Regional unique traditional cakes on Tet holiday accross Vietnam
WVR/TITC - Banh chung, banh tet, banh it la gai, banh dau xanh... are unique traditional cakes of the regions across Vietnam.
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Each region across the country of Vietnam has its own specialty cakes that are indispensable during the Lunar New Year, of which the most familiar are banh chung (chung cake) and banh tet (tet cake).
Banh chung (chung cake)
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| Chung cake. (Photo: Vinpearl) |
The image of banh chung with sticky rice, pork, and green beans inside symbolising the soil is an indispensable dish in the Tet tray of Northerners. This traditional cake contains people's wishes for a prosperous and full life at the beginning of the New Year.
Banh dau xanh (Green mung bean cake)
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| Green mung bean cake. (Photo: ocopvietnam) |
For a long time, green mung bean cake has been considered a famous specialty of Hai Duong province (North).
Although there are simple ingredients such as green beans, sugar... the sweet taste of the cake is still extremely attractive and loved by children and adults.
Green mung bean cake is often eaten during Tet since many people believe that the yellow colour of the cake symbolises luck and fortune.
This is also a precious gift during Tet when green bean cake is contained in a golden box shaped like carp, coins, dragons and phoenixes…
Banh to
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| Banh to of Quang Nam province. (Photo: alongwalker) |
Over time, banh to becomes an indispensable specialty of Quang Nam people during the Lunar New Year.
The cake is made from extremely familiar ingredients such as sticky rice, red beans, sugar and can be preserved for quite a long time.
According to folk beliefs, sweet and sticky rice cakes represent good luck at the beginning of the New Year.
Banh it la gai (Ramie leaves cake)
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| Ramie leaves cake. (Photo: binhdinh.gov.vn) |
Banh it la gai is a traditional cake of Binh Dinh people at the beginning of the year or at weddings. The fragrant sticky crust is made from sticky rice, the filling inside is green beans or fragrant sweet coconut. When eaten, the cake has a chewy and crispy taste.
Banh tet (tet cake)
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| Tet cake. (Photo: binhdinh.gov.vn) |
If in the North there is banh chung, in the Central and the South, banh tet is an indispensable dish when welcoming the New Year. Banh Tet has a long cylindrical shape, wrapped in banana leaves.
The cake has a savoury filling (green beans, fatty meat), or sweet filling (banana filling).
The cake carries the meaning of togetherness, the wish for prosperity and good business for the simple Southern people.
