Discover Delicious Dishes on Tet Holiday in Northern Vietnam

Delicious dishes on Tet holiday in Northern Vietnam are prepared meticulously, delicately, and beautifully presented and decorated. According to folk beliefs, the Tet feast in the North usually has 6 plates and 6 bowls to symbolize prosperity and good fortune. Some dishes that are often included in the Tet menu list of Northerners include: green chung cake, red gac sticky rice, pickled onions, spring rolls, fried spring rolls…

Lunar New Year (also known as Tet, Lunar New Year, Traditional Tet) is an important holiday of the year for Vietnamese people. According to custom, on Tet, family members gather, visit relatives, give best wishes to each other, gather together to prepare a tray of rice to worship ancestors… Depending on the customs and culture of each region The regions where the food trays are offered to ancestors also have differences. Particularly for Northerners, the Tet meal tray represents the desire for prosperity and happiness in the new year. That’s why every family spends a lot of time and investment to prepare a decent traditional meal tray. Go with Vietnam Food Tour to learn about indispensable delicious Tet dishes in the North of Vietnam!

Pig head cheese (Giò Thủ)

Gio Thu is one of the indispensable dishes during Tet for many Northern families. This is a dish made from pork head meat combined with black fungus and other traditional spices. When you enjoy it, you will feel the crunchy, aromatic and attractive taste, and especially it is not greasy.

Fried spring rolls (Nem Rán)

Certainly, the list of delicious dishes on Tet in the North cannot lack fried spring rolls. Fried spring rolls contribute to making the taste of Tet completer and more perfect. Fried spring rolls are golden on the outside, with meat, wood ear fungus, bean sprouts inside, etc. You will feel the crispy, rich flavor, which is very attractive.

Vermicelli, bamboo shoot, chicken soup (Miến măng gà)

Vermicelli, bamboo shoot, and chicken soup is a dish often present in the Tet tray of Northerners. Chicken cooked with bamboo shoots will give an extremely attractive flavor. Dried bamboo shoots are often used in this dish. With its unique flavor, bamboo shoots help harmonize the dish and help people enjoy it without feeling bored.

Stir-fried mixed vegetables with beef (Rau xào thịt bò)

To make your meal more nutritious without being boring at all, you can try stir-fried mixed vegetables with beef. With the typical seasonal vegetables of Tet, you will definitely have a delicious and nutritious stir-fry dish. The tender beef along with the crunchy and sweet taste of the vegetables will make the meal more attractive.

Dried bamboo shoots stewed with pig’s feet (Măng hầm chân giò)

In the feast of Northerners during Tet, dried bamboo shoots stewed with pig’s feet are indispensable. The dish has a familiar, simple flavor with the taste of crispy dried bamboo shoots mixed with a bit of fat from the pork leg meat. The dish is simple to make, so it is always made by housewives for Tet feasts.

Sticky rice cakes (Banh chung, banh day)

Banh Chung symbolizes the earth, Banh Day symbolizes heaven, therefore, these are two indispensable dishes in the feast of Northern people. With the meaning of wishing for a new year with favorable weather and all things growing, Chung cake and Day cake become traditional dishes on Tet. Not only enjoying, the activity of wrapping Banh Chung and Banh Day in every Northern family is also a beautiful cultural feature.

Pickled onions (Hành muối)

A Tet feast in the North cannot lack pickled onions. This is a rustic, simple dish and simple to make. To prepare pickled onions, Vietnamese people use the main ingredient which is onions and follow the microbial fermentation method. Therefore, this dish has a sour, slightly spicy taste and is suitable for eating with banh chung and frozen meat. Many people love pickled onions, because it is an effective anti-boring dish during Tet.

