Cooking with your children, rediscovering the magical joy of Tet.
Báo Dân trí•23/01/2025
(Dan Tri Newspaper) - Tet (Lunar New Year) still arrives regularly every year, but do children still feel the magic of Tet as their parents once did? Has Tet gradually faded from children's memories?
Understanding the shared desire of parents to give their children a complete and joyful Tet experience and to understand the meaning of Tet, Knorr presents the story "Searching for the Lost Tet," where a team of children are tasked by their mothers to go into the kitchen; create new menus; and season Tet soups to gradually rediscover Tet. A warning bell rings: "Tet is fading." Tet of the past held a magical and wondrous flavor in mothers' memories: from the aroma of leaves, sticky rice, and meat by the gently burning fire of their grandmother's kitchen, miraculously transformed into the rich taste of Tet cakes. Is Tet fading for children today? When, for them, Tet is just a long holiday at home with complaints like, "I don't know what's fun about Tet?" Perhaps Tet is just a long holiday, with children having plenty of time to watch TV or play video games. To help children understand the meaning of Tet, Knorr presents a short film with the theme: "Is Tet getting lost?" Are children gradually getting tired of Tet (Vietnamese Lunar New Year)? This intriguing way of framing the issue makes viewers wonder: Why has Tet (Vietnamese New Year) gone astray? Are children not truly interested in Tet, or do they simply not fully understand the meaning of Tet and haven't participated in its fun activities? Where can we find Tet, and who will be the one to find it? Will Tet ever be as joyful as it used to be? A mother lets her child into the kitchen, unafraid of "making a mess," so the child can "find a truly authentic Tet." The child's casual complaints strike a chord with the mother. It's time for the mother to "rise up" and launch the mission to "Search for the Lost Tet." The "Searching for the Lost Tet Holiday" mission with its clues. The first location was the market, where the children got to personally explore the ingredients for delicious Tet dishes; they witnessed the bustling buying and selling, and admired fresh shrimp, fish, and vegetables – things they rarely had the chance to see or touch, only seeing them in the steaming hot meals their mothers had prepared. The second was the familiar kitchen, where the children unleashed their creativity to fulfill the responsibility their mother had given them: cooking a flavorful Tet meal to bring home for the holiday. The eldest sister, Ty, showed off her daring hand with a self-carved carrot flower, while Teo rolled spring rolls in a chaotic style, and little Ti innocently said, "Wherever it's fun, let me join in!" The children are free to explore the kitchen, disregarding any traditional New Year's taboos that might disrupt the peace. Mothers are like companions to their children throughout the "mission," explaining the meaning of each Tet dish. "Bamboo shoots represent good fortune, and bamboo shoot and pork soup symbolizes a wish for a prosperous and abundant new year"; "The layers of spring rolls are tightly wrapped together, like our family's bond"; or "The bag of tofu with gold coins is a package full of blessings and good fortune,"… Learn from Mom the secret to cooking delicious and flavorful Tet dishes. I don't mind if my children spill things or mess up the kitchen because I understand that "it's a blessing when the kids are happy like this." Watching them unleash their creativity and laugh in the kitchen, I also get to relive some of the magical Tet memories of preparing delicious dishes with my grandmother. The Tet feast my children make – seemingly clumsy, but filled with wishes. "Decoding" the scene at the market and in the kitchen, the final destination for my children is the Tet feast table. A surprise Lunar New Year feast for the whole family from the young secret agents. The child eagerly prepared a hearty Tet feast for the whole family, along with many heartfelt wishes, all from a child's interesting perspective. A special gift for Dad: a giant bag of tofu filled with bamboo shoots, conveying the wish for a prosperous and fortunate new year. The "spring roll family," though varying in size, are all united – symbolizing the wish for a perpetually close-knit family. The carrot flame represents the kitchen fire used to cook delicious Tet dishes, ensuring the kitchen remains warm and the family always gathers together. The whole family happily enjoyed the Tet feast prepared by the younger members. The film ends with the mother's ambiguous answer, "Let's wait and see," to her youngest son's question, "Has Tet arrived yet?". Many may not be sure if the "Finding the Authentic Tet" mission is complete, but one thing viewers can feel is that the children's journey to find Tet has brought much joy and good fortune to the whole family. Joy from the family opening their hearts to allow children to unleash their creativity. Joy from the spirit of sharing and contributing each member to preserve the essence of Tet in every Vietnamese family. And somewhere, there is the joy of a brand that is always dedicated to preserving the rich flavors and identity of Vietnamese Tet from one generation to the next. "Knorr hopes that whether 10 years from now, 20 years from now, or many years to come, whenever children see Knorr seasoning, they will remember a magical Tet with the rich flavors of Vietnamese Tet dishes," a brand representative shared.
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