Young people take advantage of jams and seeds after Tet to make happy candy
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For the past three years, every year after Tet, Ms. Nguyen Thi Dung (Loc Thuy, Phu Loc) has made happy candy. As a passion, for Ms. Dung, happy candy not only makes use of fruit jams and seeds after Tet, but each candy bar also carries wishes of love and luck sent to relatives and family.
Ms. Dung shared: “According to my research, nougat is called happiness candy. It is made from fragrant, fatty ingredients but still not greasy, chewy, sweet, nutritious, helping the eater feel more relaxed and happy. In addition, happiness candy is also used to treat guests at ancient French weddings. Perhaps that is why this type of candy symbolizes luck, a wish for full happiness.”
Batches of candy wishing for luck and peace
In addition, the wishes of this candy are also expressed through nuts, because in Western culture, each type of nut symbolizes a different blessing. Ms. Dung said: "It could be almonds that bring good luck and peace or walnuts that symbolize health and age... When introduced to Vietnam, along with the mixing and variation of the main ingredients, the nuts used to make nougat are also selected and used more diversely, such as fruits and dried nuts typical of the tropics."
Anyone can make nougat, especially young people, as videos or instructions on how to make this type of candy have been meticulously and detailedly shown on cooking forums or social networking sites. According to Ms. Dung, although there are many variations, nougat is still very easy to make. “In addition to nuts and jams, to make nougat you only need unsalted butter, whole milk powder and marshmallows. These are important ingredients that help bind the nuts and jams together as well as bring the characteristic sweet, fatty and attractive flavor of the candy,” she said.
Spring candy batches
Tran Nguyen Kieu Trinh (Truong Chinh Street, Hue City) said: “My family often serves guests watermelon seeds, pumpkin seeds, raisins, fruit jam, and cashew nuts during Tet. Therefore, when making nougat, I use all kinds of nuts and jams instead of buying additional seed ingredients. For me, making nougat not only creates a delicious dish, but also saves money and prevents wasting nuts and jams to serve guests after Tet.”
The steps to make nougat are very simple but still require meticulousness, timing and adjusting the heat. First, melt the butter, then add the marshmallows and stir continuously and evenly. Kieu Trinh said: “When the butter and candy are mixed, I add the milk powder and stir evenly. Finally, I add all the melon seeds, pumpkin seeds, raisins, fruit jam and cashews. At this point, in addition to having flexible hands and watching the fire carefully, I have to be very meticulous so that the candy does not burn and the jam and seeds are mixed evenly.”
The nougat must be rolled out on a parchment paper mold while it is still warm, so that the finished product will be evenly spread, flat, and smooth. After letting the candy cool, just put it in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours and then you can cut the candy into bite-sized bars.
In addition to saving money and avoiding wasting jam and seeds after Tet, and being a delicious and nutritious snack, nougat has also become a meaningful spring gift for young people to give to family and friends. Kieu Trinh said: “The first batch of candy I made was very clumsy, the candy was not smooth and even. But with the following batches, I was confident enough to give it to relatives and friends. I just hope that like its name, nougat will bring happiness, peace and warmth to the people I love.”
Not only making candy for her family like Kieu Trinh, Ms. Dung also accepts jams and nuts of all kinds to make happy candy for families in need. According to Ms. Dung, this is a way to avoid wasting food after Tet, both bringing income to her and allowing customers to enjoy delicious, sweet candy made from jams and Tet nuts of her family.
Ms. Dung confided: “Whether I accept to make candy or not, I still want to spread the meaningful message of this candy to everyone. Because whether meticulous, elaborate or still clumsy when making, happy candies, as their name suggests, bring warmth, faith and hope for the first days of the new year.”
Article: Mai Hue - Photo: Thanh Van
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