Besides traditional dishes for Tet holiday such as banh chung, pickled onions, ham, chicken, ancient Hanoians often made sweet soup to worship their ancestors on New Year's Eve. For people in Dai Dong commune, Thach That district, sweet soup is indispensable on the Tet offering tray.
Talking to reporters, Mr. Kieu Cao Quy (village 2, Dai Dong commune, Thach That district, Hanoi) said that when talking about sweet soup on Tet holiday, we cannot help but mention Dai Dong village, Thach That district, where sweet soup has become a famous brand far and wide.
Mr. Kieu Cao Quy added that the dish has a long tradition. He asked the elders and there was a 97-year-old man who could not remember when it was made. The elder shared that this dish has a long tradition. When he knew about it, it was already there and has been maintained until today.
In the past, sweet soup was often made to entertain guests on the occasion of the elderly's longevity celebration and used during Tet, to receive guests. At the same time, people used sweet soup to worship the village's tutelary god. Sweet soup in the past was a luxury dish, only used during holidays, Tet and important events of the people.
Nowadays, sweet soup is more popular, produced and used by people on holidays, Tet, and important family events. Some people use it to entertain guests and as a dessert at weddings,...
Sharing about the ingredients for making sweet soup, Mr. Kieu Cao Quy informed that in the past, sweet soup was made by people in Dai Dong commune with two main ingredients: green beans and molasses. Later, when the economic life was better, sugar was produced in large quantities, so people produced sweet soup with the ingredients of green beans and sugar.
In the past, to make sweet soup, it was very elaborate. The green beans used to make sweet soup had to be whole, light green beans, not the large, yellow beans. Next, the green beans had to be soaked in cold water and washed many times until the water was clear.
Cleaning the beans also requires meticulousness and thoroughness, picking out all the damaged beans, black beans, and broken beans, cleaning them many times until the water is clear. After cleaning the beans, let them drain completely before steaming them in a steamer until cooked. Mash the steamed beans until they are very smooth, then form them into small grapefruit-sized balls. Use a sharp knife to thinly slice the beans until they are loose. Then, slice the beans again, form them into balls, and slice them again. Repeat this several times until the beans are smooth and loose.
Next, mix molasses (nowadays, white sugar is thoroughly mixed with water to make sugar water) with crushed beans and put the mixture on the stove, stir well with chopsticks, and adjust the heat to low.
"The process of stewing the sweet soup is extremely important, requiring the cook to be very meticulous and careful. When putting the pot on the stove, the cook must stir the sweet soup continuously and without stopping. To cook a pot of sweet soup usually takes 3-4 hours and many young, healthy people must take turns doing this job so that the sugar can mix with the beans and not stick to the pot. After the sugar has mixed with the beans, the pot of sweet soup will be taken down and scooped into molds and plates and spread evenly" - Mr. Kieu Cao Quy shared.
According to Mr. Kieu Cao Quy, in the past, sweet soup was made entirely by hand, but today, with the help of machines, the process of making sweet soup is faster and can be preserved longer. Sweet soup is not only bought by people during Tet but has become a gift that people buy and give all year round.
Nowadays, dried tea is also produced according to the taste of users. For people with diabetes who cannot eat sweets, many production facilities have reduced the amount of sugar in dried tea.
"To enjoy sweet soup, you need to brew a pot of lotus tea, sip the tea and then enjoy a piece of sweet soup to feel the whole Tet atmosphere of Hanoi" - Mr. Kieu Cao Quy shared.
Source: https://kinhtedothi.vn/ngot-ngao-huong-vi-che-kho-dai-dong-ngay-tet.html
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