Unique Tet leaf offering of Muong ethnic people

The dishes on the leaf tray are all dishes that were formed during the production process of ethnic people and are processed, adjusted with ingredients and become typical dishes of the Muong people. On the leaf tray, no matter how much or how little, there are 3 indispensable dishes: Cha chia, ca ot canh and cha la grapefruit. The accompanying spices include fish sauce, salt, cooking oil, MSG, seasoning powder, wild doi seeds, he seeds (also known as mac khen seeds), pepper, sesame seeds, khaa leaves, garlic, ginger, chili, galangal, dried onions and many other ethnic spices. These unique and special spices also increase the attractiveness and delicious flavor of each dish in the Muong ethnic people's leaf tray.

The tray is made from a bamboo tray or a square or round wooden tray. Banana leaves are heated over a fire and spread on the tray, which is also the time when hot dishes are arranged in neat order, each dish complementing the other, looking very lively and attractive. Through the leaf tray, the Muong people flexibly express their community spirit, mutual affection, family traditions as well as their culture. The layout of the tray: Divided into 6 parts in a circle with proportions proportional to the dishes, representing the 6 main ethnic groups living in Hoa Binh (Muong, Kinh, Thai, Dao, Tay, Mong). That is also the unique feature of the Muong leaf tray. The leaf tray on Tet holiday is the quintessence of Muong cuisine, it contains people's affection for the land, sky, mountains and forests.

Dishes are prepared before being served.

According to the Muong people's concept, the tip and edge of the leaf represent the Bright Muong - of the living, the base of the leaf and the leaf gills represent the Dark Muong - the ghost Muong, of the dead. Therefore, when using banana leaves to set up an offering, the Muong people also have a rule of distinction: People come in, ghosts come out - that is, when preparing an offering for the living, the tip of the leaf faces inward, but when preparing an offering for ghosts, the opposite is done.