Cold Food Festival is celebrated on March 3rd (following the Lunar Calendar) to honor ancestors and gather families with a special cake named “bánh trôi”.
In Tam Cuisine, the floating cake becomes more enchanting thanks to the scent of pomelo flowers, promising an unforgettable flavor for travelers.

The cultural value of the Cold Food Festival in Vietnam
In terms of literal meaning, “cold food” refers to dishes that are not hot. This day is regarded as deriving from China to commemorate a talented Chinese general. During the Northern Domination era when China ruled over Vietnam, Vietnamese culture was considerably influenced by Chinese culture.
However, Vietnamese ancestors were skilled in navigating this cultural assimilation. The Cold Food Festival in Vietnam holds a different significance from China. This is an occasion for family members to gather and clean and decorate their ancestors’ graves in their hometowns.
On this occasion, bánh trôi plays a significant role in connecting generations.

Floating cake (Bánh trôi) – Special offerings on every altar
The cake is made from common ingredients that are familiar and accessible to Vietnamese people – owners of an agricultural country. They are sticky rice flour, brown palm sugar cubes, green beans, and tapioca starch, available in any Hanoian kitchen, including Tam Cuisine.
It is believed that bánh trôi, along with bánh chưng and bánh dày, are symbols of Vietnam’s long-standing wet rice civilization, which have been built and preserved for many generations. Therefore, offering this dish to the ancestors is to honor and express gratitude of descendants, as well as pray for a happy and prosperous year ahead.


Hanoians and dedicated flavor – Bánh trôi & Pomelo flowers
The floating cakes embrace a more delicious and subtle delicacy thanks to the skilled hands of the Hanoian people.
The first step to making pomelo floating cakes is infusing pomelo flower aroma into the cakes, usually applying two traditional techniques.

The first method: Hanoians will use pomelo petals to infuse into glutinous rice flour, seal it in a tight bag, and leave it overnight. This method will help the scent of pomelo petals penetrate deeply into each grain of rice so that when ground into flour, the cake flour will be permeated with the sweet fragrance of pomelo petals.
The second method: Hanoians will drop pomelo petals into the pot of boiling water, stirring evenly to allow the fragrance from the pomelo petals to gradually infuse into each piece of cake.
After boiling, it is ready for you to savor it! Once you put these pearls in your mouth, you’ll immediately notice the softness of the sticky rice wrapper. When you chew, the outer layer of the cake combines with the sweet filling of brown sugar and sesame seeds, creating a perfect harmony of flavor and texture. The subtle and long-lasting fragrance of pomelo blossom adds to the experience. Even after finishing the cake, the refreshing and milky aroma remains in your mouth for hours.
An authentic culinary experience awaits travelers
To celebrate the Cold Food Festival, from March 28 to April 11, as a gesture of appreciation, each of your travelers in their cooking class will receive a plate of floating cakes as a gift.
Additionally, for an even more immersive experience, you can learn how to make traditional floating cakes.
Contact us for booking this at xinchao@tamcuisine.vn!

Don’t miss out on the pomelo flower season and this delectably flavored traditional festival!