Making happy candies at the beginning of the year.

Young people are using leftover jams and nuts from the Lunar New Year to make "happiness candies."

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For the past three years, after Tet (Lunar New Year), Ms. Nguyen Thi Dung (Loc Thuy, Phu Loc) has been making "happiness candy." For Ms. Dung, it's a passion; she not only utilizes leftover fruit and nut preserves from Tet, but each candy bar also carries loving wishes and good fortune for her family and loved ones.

Ms. Dung shared: “From what I've learned, the 'happiness candy' is called nougat. Made from fragrant, rich yet not overly sweet, chewy, and nutritious ingredients, it helps those who eat it feel relaxed and more cheerful. Furthermore, happiness candy was also used to offer guests at ancient French weddings. Perhaps that's why this type of candy symbolizes good fortune and is a wish for abundant happiness.”

These batches of candy are meant to bring good luck and peace.

Furthermore, the wishes expressed in this type of candy are also conveyed through the nuts used, as in Western culture, each type of nut symbolizes a different blessing. Ms. Dung said: "It could be almonds, which bring good luck and peace, or walnuts, which symbolize health and longevity... When introduced to Vietnam, along with the mixing and modification of the main ingredients, the nuts used to make happiness candy have also become more diverse, including fruits and dried nuts characteristic of tropical regions."

Anyone can make "happy candy," especially young people, as detailed videos and tutorials on making this type of candy are readily available on cooking forums and social media. According to Ms. Dung, despite the variations, happy candy is still very easy to make. "Besides nuts and various jams, to make happy candy, you only need unsalted butter, whole milk powder, and marshmallows. These are the important ingredients that help bind the nuts and jams together, as well as giving the candy its characteristic rich, sweet, and appealing flavor," she said.

batches of spring candies

Tran Nguyen Kieu Trinh (Truong Chinh Street, Hue City) said: “My family usually offers guests watermelon seeds, pumpkin seeds, raisins, fruit preserves, and cashews during Tet. Therefore, when making 'happiness candy,' I use all kinds of nuts and preserves instead of buying extra ingredients. For me, making 'happiness candy' is both a way to create a delicious treat and to save money, avoiding wasting nuts and preserves that would have been given to guests after Tet.”

Making marshmallows is simple but requires meticulous attention to detail, timing, and heat control. First, melt the unsalted butter, then add the marshmallows and stir continuously and evenly. Kieu Trinh says: “Once the unsalted butter and marshmallows are well combined, I add the milk powder and stir well. Finally, I add all the melon seeds, pumpkin seeds, raisins, fruit jam, and cashews. At this point, besides having nimble hands and carefully controlling the heat, you have to be very meticulous to prevent the marshmallows from burning and to ensure the jam and nuts are evenly mixed.”

The happiness candy must be rolled out on parchment paper while still warm to ensure an even, flat, and smooth finish. After the candy cools, simply refrigerate it for 1-2 hours before cutting it into bite-sized bars.

Besides being economical and preventing waste of jams and nuts after Tet (Lunar New Year), and being a delicious, nutritious snack, "happiness candy" has also become a meaningful spring gift for young people to give to family and friends. Kieu Trinh recounted: "The first batch of candy I made was very clumsy; the candy wasn't smooth and even. But with subsequent batches, I became more confident to give it to relatives and friends. I only hope that, as its name suggests, 'happiness candy' will bring happiness, peace, and warmth to the people I love."

Unlike Kieu Trinh, who makes candy for her family, Ms. Dung also accepts orders for jams and nuts to make "happy candies" for families in need. According to Ms. Dung, this is a way to avoid wasting food after Tet (Lunar New Year), while also providing her with income and allowing customers to enjoy delicious, sweet candies made from jams and nuts from her own Tet celebrations.

Ms. Dung shared: "Whether I accept orders to make the candies or not, I still want to spread the meaningful message of this type of candy to everyone. Because, despite the meticulous effort and even the occasional clumsiness in making them, these 'happy candies,' as their name suggests, bring warmth, faith, and hope to the beginning of the new year."

Text: Mai Hue - Photos: Thanh Van

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