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Tet Doan Ngo

Tết Đoan Ngọ, pray for bountiful crops and good health

Tết Đoan Ngọ (Đoan Ngo Festival) is one of the most important traditional holidays in Vietnam and some other Asian countries such as China and Japan. On this day, Vietnamese people will prepare regional offering trays, featured with fruits, fermented glutinous rice, or bánh tro (tro cake).

In the hustle and bustle of modern life, many Hanoian families in Hanoi and other cities have gradually simplified the rituals on this occasion. However, the flavors of the traditional dishes for this day are still preserved as an indispensable treat for the beginning of summer. Let’s join Tấm Cuisine to savor a Hanoi tray for Tết Đoan Ngọ and explore the interesting customs of this day!

Cơm rượu nếp - Fermented Glutinous Rice
Cơm rượu nếp – Fermented Glutinous Rice | source: kenh14.vn

Tết Đoan Ngọ in Vietnamese culture

In Vietnam, Tết Đoan Ngọ is celebrated in the early summer, on May 5 of the lunar calendar (which falls on June 10, 2024). According to Vietnamese legend, this is the period after the early harvest and farmers are rejoicing over a bountiful season; however, pests damage the crops. At this time (lunar May 5), a God arrived and instructed the villagers on how to eliminate the pests, by offering items such as fruits, fermented glutinous rice, or bánh tro (tro cake),… As a tradition, every year, farmers make offerings on this day to pray for a bountiful harvest.

Offering on Tết Đoan Ngọ to pray for a bountiful harvest
Offering on Tết Đoan Ngọ to pray for a bountiful harvest | Source: Afamily

Today, Tết Đoan Ngọ is considered as an occasion to eliminate pests and harmful insects in gardens and fields, as well as a chance for people to rid themselves of intestinal parasites for better health. On this day, Vietnamese people prepare an offering tray to worship their ancestors from early morning to noon. This time span is called “Đoan Ngọ” in the Vietnam calendar and the festival is named after this time of worshipping. 

Also on this day, there are some customs to prevent diseases and ward off evil spirits, from preparing specific dishes to customs such as “lightly beating” trees, dyeing fingernails red, wearing colorful braided bracelets, and carrying five-colored fragrant sachets, etc. 

Hanoi tray in Tết Đoan Ngọ 

On this occasion, Hanoians eat sour or spicy foods because they believe that these foods will eliminate internal parasites and ward off bad luck.

Fermented Glutinous Rice (Cơm rượu nếp)

Fermented Glutinous Rice | Source: vnexpress.net
cơm rượu nếp – Fermented Glutinous Rice | Source: vnexpress.net

From ancient times to the present, this dish is an indispensable part of every family’s kitchen in the early morning in Tết Đoan Ngọ. Sticky rice or black sticky rice is milled, steamed, and fermented with yeast in fragrant lotus leaves a few days beforehand, so it’s perfectly ready by May 5. Vietnamese people believe that the yeast in fermented rice helps eliminate harmful parasites in the body on this day. Therefore, we usually eat a small amount of this rice right after waking up, before consuming any other food.

This dish is also rich in nutrients, vitamins, and minerals. When fermented, rice contains additional fiber and vitamin B. Moreover, its gentle aroma and sweet-sour taste, along with the rich flavor of the sticky rice grains, will capture the hearts of everyone, including kids.

Fruits

Fruits for Tet Doan Ngo
Lynchees for Tet Doan Ngo

In the North, with its tropical climate, this time marks the beginning of summer, accompanied by occasional heavy showers. It is also the season for various fruits. Perhaps that is why fruits are indispensable on this holiday, especially those with a sour taste such as lychees, plums, and peaches, as well as watermelons, sapodillas, and pineapples, which are characteristic of summer.

Additionally, fruits are also considered beneficial for health and symbolize the hope for a bountiful, prosperous harvest.

Dishes from duck 

Duck dishes, with their diverse preparations, crafted a flavorful part of Tết Đoan Ngọ. After the early summer harvest, during the season of letting ducks loose in the fields, young, fat ducks and crisp, white bamboo shoots after the rains are fresh and abundant. Diverse dishes from duck such as cooked with fermented bean curd, duck noodle soup with bamboo shoots, duck salad, and boiled duck make the family meal more colorful during this gathering time.

Also in this day, Hanoians also have a very humane tradition called “đi sêu.” On this day, any family with a son who has made a proposal or engaged a daughter from another family will gift the in-laws a pair of ducks or geese, a few kilograms of new sticky rice, and a bottle of white wine. This is an occasion for the young man to express his feelings and gratitude towards his future in-laws.

Savor Fermented Glutinous  Rice with Hanoian women

Cơm rượu nếp - Savor Fermented Glutinous Rice with Hanoian women
Cơm rượu nếp – Savor Fermented Glutinous rice at Tam cuisine | source: phunuvietnam.vn

With the desire to spread Hanoi culinary traditions to international travelers, on the occasion of the Tết Đoan Ngọ, Tấm Cuisine will offer travelers a bowl of fermented sticky rice as a gesture of appreciation after each meal (applicable June 1-10). This is also an opportunity for travelers to listen to stories about fermented sticky rice and Tết Đoan Ngọ through talks with the Hanoian women in our kitchen.

Don’t hesitate to contact us for more information at xinchao@tamcuisine.vn

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