Spices in the Tet feast

When we talk about Vietnamese cuisine , we're talking about the sophistication and diversity in the cooking methods of each region. To create this sophistication and diversity, besides the ingredients, spices are indispensable. Each type of food is usually accompanied by its own specific spices, evoking the unique flavor and taste of that dish. Using spices is an art of the cook, enhancing the flavor, stimulating the taste buds, and aiding digestion. Using spices appropriately for each dish is a skill of the home cook, especially in ancestral worship ceremonies and meals during Tet (Vietnamese New Year).

Farmers in Tu Xa commune, Lam Thao district, are tending to their onions and garlic crops to supply the market during the traditional Lunar New Year.

For everyday meals, one or two spices might be missing, but for a Tet feast, a skilled cook will ensure that not a single spice is missing, from onions, ginger, garlic, chili peppers, and black pepper to various aromatic herbs for accompaniment. The pungent and spicy flavors of pepper, chili, garlic, and ginger enhance the appeal of the food. The green of the vegetables, the red of the chili peppers, and the yellow of the carrots carved into flowers add color to the feast. The aroma must also be varied enough to distinguish each dish. A Tet feast is a collection of the finest produce from the mountains and the sea. It includes rice and sticky rice from the countryside, carefully cultivated year-round; aromatic herbs grown on the outskirts of the city or in small gardens behind the house; shiitake mushrooms, wood ear mushrooms, and dried bamboo shoots brought from distant forests to the city... Those who enjoy the meal feel as if they are receiving blessings from all corners of the homeland. Therefore, the dishes are meticulously prepared to be perfectly balanced and to showcase their distinctive flavors. Dishes that need spiciness must be spicy, and those that need a strong aroma must be strong.

Vegetables, roots, and spices are on display at a Tet (Lunar New Year) market in a rural area.

The Lunar New Year falls during the cold season, a time when warm, spicy seasonings like ginger, chili, pepper, onions, and garlic reign supreme. A skillful cook knows how to select and adjust each spice appropriately for each dish and the general taste preferences of the family. An incompetent cook might shrug it off, thinking that omitting one or two ingredients is okay, since it's just family and there's no need for meticulousness. Naturally, the dish will be less delicious and lose its unique flavor as a result.

The concern for seemingly small things like spices is not without reason. Spices directly affect everyone's senses, transforming dishes from mere cooked food into true masterpieces of heartfelt culinary artistry and the skillful hands of the cook. The pungent and spicy flavors give the food just the right amount of heat. The vibrant colors of green, red, and yellow add brilliance to the feast. The subtle aromas define each dish. All of these compel people to admire and savor the bounty of nature, the exquisite delicacies of the feast bidding farewell to the old year and welcoming the new.

Spices contribute to making the Tet feast more visually appealing and delicious.

The spices used in everyday meals not only enhance the flavor, appearance, and taste of dishes, but are also precious natural remedies that help reduce the richness of meat, fat, and sticky rice cakes, and improve overall health.

In the past, when times were tough, preparing all the necessary spices for a Tet feast required months of planning. Tet is much less complicated now. A quick trip to the supermarket and flower market on the 30th of the lunar month, and by the time you get home, everything is ready for Tet. Everything is readily available; the most important thing for a homemaker is not to forget anything, especially spices, because the absence of spices is like "a flame of love missing."

Phan Cuong

Source: https://baophutho.vn/gia-vi-trong-mam-co-tet-226615.htm