turmeric water is applied to give the chicken a beautiful golden color.

Canh Măng Kho: Northerners’ Bamboo Shoot Soup

Completing the Tet food tray of the northerners is a generous bowl of canh mang kho, a hearty dried bamboo shoot soup that adds warmth and aroma to the festive feast.

Different ethnic groups across Vietnam also present their own unique New Year dishes, showcasing the diversity of culinary traditions.

Canh Khổ Qua (Bittermelon soup)

In the Southern region, people enjoy bitter melon soup stuffed with meat, with the hope that the bitterness (khổ) of the old year will quickly pass (qua) ushering in a new year of smoothness and happiness. Moreover, on Tet days, when people often indulge in oily dishes, bitter melon soup stuffed with meat helps alleviate the feeling of heaviness significantly.

Ethnic Group Specialties

The Mông ethnic group includes pork, wine, round cakes made from glutinous rice, and maize cakes in their Tết tray.

For the Thái ethnic group, fried fish holds a special significance as they believe it will safeguard them from harm under the protection of the stream deity.

The Nùng community prepares bánh khảo, a cake made from dried glutinous rice powder, minced pork fat, and sugar, to honor their ancestors. They believe the sweetness of the fat in the cake will ward off misfortune in the New Year.

In the Central Highlands, the Cơ Tu community welcomes Tết with their homemade wines known as rượu Tà Vạt and rượu cần. These delightful wines are offered to all visitors during the New Year celebrations.

In every Dao household, thịt lợn chua (sour pork), locally known as o sui, takes center stage during the New Year festivities. The dish, consisting of pork, salt, and cool rice, is best enjoyed wrapped in wild lolot leaves and a special kind of wild leaf known as la prang lau. The tangy flavors are further enhanced when the meat is dipped into a bowl of zesty lemon and chili mixture.

The Tày ethnic group welcomes the Lunar New Year with the grandeur of a roast piglet or thịt heo quay. Carefully select local piglets with small bones and firm, lean meat weighing between 20kg and 30kg. To enhance the flavors, they stuff mắc mật, a unique combination of wild leaves and fruits, along with aromatic spices, into the pig’s belly. Slowly roasted over charcoal for three hours, the piglet is transformed into a succulent masterpiece. 

Cultural Heritage and Unity

These captivating culinary traditions during Lunar New Year festivities provide a glimpse into the rich cultural heritage of Vietnam’s ethnic groups. The meticulous preparation, choice of ingredients, and deep-rooted symbolism behind each dish reveal a profound respect for ancestral connections and a celebration of unity and togetherness.

As the Tet festival approaches each year, Vietnamese households brim with anticipation and excitement. The aroma of steaming banh chung, the sizzle of spring rolls, and the enchanting flavors of various regional specialties fill the air, creating an atmosphere of warmth and joy. These food offerings not only satiate the palate but also serve as a testament to the vibrant tapestry of Vietnam’s cultural mosaic.

As the Lunar New Year approaches, let’s embrace the spirit of Tet and honor the artistry behind Vietnam’s culinary traditions. These delectable food offerings serve as a bridge to our ancestors and the rich cultural heritage of Vietnam. To deepen your understanding and appreciation of the Vietnamese language and culture, explore the personalized programs offered by Vietnamese Language Studies (VLS). Visit their website or contact them to embark on your Vietnamese language journey. Chúc Mừng Năm Mới! Happy Lunar New Year!