How has a humble rice cake with three simple ingredients (rice, mung bean, and pork) come to symbolize Tet, the most celebrated of Vietnamese holidays? The gift of Banh Chung during the New Year has become the most important tradition of Vietnamese culture and was passed down from one generation to the next. Always curious about the delicious foods that play such an important role in cultural traditions, I’m looking forward to learning the legend behind Banh Chung, how it’s made and how it became a symbol of Tet from Chef Haley Nguyen of Xanh Bistro this evening from 4:00 – 7:00 p.m.
Preparations for Chinese New Year, also known as Lunar New Year and Spring Festival, and welcoming the Year of the Rabbit on February 3rd, have been underway for weeks in Asian households around the world. Although the Lunar New Year is observed in all of East Asia influenced by Chinese civilization, each country celebrates it in a way unique to that country. For the Vietnamese people, 2011 is the Year of the Cat, this difference from the Chinese animal is explained by this ancient legend. The cat symbolizes sensitivity, gentleness, and kindness; what animal are you?
New years banner greets shoppers at the fruit market.
Last year, my friend Monique and I met at the ABC Supermarket shopping center at Bolsa and Brookhurst in what’s known as Little Saigon in Westminster. I wanted to photograph and learn about the many symbols and customs associated with Tet and Monique acted as my translator and tour guide.
Only 10:30 a.m. and traffic was backed up on Brookhurst and the parking lot was swarming with erratic drivers looking for a spot. I parked way in the back.
The marketplace is humming with activity.
Flowers are an important part of decorating a home for Chinese New Year. Plum blossom and water narcissus are the two flowers most associated with the New Year.
A vendor shows us her plum blossoms.
Water narcissus
In the midst of the crush of shoppers and staccato sounds of a foreign language, were two monks walking, eyes cast downward, moving silently amongst the crowd carrying a bamboo container tucked under their robes, discreetly revealed only when a passer-by offers a few dollars.
show deep respect
Tangerines, oranges and pomelos are frequently displayed in homes and stores. Tangerines are symbolic of good luck and oranges are symbolic of wealth. The first store we entered had a tangerine tree decorated with lai-see envelopes (also called hong-bao). Money is placed inside the red envelopes and given to children and young adults as gifts.
kumquat tree decorated with red envelopes
Traditional gifts given to families are rice cakes called banh chung made from white rice, marinated strips of pork and yellow mung beans. I had wanted to photograph Monique making a traditional New Years food but she said that everyone buys these in stores now because they are too labor intensive to make at home. I read a very touching article by Ky-Phong Tran in the Orange County Register recalling memories of his grandfather making the rice cakes every New Year – the only thing he ever made and how this tradition was his father’s way of reaching back 35 years and 8,000 miles to his childhood in the homeland.
Banh chung is a traditional gift
Piled high were colorful containers of candies and nuts that are given as gifts also.
Colorful candies and sweets for gifts
From here we went to the fruit market where Monique identified the exotic fruits for me and described their taste and how they’re eaten. There was dragon fruit, an exotic lemon that looks like it has “fingers”, gigantic jack fruit whose seeds are boiled and taste like chestnuts, prickly durian that’s called “stinky fruit” and has a custardy filling. I bought a package of mangostine which are cracked open and has white fruit segments similar to an orange.
exotic fruit and traditional Vietnamese desserts
Monique purchased some traditional Vietnamese desserts, made from rice and similar to what we know as tapioca or rice pudding, and bought plum blossoms for her home from a familiar vendor with a better price than the ones we priced earlier.
Monique with her plum blossoms
More commotion erupted when the police and zoning people arrived and vendors were told that they couldn’t be spilling over into the fire lane and some were sent packing because they had no sellers license.
Eastern spirituality meets Western reality
The week ahead brings the parades and pageantry of Tet Festival followed by 10 days of celebrating the Year of the Cat with family and friends.
No related posts.
Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.
What a beautiful and interesting post Priscilla!! Isn’t it amazing the field trips we can take in our own back yard!!
That last picture really shows an interesting contrast.
Great shot!
I’m the year of the pig on the Viet Horoscope. Thanks for the education, Priscilla. I had no idea about these Vietnamese traditions surrounding the Lunar New Year. Lovely pictures!
I hope you’re having a great weekend!
Oh, I see Van’s Bakery on one of the labels! I used to spend a LOT of time in that area and my favorite bakery was Van’s on Brookhurst. Try to stop by sometime if you haven’t been there before! I’ve gotten tons of fruit tart cakes from there. I rarely go to OC anymore so I haven’t been in a while though.
kumquat, plum, and orange are usually must have during the Chinese New Year!
Fascinating read. Thanks for sharing. That supermarket looks just amazing. Love the photos, too. Happy celebrations.
What an awesome place! I love Vietnamese food so it would be paradize for the foodie that I am. A lovely tradition.
Happy Tet!
Cheers,
Rosa
Wow! Look at all that culture. I would love to learn more about other cultures holidays and celebrations. How lucky you are to be able to photograph and learn about these things!
There is so much I don’t know about the Chinese New Year so I loved learning about it through this post. I could literally spend days in those gorgeous markets!
That last photo is fantastic!! Happy new year!!
Thanks for sharing these traditions about Tet! I really know very little about Vietnamese culture, so I appreciate you taking the time to share this with us! I especially love that last photo of the monk and the cop, although it saddens me to see that the cops were restricting the vendors from doing something that is culturally important during this holiday.
Thanks everyone for your comments! I enjoy exploring the foods of different cultural celebrations and love sharing them with you.
@ Roxan – I’ll definitely have to check out Van’s Bakery – I’ve been to the famous Lee’s Sandwich shop on Brookhurst as well as other Viet restaurants, so next time I’ll look for Vans.
@Victoria – I know, really! That’s life in the big city – have to get a permit for everything.
I love visits like these. We learn so much about other cultures through passionate foodies like yourslef Priscilla.
Great colorful and inspiring post ;o)
Ciao for now,
Claudia
It is so true, looks like you are 6000 miles away. So neat that this is in our backyard. Thanks for teaching us about food & festivities of other cultures
Yes…this was so fascinating to read! Even though I’ve had several Vietnamese friends, I’ve not learned much about the Chinese New Year and Tet traditions. Thank you so much for letting me peek into your day…I learned so much and I enjoyed all of the beautiful objects, foods, and people!
Wow that looks like a great place…I have never been there either, you know me.
Happy New Year to you!
Love this post, never knew about the Vietnamese differences. Wonderful post
In Chinese astrology I am a Tiger
Hugs
Ooh… I miss getting those red envelopes when I was a kid! Looks like you had a pretty thorough visit to Little Saigon. (Yes, be careful of the Vietnamese drivers… we’re CRAZY!!! sometimes. )
My mom and I will probably make our obligatory roam next week.
As us Viet say, “chuc mung nam moi!!”
[K]
Interesting read! The Tet traditions are similar yet different from the Chinese traditions. The banh chung is like the Chinese “bak chang” or “chung” (conical shaped rice dumpling wrapped in bamboo leaves) eaten on the 5th day of the 5th month of the Lunar Calendar.