With fires blazing in the dead of night, the traditional pastry-making villages in Da Nang are bustling with activity in preparation for Tet (Lunar New Year).

In the days leading up to the Lunar New Year of the Horse 2026, from 2 AM onwards, the traditional "seven-fire" bakery in Quang Chau village (Hoa Xuan ward, Da Nang) is bustling with activity, busy producing cakes to meet the Tet market demand.

As the Lunar New Year of the Horse 2026 approaches, Quang Chau village (Hoa Xuan ward, Da Nang city) is bustling with activity as it begins the production of sesame brittle – a traditional specialty that has been associated with the local people for generations.

A bustling atmosphere of work permeates the village from early morning, as the ovens burn brightly, working tirelessly to fulfill orders for the Tet holiday market.

Sesame brittle in Quang Chau village is entirely handmade.

Sesame brittle, also known as "seven-fire" biscuits, is one of the famous specialties of Da Nang. With its subtly sweet flavor, rich aroma of roasted sesame seeds, and crispy crust, this simple biscuit embodies the essence of the homeland, closely linked to the daily life and culture of the people.

Sesame brittle is one of the famous specialties of the coastal city of Da Nang.

According to the village elders, no one knows exactly when the sesame brittle-making craft originated, only that it has been deeply ingrained in the lives of many generations and has been preserved to this day.

During Tet (Vietnamese Lunar New Year), sesame brittle is not only a familiar snack but also an indispensable offering on the ancestral altar, symbolizing abundance and family reunion. It is also a popular Tet gift choice for many people to give to relatives and friends as a way of conveying the flavors of home.

For the people of Quang Chau, the Tet holiday is the busiest time of the year, and also the season that brings in the main source of income for many households. Currently, there are still about 5 households in the village that practice the traditional craft of making cakes.

Creating delicious batches of cakes requires skill and years of experience from the baker.

The craftsman sifts rice flour into a mold with square compartments, places a layer of coarse cloth underneath, and shapes the surface of the cake with a small bamboo stick.

The cakes are steamed until cooked.

Quang Chau sesame brittle is made from simple, traditional ingredients such as rice, white sesame seeds, glutinous rice flour, molasses, ginger, etc. Creating this crispy, fragrant, and subtly sweet cracker is a meticulous process.

The rice used for making the cakes must be 13/2 rice (also known as "xiệc" rice), because only this type of rice produces cakes that are fluffy and have the characteristic crispness. The rice is thoroughly washed, ground into a fine powder, then sifted into square molds lined with coarse cloth, and the cake surface is shaped with small bamboo sticks.

After steaming, the cakes are transferred to the oven for baking. To obtain delicious sesame brittle, the baker must bake them seven times over the fire to achieve the perfect crispness.

After shaping, the cakes are steamed over boiling water for about 5 minutes, then transferred to the charcoal grilling stage. During grilling, the baker must continuously adjust the fire from high to medium, then gradually lower to ensure the cakes dry evenly, become crispy and fluffy, and do not burn.

Next comes the process of boiling the sugar syrup, roasting the sesame seeds, and coating the cake with a layer of sugar before sprinkling sesame seeds all around, creating the perfect chewy, crispy texture and characteristic nutty flavor. Each step is done manually, requiring skill and years of experience.

The cake is then coated with a layer of sugar and sprinkled with sesame seeds.

The bakery of Ms. Nguyen Thi Nghi's family – one of the households involved in the trade for over 40 years – is operating at full capacity these days. The facility employs about 10 workers continuously to meet the deadlines for Tet (Lunar New Year) orders.

Ms. Nghĩ explained that to make a perfect sesame brittle, the baker must bake it seven times over the fire, with each step being crucial. During the peak season leading up to Tet (Lunar New Year), the family's oven is usually fired up from 2 AM to around 2 PM before taking a break. During Tet alone, her family uses about 1 ton of rice to make the biscuits.

“Previously, sesame brittle was mainly made for offerings and consumed during Tet (Lunar New Year). Later, the product became more well-known and popular, leading to increased demand and the development of the craft. The product is now distributed throughout Da Nang, Quang Ngai, Hanoi , and Ho Chi Minh City. It even travels abroad with Vietnamese expats, becoming a Tet gift that embodies the flavors of home,” Ms. Nghi shared.

Ms. Nghĩ shared that making sesame brittle is quite arduous and laborious, and few young people are interested in continuing the tradition, so the risk of it disappearing is unavoidable. Nevertheless, the people of Quang Châu still try to maintain the craft, even if not in large quantities, to preserve the traditional flavor for future generations.

"Making sesame brittle is not only a way to make a living, but also a way to preserve the traditional Tet flavors, keeping memories of our homeland through each simple, heartfelt cookie," Mrs. Nghĩ said.

The "long-legged dancer" dried frog delicacy attracts customers during Tet, selling out even at over half a million dong per kilogram . During the peak season leading up to Tet, dried frog – also known as "long-legged dancer" – is highly sought after by diners as gifts and for personal enjoyment. Despite the price exceeding half a million dong per kilogram, many establishments still cannot meet customer demand.

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/do-lua-tu-2h-lang-banh-gia-truyen-o-da-nang-tat-bat-vao-vu-tet-2481514.html