Traditional Vietnamese Foods in New Year Holiday Celebrations

Traditional Vietnamese foods during Tet Nguyen Dan (Lunar New Year) represent centuries of cultural heritage and symbolic meaning. These festive dishes go beyond mere sustenance, embodying wishes for prosperity, happiness, and family unity in the coming year. Each meticulously prepared delicacy carries deep significance, honoring ancestors and celebrating new beginnings through distinctive flavors that vary across Vietnam's diverse regions. Join VTJ as we explore these cherished culinary traditions that form the heart of Vietnam's most important holiday celebration.

The Meaning of Cuisine in Vietnamese New Year Celebrations

The cuisine is not only a nutritional need but also a factor that connects the community and shows the cultural identity of each ethnic group. During Tet, cuisine plays an important role in maintaining and promoting traditional values, creating opportunities for family members to gather together and share precious moments.

Each dish on the Tet holiday is not only delicious but also has a deep symbolic meaning. For example, banh chung and banh tet symbolize the earth and sky, gio cha is a dish that represents completeness and fullness, and the five-fruit tray with a harmonious combination of fruits is not only beautiful but also has the meaning of wishing for health, luck, and fortune.

On Tet holiday, the custom of gathering the family around the meal tray becomes an important part, showing reunion and filial piety to ancestors. Preparing and enjoying Tet dishes together is a way for each person to remember their roots, family values ​​, and traditions.

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Typical dishes on Tet holiday in Vietnam

Ceremonial dishes

• Five-fruit tray - Meaning and popular combination: The five-fruit tray is one of the indispensable dishes in every Vietnamese family on Tet holiday. This tray usually includes five types of fruit, each with its own symbolic meaning. For example, bananas symbolize fertility, watermelons symbolize luck, grapefruits bring health and happiness, and custard apples, figs, and mangoes are often used to pray for good fortune and prosperity. The combination of these fruits is not only beautiful but also brings good wishes for the new year.
• Tet Jams – Types and Traditions: Tet jams are indispensable snacks during Tet, made from many types of fruits such as coconut jam, ginger jam, lotus seed jam, or kumquat jam. Jams are not only used as snacks when entertaining guests, but also symbolize sweetness, reunion, and warmth in the family.

Main Traditional Dishes

• Banh Chung/Banh Tet – History and Symbols: Banh Chung (in the North) and Banh Tet (in the South and Central) are traditional dishes of Vietnamese people during Tet. The square Banh Chung symbolizes the earth, while the cylindrical Banh Tet symbolizes the sky. Banh chung/banh tet is made from sticky rice, green beans, and pork, an indispensable dish on the Tet tray, meaning to honor heaven and earth and the origin.
• Dishes made from sticky rice (Xoi Gac, Traditional Xoi without added food coloring): Xoi gac is mixed with gac fruit (a fruit of a tree in Vietnam), an indispensable dish on the occasion of Tet. This dish has a characteristic red color from the fruit, symbolizing luck and fortune. Xoi gac is not only a delicious dish but also brings the meaning of wishing for a new year of red and fortune.
• Boiled Chicken - Presentation and Meaning of Ceremonies: Boiled chicken is often solemnly displayed on the Tet tray, not only because of the purity of the dish but also because of its sacredness, showing respect for ancestors. Boiled chicken also symbolizes reunion and happiness.
• Gio Cha (Chả Giò) - Types and Processing: Gio Cha is an indispensable dish on the Tet tray. Pork sausage, beef sausage, or cinnamon sausage are all delicious dishes, symbolizing completeness, fullness, and luck. Popular types of sausages are pork sausage, beef sausage, pork sausage, mixed sausage...
• Spring Rolls: Spring rolls, also known as fried spring rolls, are a popular dish during Tet, not only delicious but also symbolizing prosperity, showing prosperity. Some regions call this dish "Ram" because it is crispy when fried and the filling inside includes vegetables, fruits, shrimp, and meat.
• Pickled Vegetables: Pickles are a traditional dish, often made from pickled vegetables such as radish, cucumber, and carrot, bringing balance to the meal during Tet.

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Tet Specialties of Each Region in Vietnam

Traditional Dishes of Northern Vietnam

• Meat Jelly (Meat Jelly): Meat Jelly is a typical dish of the North during Tet. Made from pork, pork skin, and spices, the meat jelly has a rich taste and can be eaten with pickled onions or other dishes. This dish symbolizes fullness, warmth, and family unity.
• Pickled Onions (Soaked Onions): Pickled onions are a dish that helps to reduce the feeling of fullness, helping to balance the protein-rich dishes in the Tet meal. Pickled onions have a sweet and sour taste, eaten with banh chung, it is very tasty and has the meaning of purifying the body after the Tet holidays with many fatty dishes.

Traditional Dishes of Central Vietnam

• Nem Chua: Nem chua is a specialty of the Central region, made from minced pork, pork skin, spices, and star fruit leaves. There are two typical types of nem chua: raw nem chua and cooked nem chua. Nem chua is not only delicious but also symbolizes the harmony between earth and sky, along with health and prosperity.
• Piggy Meat with Fish Sauce: Pork soaked in fish sauce is a typical dish of the Central region during Tet. The meat is marinated with spices and soaked in fish sauce, creating a rich flavor, imbued with the local cultural identity.
• Beef Rolls: Central beef rolls are made from minced beef, mixed with spices and wrapped into patties. This dish is indispensable on the Tet tray of the Central region. Although it can be made in some regions, the flavor and quality in the Central region are the most delicious and flavorful.

Traditional Dishes of Southern Vietnam

• Coconut Braised Pork: Coconut braised pork is a typical Southern dish, with pork braised with fresh coconut water, creating a rich, fatty dish. This dish symbolizes completeness and prosperity.
• Bitter Melon Soup Stuffed with Meat: Bitter melon soup stuffed with meat is a delicious dish with deep meaning. Bitter melon symbolizes hardship, but when eaten with stuffed meat, this dish means overcoming hardships to have a bright new year.
• Chinese sausage: Southern Chinese sausage, or Chinese sausage, is a dish that is often present on Tet meals. This dish is not only delicious but also has the meaning of wishing for prosperity and success.

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What Do People Most Frequently Ask About Vietnamese New Year Food Traditions?

What are the popular traditional Vietnamese dishes during Tet?

Traditional dishes such as banh chung, banh tet, jam, gio cha, boiled chicken, and five-fruit tray are indispensable dishes in every Vietnamese family during Tet.

What is the most typical dish in a festival meal in Vietnam?

Banh chung/banh tet is a symbolic dish for Tet, present in every Vietnamese Tet tray.

Tet cuisine is not only delicious food but also a bond that connects generations in the family, expressing gratitude to ancestors and hope for a peaceful and prosperous new year. No matter where you are, the taste of Tet dishes is always an unforgettable impression, reminding everyone of the origin and sacred meaning of the first day of the Vietnamese New Year.