Eating dishes on the fifth day of the lunar month.

Offerings for the 5th day of the lunar month in Quang Nam province. (Image: Illustration)

"Mid-year Tet," with its special dishes on the offering tray, all carry the meaning of praying for peace and the elimination of illness from the family.

Say... rice wine

The Dragon Boat Festival falls on the 5th day of the 5th lunar month, often called the "Insect Extermination Festival" by Vietnamese people. This is likely because the middle of the year is characterized by unpredictable weather with sudden changes in sunshine and rain. The weather easily causes people to cough, suffer from minor illnesses, and plants are plagued by insects.

Therefore, in the countryside, on the 5th day of the 5th lunar month, around noon, people usually go out into the yard, rinse their mouths three times to cleanse themselves of insects, drink a cup of rice wine to intoxicate the insects, and then eat a rice cake to kill them. People believe that these things not only repel insects on trees but also eliminate diseases in the body.

Different regions have different customs for offering sacrifices. In the North, vegetarian offerings are usually made with sticky rice cakes and fruits like plums and lychees; while in the Central and Southern regions, meat dishes such as duck meat and millet porridge are offered. However, rice wine is a common dish in all regions.

The glutinous rice used for making rice wine is a premium, carefully selected type of brown rice. The rice is pounded just enough to remove the husks, while retaining the opaque yellow bran layer; my mother uses this bran to make rice wine.

Sticky rice with rice wine is steamed twice. The first time, until just cooked, my mother takes it down on a rack to cool. As soon as it cools down a bit, she adds more cold water to the steamer and puts it back on the stove to steam a second time.

When the rice was cooked to the right consistency, my mother would scoop it out onto a large tray, wait for it to cool completely before placing it in a basket. She would alternate layers of fermented rice with yeast. Once finished, she would wash a banana leaf from the garden and cover the fermented rice with it.

The fragrant rice wine, subtly flavored with glutinous rice and hints of wildflowers, has a sweet aftertaste that's easy to drink, not harsh or strong like other wines. Therefore, both children and the elderly enjoy it. Sipping the rice wine while leisurely chewing on the accompanying fermented rice is enough to intoxicate the senses.

Rice dumplings, duck meat, millet porridge

On the 5th day of the lunar month, glutinous rice dumplings with ash are indispensable. This is a traditional cake eaten on the Dragon Boat Festival in Central and Southern Vietnam, with a different version in Northern Vietnam called "bánh gio".

Fermented sticky rice. Photo: CUONG TRUC

The cakes are triangular in shape and wrapped in either palm leaves or dong leaves. Bundles of freshly cooked rice cakes hang in clusters on stalls, looking plump and juicy like ripe starfruit at the end of a branch. Because of their mild flavor, they are often eaten with thick molasses or sugar.

The rice cake has a golden amber color, a hint of lime aroma, and a slightly earthy, rustic flavor of herbs and plants; it's sticky yet soft. Therefore, rice cake isn't a food suitable for hurried eating. It trains one to eat slowly and chew thoroughly, to keep the stomach full for longer while the harvest season hasn't arrived yet.

Duck meat is an essential part of the offerings on the 5th day of the lunar month, as it has cooling properties and helps balance the body's energy levels, yin and yang, amidst the unpredictable weather of sun, rain, and humidity. Ducks are also in season at this time, so their meat is plump, delicious, and odorless, making it a favorite dish for many.

The elderly cook extra millet porridge for the offering tray. Made only from peeled mung beans, millet, sugar, and vanilla, this porridge balances the feast with its perfectly balanced sweetness and chewy texture. Served with grilled sesame rice crackers, the harmonious combination of the crispy crackers, the soft porridge, and the added touch of spicy ginger creates a truly delightful experience.

According to researchers, traditional medicine primarily uses plants. Therefore, during the Dragon Boat Festival, people also pay attention to fruits in the offering tray, such as plums, lychees, and other sour and astringent fruits to ward off insects.

In many families, lychees and plums are almost a must-have fruit, as they symbolize the summer solstice. Furthermore, they use these fruits with the hope of a bountiful harvest and the prosperity of their family, with many children and grandchildren.

The small offering tray holds within it the hope for peace and reunion. The foods that children always looked forward to as kids have now become a kind of ritual. Time gradually erodes the excitement of childhood, but somewhere deep within our hearts, we still hope for good things in the coming six months.

Source: https://baoquangnam.vn/an-mon-mung-nam-3136106.html