Sunday, March 1, 2015

Bánh Chưng - Square rice cake


Luna New Year or Tet Holiday is an important and sacred time of Vietnamese people. Today I would like to introduce one of traditional Vietnamese food in Northern Vietnam at this time. It is Square cake (Banh Chung) irreplaceable cake of Vietnamese people in the Tet Holidays and King Hung’s anniversary (10th March Lunar).

For the Vietnamese, making "Banh Chung" is the ideal way to express gratitude to their ancestors and homeland.
“Banh Chung” was invented by the 18th Prince of Hung Emperor in the contest of looking for new Emperor. According to the legend, 3,000-4,000 years ago, Prince Lang Lieu, made round and square cakes, the round Day cake symbolizing the sky and the square Chung cake symbolizing the Earth (under the ancient Vietnamese perception), to be offered on the occasion of Spring



In the ancient conception, the Earth is square, hence “Banh Chung” has square shape to reflect the Earth shape. Since the cakes he offered were of special meaning and delicious taste, Lang Lieu was selected to be the next Emperor. Since then, in honor of this 18th Prince, Vietnamese people always make and have Chung cake in the Lunar New Year.

Up to now, Chung cake has become the most famous and irreplaceable traditional Vietnamese food in Tet Holiday. This legend aims to remind the next generations of the ancient tradition as well as the primary of Chung cake. Besides, it emphasizes the important role of rice and nature in water rice culture.

How to make a Chung Cake?

In contrast to the fast food in modern life, the process of making Square cake is time-consuming and requires the contribution of several people. Main ingredients are glutinous rice, pork meat, and green beans wrapped in a square of bamboo leaves that will give the rice a green color after boiling. The sticky rice must be very good and was soaked in water in the previous day.


Chung cake is wrapped in square shape then the cake will be boiled with 10 hours in a pot. The green has nutrition with an original tasty flavor and may be kept for a long time. Eating this food with soured shallot (Củ Kiệu) will bring you an authentic Tet. To find out other traditional vietnamese foods, click this website http://hanoistreetfoodtours.org/

I hope this post can help you to find some ideas for your own Tet Holiday

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