Instant Pot Bánh Tét Recipe – Vietnamese Lunar New Year Sticky Rice Cake – FOOD is Four Letter Word (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between banh tet and bánh chưng? ›

Banh Chung in the Central region is usually smaller than its Northern counterpart, and notably, it has less filling. Banh Tet, on the other hand, is wrapped similarly to the Southern style. In some remote mountainous areas of Vietnam, a unique type of Banh Chung exists with distinctive characteristics.

You can eat bánh chưng warm or at room temperature. Cut pieces reheat well in the microwave oven. You may also pan-fry the sticky rice cake into a crispy bánh chưng pancake! It's unusually good dipped in sugar with some tangy pickle to cut the sweetness and richness.

At Tet, a diverse array of dishes – from sticky rice cakes and spring rolls to boiled chicken – graces family food trays everywhere, symbolizing prosperity, luck, and familial unity.

Banh Tet (round glutinous rice cake) is a traditional cake enjoyed by southern Vietnamese people on the occasion of the Lunar New Year.

Bánh bèo is a Vietnamese dish that is originated from Huế, a city in Central Vietnam. The English translation for this dish is water fern cakes. Bánh bèo is made from a combination of rice flour and tapioca flour.

Unlike banh xeo which is fried on a large pan, banh khot is cooked in small round molds, with other ingredients like pork, mung beans, shallots and coconut milk added on top. The rim should be slightly burnt to add flavor to the tasty treat.

Rice cakes offer very little nutritional value and are low in calories, fiber, and protein. Consuming rice cakes with an additional source of protein and fiber can balance out the increased blood sugar they may cause.

Nian gao, or 'year cake', is a sticky rice cake which represents prosperity; the words 'nian gao' sounds like 'getting higher year on year', and this symbolises raising oneself taller in each coming year.

Bánh tét does not need to be refrigerated as long as it is still completely wrapped. It can be kept at room temperature for 7 days after cooking. After refrigeration, it can last 7 additional days in the fridge. If frozen, it can last up to 12 months.

In the North, the five-fruit tray often includes banana, pomelo, papaya, persimmon, sapodilla plum, orange, Buddha's hand, figs, and jujube. They believe that a hand of green bananas symbolises family reunion every Tet. The pomelo symbolises success and prosperity, persimmon - wealth and luck.

What is the lucky food in Vietnamese? ›

Xoi gac. Xoi gac is a traditional Vietnamese New Year's food made from glutinous rice and the fruit of the sweet gourd plant, which is bright red-orange and rich in antioxidants. In Vietnamese culture, the color of xoi gac symbolizes luck, happiness, and prosperity, making it a popular choice for festive occasions.

Bánh chưng or banh tet: King's cake

This is an essential Vietnamese specialty for the Lunar New Year Tet. This sticky rice cake, stuffed with pork and mung beans, is covered with banana leaves or La Dong. According to legend, this rice cake was created by Prince Lang Lieu, 18th son of King Hung Vuong.

The word bánh mì, meaning "bread", is attested in Vietnamese as early as the 1830s, in Jean-Louis Taberd's dictionary Dictionarium Latino-Annamiticum.

In Vietnamese, the term bánh (Hanoi: [ɓaʲŋ̟˧˥] or Saigon: [ɓan˧˥], Chữ Nôm: 餅) translates loosely as "cake" or "bread", but refers to a wide variety of prepared foods that can easily be eaten by hands or chopsticks.

The story begins in the mid-19th century when Vietnam fell under French colonial rule. The French brought their baguette with them, and the Vietnamese people began to eat their bread much like they did – typically with a platter of cold cuts, butter, cheese and/or pâté.

In tasting the dishes offered by his son, the Hùng king found bánh chưng and bánh giầy not only delicious but also a fine representation of the respect for ancestors. Therefore, he decided to cede the throne to Lang Liêu and bánh chưng, bánh giầy became traditional foods during Tết.

Vietnamese banh chung are a cousin to Chinese zongzi (joong in Cantonese) in that they are made of sticky rice, pork and mung beans and wrapped leaves. In Vietnam, they're wrapped in green leaves called la dong.

Etymology. In the Vietnamese language, bánh means "cake", and bò can either mean "cow" or "to crawl". According to the entry for "𤙭" (bò) in Paulus Huỳnh Tịnh Của's 1895 dictionary Đại Nam quấc âm tự vị, the dessert is named for its resemblance to a cow's udder, implying that the name was shortened from bánh vú bò.