Seeing banh tet makes me think of Tet.
Every year, after mid-December, Mrs. Huynh Thi Dep (Tu Dep, 70 years old, living in Vinh Loc A commune, Hong Dan district, Bac Lieu) begins preparing ingredients to wrap Tet cakes. The fragrant sticky rice must be pure, the green beans must be plump and the green banana leaves must be picked from the banana bushes behind the house.
Wrapping Tet cakes in Bac Lieu
On the morning of December 30, the Tet atmosphere spread everywhere. When the ingredients were ready, Mrs. Tu Dep quickly wrapped the cakes, her four daughters gathered around to tie the strings. The eldest son was busy lighting the makeshift stove, the children were also running around. The cake wrapping mat placed in the middle of the yard was bustling and bustling.
On the afternoon of the 30th of Tet, by the red fire and the cozy year-end meal, Mrs. Tu Dep's family gathered around waiting for the cake to be cooked. As soon as the pot lid was opened, white smoke billowed out, and the fragrant smell of banh tet wafted in the wind. The first cake was still hot, Mrs. Tu Dep carefully cut it into slices, respectfully lighting incense to worship her ancestors. Then, she divided the cake among her children, each person got a dozen cakes. That was also when New Year's Eve struck. "This custom has been around since I was a girl. My mother did it the same way, now I try to keep it and teach it to my children," Mrs. Tu Dep shared.
There are many explanations for the origin and name of Banh Tet. Many people think that it is called Banh Tet because the leaf shell has to be peeled off to eat. Or in the past, people did not use a knife to slice the cake but peeled off the shell and then used the string to wrap the cake to slice the cake into slices... No matter what, wrapping Banh Tet is always a typical cultural feature of the Southern Tet holiday. Seeing Banh Tet makes you think of Tet, think of the warmth and reunion of each family.
The "sacredness" in every stage
Researcher Nguyen Huu Hiep (An Giang) said that the South has many types of "sacred" cakes, meaning cakes used for rituals and filial piety. To commemorate the deceased, there are offerings; to celebrate a full month or first birthday, there must be sweet rice balls; to celebrate a death anniversary or New Year, there are banh it, banh tet, etc. Among them, the most "sacred" and typical is banh tet. In the past, banh tet was not made in large quantities like it is now, and was only available on two occasions: death anniversaries and New Year.
Banh tet la cam with mixed fillings is a famous dish of the West.
According to Mr. Hiep, the "sacred" banh tet is also in the way it is wrapped. In the past, to wrap the cake, families grew their own sticky rice, sifted it carefully, and made sure the sticky rice was not mixed, then pounded it by hand instead of using a machine for fear of it being unclean. The secret to choosing good sticky rice is to bite and feel the sticky rice grains; if they are crispy or broken, it means the sticky rice has been mixed. Green beans must also be carefully selected, then the matter of adding coconut milk, seasoning, choosing leaves to tie with strings... each step contains meticulousness to have the best banh tet to show respect to the ancestors. That is a fragrant heart and also a lesson to remind children and grandchildren about the morality of "drinking water, remembering its source".
Now, banh tet is available almost all year round, becoming a specialty of the land and people of the South. Ms. Phan Kim Ngan (Bay Muon, a skillful baker in Con Son, Binh Thuy district, Can Tho city) can make hundreds of types of cakes, but wrapping banh tet always brings her many emotions. She said that in addition to wrapping banh tet for Tet, people in the island also wrap banh tet for tourism and especially for meaningful activities. For example, in mid-2024, when storm Yagi caused heavy damage in the northern provinces, people in Con Son wrapped thousands of banh tet to send to their fellow countrymen. Before that, banh tet from Con Son also came to people in the Central region during storms and floods...
The filling of the mixed banh tet has butterfly pea flower sticky rice, purple sticky rice, green beans, meat...
Composer Nham Hung (Can Tho city) commented that Southern people have been dynamic and creative in wrapping and eating banh tet, creating a seamless flow for this typical cake of this land. For example, in Can Tho, the late artisan Sau Trong created the famous banh tet with mixed purple leaves and green beans, which was once listed as one of the most delicious dishes in Vietnam. Or artisan Le Thi Be Bay in Con Son created banh tet with red ginseng and banh tet with moringa; people in Tra Vinh and Soc Trang provinces have banh tet with flat green rice... "Those innovations make banh tet more familiar, convenient and attractive in modern life while still preserving its traditional features," said Mr. Hung.
Along the land and people of the South, banh tet always carries deep cultural values. No matter where you go, the image of the whole family gathering around a pot of banh tet on New Year's Eve is surely an unforgettable memory for many people. For the South, banh tet is the flavor of Tet, of home, the flavor of family love, of reunion indispensable every spring.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/don-banh-tet-thieng-trong-ngay-tet-nam-bo-185250102210825211.htm
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