For
all globetrotters, traveling is not simply just going sightseeing, but also is enjoying
unique local cuisine of places where they come to. Recently, Vietnam is
appealing more tourists to pop in. In Vietnam travel,
tourists are attracted not just by its wonderful landscapes and seascapes, but
also profound cultural identity and diverse cuisine. One of the most unique and
outstanding dishes of Vietnamese cuisine is Bánh Chưng or Chung Cake.
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| Boiled Chung Cake |
Chung
Cake is a traditional cake of Vietnam. The cake implies gratitude of later
generations to their forefather and hometown. Ingredients of Chung Cake include
sticky rice, green bean, pork, dong leaves, and other additional spices as salt
and pepper. Chung Cake is often made on traditional Tet Holiday of Vietnamese people and Hung King Festival (on the 10th day of
the third lunar month). Chung Cake has the oldest history in traditional Vietnam cuisine. It is mentioned regularly in historical
documents. The traditional cake has a significant position in the heart of
Vietnamese people. The cake originated from a legend relating to Lang Lieu
Prince, son of the 6th Hung King. The legend recalls the next generation about
the national tradition. It is also a meaningful explanation and origin of Chung
Cake, Day Cake in Vietnam culture, simultaneously,
the importance of rice and nature in Wet Rice Civilization. According to today
popular opinions, along with Giay Cake, Chung Cake reflects the ancient
Vietnamese people's opinion about the universe. The cake is in green and square
shape, which reflects the image of earth in the religion of ancient Vietnamese
people and other ethnic groups in Asia.
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| Chung cake |
Existing
since the 6th Hung King's Empire, Chung Cake has been going with national
history and become the soul of Tet Holiday in Northern Vietnam. Once visiting
Vietnam during Vietnam Lunar New Year, tourists
will see on the feast of local people, there are Chung Cake laid on. These
cakes seem to recall Vietnamese people about the legend of Banh Chung and Banh
Giay which symbolize the opinion bout the universe of ancient Vietnamese
people.
Definitely,
in cultural Vietnam tours, travelers have a
chance to discover many interesting things about the traditional food. Old
Vietnamese people, who underwent Tet holidays between 40s and 50s of the last
century, often pine for traditional Tet with Chung Cakes carefully made. Their
ingredients were chosen from dong leaves and sticky rice to green bean, thin
and small bamboo strips. During war time in Vietnam, to raise troops to fight
the enemy, northern people spend out of food for front line. Thus, Banh Chung
was simpler, but more valuable than any thing. Those who underwent Tet during
war time and subsidy period, Chung Cake evoked unforgettable memories.
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| Making Chung Cake |
Todays,
young generations still inherit and bring the traditional custom into play.
Although the young live in big and modern cities, they try to spend time on
sitting and waiting for boiling these Chung Cakes, along with chatting with
their family. In spite of being sold at supermarkets, stores or other services,
in the countryside, the taste Chung Cake is also felt somewhat over the pot of
Chung Cake. The present-day atmosphere of Tet still sees the image of Vietnamese
women busy during Tet with works of washing the dong leaves, soaking rice,
wrapping cakes, while, the children are sitting around a large pot of rice
cakes and look after it overnight. For many generations, Banh Chung is the joy
of the New Year's reunion. Beautiful thick and square cakes are displayed on
the altar dedicated to worship ancestors. There are small cakes made for
children as a New Year gift. Yet, today, the method of cooking the cake in
somewhere is modernized. Yet, when New Year and spring come, Banh Chung still
reminds Vietnamese people about traditional national values.
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| Chung Cake |
Today,
ingredients of making Chung Cake remain unchanged: sticky rice, green bean,
pork and dong leave. Chung Cake will be more delicious if its ingredients are
prepared carefully. Traditional Vietnamese Tet Holiday and images of green
Chung Cakes are long-lasting traditional Vietnam
culture. Chung Cake evokes Tet Holiday and vice versa. Perhaps, the
combination becomes a cultural symbol of Vietnam. Therefore, the work of making
Chung Cake when New Year comes is a fine cultural custom of Vietnam. The
website National Geographic recently released top 10 unique traditional dishes
in the world, including Chung Cake and Giay Cake of Vietnam. The site also
described about traditional Tet in Vietnam. Tet Holiday is the most important
occasion in Vietnam. It marks the appearance of spring and new hopes. Vietnamese
traditional Tet is also the occasion to reunite family members. Everyone often
eat melon seeds, marmalade and rice cakes during Tet.
