Some special dishes in Tet Vietnam

Question

What are some traditional foods enjoyed during Tet?? What are some special dishes that are traditionally served during Lunar New Year Eve/New Year's Eve in Vietnam?

Answer 1

During Lunar New Year Eve, which is known as Tet Nguyen Dan in Vietnam, there are several special dishes that are traditionally served to celebrate the occasion. Here are some of them:

Banh Chung: Banh Chung is a traditional Vietnamese rice cake made from glutinous rice, mung bean, and pork. It is wrapped in banana leaves and boiled for several hours. Banh Chung is considered the most important food during Tet and is often served as an offering to ancestors before being enjoyed by the family.
Gio Cha: Gio Cha, also known as Nem Ran or Vietnamese spring rolls, is a popular dish during Tet. It consists of ground pork, mushrooms, glass noodles, and various spices wrapped in rice paper and deep-fried until crispy. Gio Cha is usually served as an appetizer or part of the main course.
Thit Kho: Thit Kho is a traditional Vietnamese braised pork dish that is commonly prepared for Tet. It involves simmering pork belly or other cuts of pork with fish sauce, coconut water, and various spices until the meat becomes tender and flavorful. Thit Kho is often enjoyed with steamed rice.

Xoi Gac: Xoi Gac is a sticky rice dish that is made with Gac fruit, a type of spiky melon native to Vietnam. The rice turns a vibrant red color when cooked with the fruit's flesh, making it visually appealing for festive occasions. Xoi Gac is usually served as a dessert during Tet.

Mut Tet: Mut Tet refers to a variety of candied fruits and preserves that are served during Tet. These treats are made by preserving fruits such as kumquat, ginger, coconut, and lotus seeds in sugar syrup. Mut Tet is often served in colorful assortments and symbolizes good luck and sweetness for the new year.

Dua Hanh: Dua Hanh, also known as pickled onions, is a popular condiment served during Tet. Thinly sliced onions are pickled in a mixture of vinegar, sugar, and salt, resulting in a tangy and slightly sweet flavor. Dua Hanh is commonly served alongside meat dishes or in Banh Chung for added flavor.

These are just a few examples of the special dishes served during Lunar New Year Eve in Vietnam. The specific dishes may vary between regions and families, but they all contribute to the joyful and auspicious atmosphere of the Tet celebration.

Answer 2

It is like the equivalence of Christmas in the West. Our longest and the biggest celebrated holiday. Children and family members from our places gather to their ancestors' homes or their parents' homes. Main food is the sticky rice cake wrapped in a special leaf.

Bánh Chưng is popular in the north:


Bánh tét is more popular in the south:

Bánh tét can have both sweet and savory version but I'm not too sure if there is a sweet version of bánh chưng. Probably not

I know in the north, they like to eat whole boiled/stream chicken in the New Year meal to represent wholeness for the new year and eat thịt đông - cold, gelatin like meat mixture:

In the south, we eat canh khổ qua dồn thịt (stuffing bitter melon soup) as khổ qua is a pun to mean "the pain will pass" and thịt kho hột vịt (braised pork belly and boiled duck egg)


Fried fish once was eaten in Lunar New Year in the south since Vietnamese believe on the Lunar New Year Eve, Táo Quân 灶君 in order to come back to heaven to report all the things that happened on earth will need a common carp to ride on so we bring a whole common carp as one of the offerings for Táo Quân. Afterwards, we just eat the offerings. Apparently the tradition of using whole common carp as the offering then eat it afterward is not popular like before anymore:

Some regions in the south and the central also eat Lạp xưởng (Chinese sausages - 臘腸):

Eating fried spring rolls in Lunar New Year is a tradition of all Vietnamese

In the central Vietnam, people eat chả bò (Vietnamese dense beef meatloaf) and thịt heo ngâm mắm (pork belly soaked in fish sauce) in the Lunar New Year:

Sweet and sour pickled vegetable is also eaten along with the savory sticky rice. This is pickled Oriental onion:

Watermelon for the desert because it is one of the offerings. Red is for the hope of happiness and its tough skin means we are headstrong and deterministic (I looked this up online):

Answer 3

Tet, also known as the Vietnamese Lunar New Year, is a significant cultural and culinary celebration in Vietnam. During Tet, families gather to honor ancestors, exchange well wishes, and enjoy special dishes. Here are some traditional Tet dishes in Vietnam:

Banh Chung (Sticky Rice Cake): Banh Chung is a must-have dish during Tet. It is made from glutinous rice, mung bean paste, and pork belly, wrapped in banana leaves and boiled for several hours. Banh Chung represents a symbol of Earth and is believed to bring good luck and prosperity.

Banh Tet (Cylindrical Sticky Rice Cake): Similar to Banh Chung, Banh Tet is another essential Tet dish. It has a cylindrical shape and is filled with a variety of ingredients such as mung bean, pork, and sometimes other fillings like salted egg or dried shrimp. It is also wrapped in banana leaves and boiled.

Mut (Candied Fruits): Mut is an assortment of candied fruits, typically made from preserved fruits like ginger, coconut, lotus seeds, and kumquat. These sweet treats are served in decorative trays and offered to guests as a symbol of luck and sweetness for the upcoming year.

Gio Cha (Vietnamese Sausage): Gio Cha is a popular Tet dish made from ground pork, black fungus, and various spices. It is traditionally shaped into a loaf or sliced into round pieces and then steamed or boiled. Gio Cha is often served as an appetizer or part of the Tet feast.


Xoi Gac (Red Sticky Rice): Xoi Gac is a vibrant red sticky rice dish made from glutinous rice and Gac fruit, which gives it its distinctive color. It is often enjoyed during Tet as a symbol of good luck and prosperity.


Canh Mang (Bamboo Shoot Soup): Canh Mang is a light and refreshing soup made with young bamboo shoots, pork, and various herbs. It is a popular Tet dish that represents new growth and freshness for the coming year.

Dua Hanh (Pickled Onion): Dua Hanh is a traditional pickled onion dish served during Tet. The onions are pickled in a mixture of vinegar, sugar, and spices, resulting in a tangy and slightly sweet taste. It is often enjoyed as a condiment with other dishes.

These are just a few examples of the special dishes enjoyed during Tet in Vietnam. The variety of Tet dishes can vary by region, family traditions, and personal preferences, but they all contribute to the festive and meaningful atmosphere of the holiday.