Boiled chicken (Gà luộc)

Boiled chicken is a familiar dish of many Vietnamese families. For Northerners, boiled chicken is indispensable in the feast offered to ancestors during Tet and spring. However, to make boiled chicken delicious, juicy, and beautifully colored, you need many secrets. In addition, instead of the traditional boiling method, you can add other ingredients to give the dish a new flavor such as chicken boiled in lemon leaves, wormwood leaves, tea leaves, pandan leaves…

Types of sausages (Các loại giò)

There are many types of sausage in the culinary culture of the Northern people. Because it is a delicious dish, sausage is indispensable in the family every time Tet comes. Each type of sausage has its own flavor from each ingredient. Some types of sausages are widely used by Northerners during Tet such as: pork sausage, horse sausage, pork sausage, tamarind sausage (veal sausage), beef sausage, pork sausage (stir-fried sausage), five-color flower sausage, chicken sausage, cinnamon rolls…

Jellied meat (Thịt đông)

Jellied meat is a delicious dish made from simple ingredients during Tet. When enjoying, you will feel the soft, melting, and strangely crunchy taste. It is also suitable to eat jellied meat with pickles, pickled onions or with rice. However, this dish can only be stored in the refrigerator for about 5-6 days.

Soup with dried pig skin (Canh bóng thả)

If you are from the North, you have certainly enjoyed the soup with dried pig skin many times. The elegant and nutritious flavor, and very suitable for the Northern weather in spring, has made this dish indispensable on the ancestors’ tray. The main ingredients to create this dish are chicken broth, blistered pork skin, raw sausage, kohlrabi, carrots, peas, dried shrimp, shiitake mushrooms…

Braised sweet soup (Chè kho)

Every time Tet comes, every family in the North cannot help but have braised sweet soup in the house. Braised sweet soup is made from two main ingredients: green beans and sugar. The sweet and tangy taste of the dish makes Northerners always remember it every time Tet comes. Enjoying sweet soup with a cup of hot tea is truly a wonderful thing during Tet.

Northern-style salad (Nộm)

To change the taste of your Tet meal, you can try Northern-style salad. Northerners often make salads such as beef jerky salad, boneless chicken leg salad, jellyfish salad, banana flower salad, kohlrabi salad…

Stir-fried mixed vermicelli (Miến xào)

Vermicelli is a familiar dish in Northern culinary culture. With a rustic flavor, easily combined with other ingredients to create delicious dishes, vermicelli is indispensable in the Tet tray. Normally, vermicelli will be processed into a mixed stir-fry dish with vegetables or meat or seafood that is both delicious and nutritious.

Gac sticky rice (Xôi gấc)

Gac sticky rice not only appears on important days of Northerners such as weddings, engagements, first birthdays, death anniversaries… but also during Tet as a dish that brings good luck for the new year. Gac sticky rice has a fragrant, sweet taste and especially a beautiful red color.

Onion rolls with shrimp and meat (Hành cuốn tôm thịt)

Onion rolls with shrimp and meat are a famous dish of the North. Although not made with expensive ingredients, the flavor this dish brings is extremely delicate. On Tet, Northerners often make onion, shrimp, and meat rolls to enjoy or entertain relatives and friends. The main ingredients to make the dish include green onions, pork belly, eggs, shrimp, vermicelli, fried beans, herbs, lettuce…

Braised beef (Bò kho)

On Tet in the North, Vietnamese people often make braised beef to enjoy. Not only suitable for meals, braised beef is also ideal for sipping with beer and wine. The spiced beef will satisfy your taste buds.

In conclusion, the Tet holiday in Northern Vietnam unveils a captivating culinary tapestry that reflects the region’s rich cultural heritage. The best dishes featured during this festive season boast intricate flavors, thoughtfully crafted to complement the cold weather, creating a symphony of taste that resonates with the spirit of Tet. From the hearty warmth of Banh Chung to the nuanced simplicity of pickled onions and the savory delight of Thit Dong, these dishes encapsulate the essence of Northern Vietnamese traditions. For those fortunate enough to journey to Vietnam during Tet, indulging in these culinary delights becomes more than a mere gastronomic experience; it becomes a cultural immersion, a vibrant connection to the heart and soul of the North.

So, as you traverse the streets adorned with vibrant red and gold decorations, don’t miss the opportunity to savor these iconic dishes on Tet holiday in Northern Vietnam and truly enrich your experience to the dream trip!

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Knowledge sharing about Vietnam food culture and traditional recipes.