Chuc mung nam moi

As I blog, across Vietnam weighty bundles like the one pictured above are being made and eaten. This is Banh Tet, a traditional bundle of sticky rice, pork fat and soy bean paste squashed into a banana leaf cylinder. These two Banh Tet, arrived strung together with nylon courtesy of my landlady. She makes a tonne of them (well, a lot at least) every year on a wood fire in her garden. We get two every Tet.

This is what it looks like on the inside. The centre is filled with the bean paste. It's the stickiest, stodgiest lump of lardiness on the Vietnamese menu and Tet would not be Tet without at least one of these. Tet is the Vietnamese new year. This year it will be celebrated on Wednesday 9th February and 2005 is the year of the Rooster - my year - yay. Is that a good thing?? There's only one way to attack a Banh Tet. Slice it, fry it and serve it with small pickled onions.

Eat it any other way and you're heading for trouble. One extra noodlepie touch - maybe a bit uncivilised, but here goes - I like to have it served with English Mustard. That gives some real bollocks to a Banh Tet. Head to the theatre in town if you want to see possibly the world's largest Banh Tet. Now, if they could fashion a frying pan to fit that baby in, I'd be well impressed.

Comments

[MrsT]

Hey.. Noodlepie..:)
I was hoping for sticky rice with banana inside it.. :) But the Banh Tet looks yummy..!

[ha]

I'd pass on this one. Banh Tet tastes better as a leftover (the week after New Year). I like cu? kie^.u (the pickles) better

[gooner]

My parents have just finished cooking over 200 of 'em over the weekend. But we make them a bit differently to the one in the pic. The fillings consist of bean paste and really fatty pieces of pork. I guess the paste alone wasn't lardy enough.

I personally can't stand them. I only like the crunchy bits on the outside.

Chuc Mung Nam Moi!

[azine]

happy new year noodlepie! thanks for providing a taste of vietnam. i so want to go there soon.

[a]

ohh those things are good. fried is definitely better. but are u sure it's soy bean??? i thought it's always mung bean. that is one big banh, by far the funniest food related pic i've seen, it's like seeing a giant lobster...if only.

[Linda]

Chuc Mung Nam Moi everyone!

I really like these banh tet... my grandma makes them all the time even it's not Tet. Yes fried banh tet is much better and I always dip it w/ sugar. You can also dip in soy sauce + hot oil (sa te) too. You remind me of the cu kieu (pickled onions) I haven't had those for a long time & I miss them... I think I have to go get some later. :) BTW I don't think it's soy bean paste inside but rather -dau xanh ca (not sure what it's called in english)..

[pieman]

The ones with the fatty pieces of pork are fine. I just get rid of the fatty pieces of pork;) I think you guys are probably right on the mung bean now I think about it, will go ahead and edit. Although, I really cannot imagine dipping this thing in sugar... eek. Linda - you MUST be from Saigon... Chuc mung nam moi to you all, indeed.

[ha]

sure linda's from saigon, which is famous for its sweet tooth. I personally like adding sugar to my cooking but eating RAW sugar (even as a dipping) is too much

[a cat]

ain't nothing better than fried banh chung with pickled leeks !! love the photo!

[vunguyen]

I love banhtet as it is, no fried or whatsoever, and never had any stomach prob. Maybe because of my vietnamese stomach, lol.

[Jubinell]

hey...great blog. Just one thing, I think "banh chung" is spelt with a ch instead of a tr. Just thought you might want to know.

[randeokieng]

there is a very very serious mistake from your work. sorry that I correct you. but the traditional cake that used to appear in Tet holiday is called Banh Chung, not Banh Trung hehehe

[lam phuoc]

you're right,that is called Banh Chung not
Banh Trung.

Banh Chung and Banh Tet are the sticky rice
cakes which made in 2 forms : Square or
cylinder.They made of glutinous rice,mun
bean paste(Not soy bean),lard (or salted
pork).They wraped in banana leaves and boiled
in a big pot full of water for at least 2 hours depending on the sizes and quatities

Today,We can find them in the Vietnamese
grocery stores and we can eat any time we
want,we don't have to wait until Tet any
more!

My son likes Banh Chung more than Banh Tet,
But they are made from the same ingredients.
I ask him why,he can't give me the answer!

[Craig Randolph]

Hey. I returned to VN in Sept. 2006. I had a great time!
I really like your blog.

Craig

* Weymouth, MA, USA

[Dr. Thanh H. Vuong (ret) USN Lt-Cmdr]

Hi there. I returned to the Mekong delta for the next 6 months and indulge myself Banh Tét, Banh Chung and Banh Cuon for breakfast every morning.

Who can ask for anything more

[Tanny]

hi, how do i make the banana leaf moist and how do i maintain its moisture?

[liz]

banh tet and banh chung uses mung bean. a great many dishes utilize mung beans vs soy beans considering the geography and available agriculture. looks like your landlady makes her banh tet chay. chay means vegetarian - sans pork fat. i eat it with sugar too... and i too hail from saigon. hrm... i've never known about the sweet-tooth thing before... interesting!

[Don]

Since I've moved to Florida in Jan '01, I've enjoyed this every year at Tet. Growing up Italian in Jersey, I was never exposed to Viet Cuisine. Unfortunately, I didn't get any this year. A girl thay Iv'e worked with for the past few years always brought one in just for me, but I don't work with her anymore. Being Italian, I'm a natural wiz in the kitchen. Could you possible direct me to a good recipe for BAHN TET?