New Year Feast of Vietnamese People

According to the tradition of Vietnam, Tet is time or family reunion, close relatives from all over return home to the gather around the family tray. For the Vietnamese, this is the moment for everybody to sit together to review what has undergone during the past year, and head toward a new year in the hope of a bright future.  Family feast put on trays on New Year days also tightens the bonds between family members.

When Tet arrives in spring, those who live away from home have a burning desire to savor traditional dishes, those dishes cooked by their loved ones.

New year feast of Vietnamese people

New year feast of Vietnamese people

New Year feast put on tray expresses wishes for a peaceful, prosperous, successful and happy year for the family

Therefore,  the New Year feast has always been put much effort and meticulous preparation.  With the theme of the spring period, Dalat Trip would like to share with you the experience to get a lavish and meaningful feast on Tet.

According to tradition,  on the occasion of Viet Nam’s Lunar New Year,  the New Year’s day tray must consist of four bowls,  namely,  simmered pork bowl,  bamboo stewed with pig’s trotters bowl,  rice noodle cooked with pork pie bowl and vermicelli bow,  and four dishes including chicken meat(or pork),  spring rolls pork-pies),  pork rolled in banana leaves(or it can be replaced by a fried dish)  and pickles.  Next to it is a steamed glutinous rice dish for square glutinous rice cakes) and a small bow of sauce,  a total of ten items,  symbolizing the number ten of fullness,  perfection.

To make the Tet cake

To make the Tet cake

The New Year feast put on try is primarily for worshiping gods, ancestors to pray for fortune, good luck blessed by gods and ancestors

When the incense is burned off, the dishes are served to the members to eat while enjoying the sense of fortune and luck blessed by gods and ancestors,  for the family good health,  obedient children,  school progress,  prosperity,  family harmony,  avoidance of obstacles.

The New Year feast must include the square glutinous rice cake dish.  This must be the steamed momordica glutinous rice ted color) or green been glutinous rice(yellow color).  The red color of momordica, the yellow color of green beans represents the owner’s belief in a successful, and lucky new year.

Our ancestors usually recommended: “fat meat, pickled onions,  and red parallel sentences.”  Therefore,  during Tet people should never miss a fragrant pickled onion dish.  Pickled onions are not only eaten with boiled meat dishes,  but also a very healthy dish during Tet holiday.  Typically, during Tet,  people usually eat a lot of meat,  sticky food,  sweets:  therefore,  the pickled onion dish is a very good food digestion,  ensuring the whole family’s health right at the beginning of the new year.

Foreign tourists learn to make the Tet cake

Foreign tourists learn to make the Tet cake

New Year feast must contain full taste:  salty flavor of the sauce, the spicy peppers,  sour pickle onion plate,  the sweetness of the cake… all make up a tray full of taste.

Why four bowls, four dishes on the tray on New Year?  According to the Vietnamese concept, the four-digit number represents the square,  balanced,  plump,  robust thing. There is also a steamed glutinous rice dish (or square glutinous rice cakes) and a small bowl of sauce,  which make up number ten. Number ten symbolizes wholeness,  perfection. New Year tray has shown all the wishes of the owner for a peaceful, prosperous, success and happy New Year.

By Nguyen Thao

 

4.5/5 - (2 votes)

,

Leave a comment