Taste of Tet green rice

Mr. Nguyen Can in Quarter 5, Phuoc Hoi Ward, La Gi Town has been involved in the traditional rice cake making profession for more than 50 years.

For Vietnamese people, cakes and jams are indispensable during the traditional Tet holiday of the nation. In the cold weather of the last days of the year, the fragrant smell of ginger jam, sticky rice jam, banh in, banh com… makes the joyful and exciting atmosphere to welcome the new year even warmer and more flavorful.

It can be said that the market is increasingly seeing a variety of rich and diverse cakes and jams, but traditional green rice cakes still have a special place in the hearts of the people of La Gi town in particular and the whole country in general, especially for those who are far from home and currently living abroad. Green rice cakes are a dish that leaves an unforgettable "imprint" on those who have enjoyed them. Therefore, only when we have green rice cakes can we fully feel the passionate flavor of the traditional New Year of the nation.

Mr. Nguyen Can excitedly shared: “Every December, my family of 5 people has to work from morning to night to make green rice cakes. Within 1 month, our family makes about 5,000 boxes of green rice cakes. Not only serving the domestic market, our family's green rice cakes are also sent abroad so that children far from home can enjoy the rich traditional flavor of their homeland's green rice cakes.”

Green rice cake is always present and indispensable during Tet, this is clearly demonstrated that no matter what era, the traditional green rice cake is still indispensable to worship grandparents, ancestors or to entertain friends and guests every time Tet comes. And making green rice cake completely by hand like Mr. Nguyen Can's family makes the spring even more meaningful. Witnessing the scene of making green rice cake with our own eyes, we have the feeling that the Tet atmosphere has gradually permeated every house and street, making people's hearts strangely excited!

To make delicious green rice cakes completely by hand is not easy, requiring the maker to comply with and ensure the time of many stages... From choosing ingredients, cooking sugar to making cakes, wrapping cakes...

According to Mr. Nguyen Can, to make delicious green rice cake, the first thing is to choose the ingredients very carefully, the first thing is to choose really good glutinous rice. The second secret is the sugar cooking step. White sugar is boiled over low heat, cooked with pineapple and ginger for quite a long time, making anyone standing nearby feel the sweet, irresistible aroma. The price for small green rice cake is 10,000 VND, the price for middle green rice cake is 25,000 VND and the price for large green rice cake is 30,000 VND.

It can be said that the traditional green rice cake is a rustic, simple cake but full of spring flavor. Without green rice cake, spring would lose its "soul" of tradition. Looking at the blazing fires, the nimble hands wrapping green rice cakes, the laughter and chatter of the green rice cake makers, one can clearly feel that spring is very close. And above all, the hearts of those who love the job are still tirelessly creating delicious green rice cakes, full of spring flavor, for everyone, every family to enjoy.

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