Tet is the occasion for all family members to gather together and prepare a feast to welcome the new year. This activity is considered a unique and typical cultural feature of Vietnamese people. Each feast has its own characteristics, reflecting the different customs of each region. So what is the difference between the feasts in the 3 regions? Let's follow the article below to discover the meaning of the Southern Tet feast, how is it different from the Tet feasts of the Northern and Central regions!
What is the Tet tray?
The Tet feast is a meal specially prepared and decorated on the occasion of the Lunar New Year. The feast usually consists of many delicious and diverse dishes, typical of each region. Each dish is elaborately prepared to offer to grandparents and ancestors with the hope of a new year of peace, prosperity and happiness. Therefore, every 30th of Tet, families gather together to prepare the feast.
The meaning of Tet tray
The Tet feast is a beautiful traditional cultural feature of the Vietnamese people. The Tet feast is not just a normal meal but also has many profound meanings. Each dish when offered shows the respect of descendants to their ancestors. At the same time, they wish for a new year of luck and success.
In addition, this is also an opportunity for family members to prepare meals together and create many memorable moments. Enjoying delicious dishes on the first day of spring helps everyone feel relaxed after a year of hard work. Therefore, the Tet holiday tray has a meaning of happiness, reunion and shows the deep gratitude of Vietnamese people to their family.
Depending on the culinary culture and region, the dishes displayed on the Tet tray will have their own characteristics. Therefore, let's find out what is special about the Tet tray in the 3 regions!
Southern Tet holiday tray
The Southern Tet holiday tray has its own characteristics, different from the Tet holiday trays of the Northern and Central regions. The dishes on the Southern Tet holiday tray are often prepared not too elaborately but still have their own unique mark.
Some indispensable dishes on the Southern Tet tray include:
Banh Tet
Banh Tet is the most typical dish of the Southern Tet holiday tray. Banh Tet is made from sticky rice, pork, green beans, etc. and is wrapped in banana leaves. The image of a Banh Tet cake reminds us of a mother protecting her child. Therefore, this type of cake often symbolizes unity, reunion and prosperity.
Bitter melon soup
A popular dish on the Southern people's Tet holiday trays is bitter melon soup. Southern people often choose bitter melon soup stuffed with meat on the Tet holiday tray with the hope that all hardships will pass. At the same time, they welcome a new year with lots of joy, luck and happiness.
Braised pork
Braised pork is a typical and indispensable dish on the Southern New Year's Eve tray. This dish has a rich, fatty flavor and is often served with white rice. Braised pork symbolizes a new year of warmth, prosperity, and happiness with family.
Pickled onions
Pickled shallots are a pickled dish with a sweet and sour taste and a crunchy texture. Pickled shallots are often eaten with braised pork or banh tet. Pickled shallots symbolize prosperity and wealth in the new year.
In addition to the typical dishes mentioned above, the Southern people's Tet tray also has other equally popular dishes such as pork roll, spring rolls, Chinese sausage, etc. All of which create a rich culinary culture for this region.
Central Vietnam Tet holiday tray
The Tet tray in the Central region is often simpler and less elaborate than the South and the North. Because this is the region with the harshest weather and climate of the three regions. People always have to share and help each other from material things to food. The people of the Central region always emphasize thrift and sincerity with each other. This is also shown in their Tet tray. The dishes displayed on the tray are often divided into small plates but still very diverse and neat. Some dishes that must be on the Tet tray in the Central region are:
Banh tet
Similar to the South, banh tet is also a typical dish on the Tet holiday tray in the Central region. The fragrant banh tet symbolizes prosperity, well-being and fullness. When enjoying banh tet, you can eat it with pickles and pickled onions to fully enjoy the delicious taste of this dish.
Nem chua
Nem chua is considered a specialty of the Central people. Therefore, it has also become an indispensable dish on the Tet tray in the Central region. Nem chua has a sour, spicy, delicious taste, and is often eaten with raw vegetables.
Pickled meat
A special dish in the Tet tray of the Central region must be pork soaked in fish sauce. This is a dish that requires skill and meticulousness in the preparation process. Pork and fish sauce must follow a certain ratio to achieve the right delicious taste. In particular, the longer the meat is soaked, the more it will absorb and taste better. Therefore, people in the Central region often make and store it to eat gradually during the Tet holiday. Pork soaked in fish sauce eaten with rice paper, made into salad or with rice is the right dish!
Beef ham
Beef ham is a dish that is always present on the 30th of Tet offering tray of people in the Central region. Any family will buy a few beef hams to store for eating gradually during Tet. Beef ham has the spicy taste of pepper and the fragrant taste of garlic, creating a rich and impressive dish.
Cake
This is a famous cake for people in the Central region, especially people from Quang. Cake symbolizes luck and prosperity. In addition, it also shows the homeowner's hope for a new year with many good things and smooth sailing. In addition, eating banh to is considered to receive blessings from above.
Northern people's Tet holiday tray
If we talk about the elaborateness and sophistication in arranging the Tet tray, it must be the people of the North. The Tet tray of the Northern people is extremely diverse and attractive with colorful dishes. Depending on the family's conditions, the Tet tray of the Northern people will be large or small. However, according to custom, the tray must have at least 4 bowls and 4 plates symbolizing the four pillars, four seasons and four directions. Large trays can have 6 bowls, 6 plates or even 8 bowls, 8 plates to represent wealth and prosperity.
Of which, 4 bowls will include: 1 bowl of stewed pork leg, 1 bowl of meatballs, 1 bowl of vermicelli and 1 bowl of mushrooms. The remaining 4 plates will include 1 plate of chicken, 1 plate of pork, 1 plate of pork roll and 1 plate of cinnamon sausage. In addition, some families also prepare a plate of braised meat, head cheese and fried spring rolls.
In addition to the main dishes, the Tet tray of Northern people cannot lack green sticky rice cake, sticky rice with gac fruit and a plate of pickled cabbage. Each dish contributes to creating a colorful tray of rice with irresistible delicious flavors.
Ending
The Tet feast is not only a typical culinary culture but also has many profound spiritual meanings. Each dish represents the homeowner's wishes for the upcoming new year. Hopefully, the above article can help you better understand the differences between the Tet feasts in the South, North and Central regions during the Lunar New Year.
Stay tuned! Pasta Fresca Saigon for more useful culinary information. If you are looking for a cozy space for a family dinner or a reputable, quality catering service, contact Pasta Fresca now!