Tet packages: Keeping the flame of tradition alive.
As Tet (Lunar New Year) approaches, the winds across the red basalt soil of the Central Highlands grow increasingly cold. From dawn, while fog still hangs over the coffee plantations, people in some neighborhoods of Buon Ho ward, Dak Lak province, gather together, their simple yet touching stories dispelling the winter chill.
Ms. Lien cut banana leaves from her garden and brought them to Mr. Than's house to have them used to wrap banh chung (Vietnamese rice cakes). Photo: Dinh Du.
Their meeting point was Mr. Nguyen Duc Than's house. Mr. Than, 50 years old, lives at 4/15 Cao Xuan Huy Street. Even early in the morning, the place was bustling with people. Families in the ward brought glutinous rice soaked the night before, washed mung beans, marinated Ede pork belly, along with dong leaves, banana leaves, and string for tying... to entrust to Mr. Than – considered the most skilled baker in the ward. With his generous and kind heart, Mr. Than took on the task of wrapping the cakes, helping the people preserve the tradition of making these cakes for ancestral worship during the spring festival.
In Mrs. Binh's eyes, Mr. Than is not only the "most skillful baker in the neighborhood" but also the one who keeps the flame alive for this traditional cake. Photo: Dinh Du.
Mr. Than's house is nestled amidst coffee and durian trees, and in recent days, the house and yard have been bustling with the sounds of neighbors' laughter and chatter. People come to drop off ingredients, others stop by to watch how to wrap the fruit, and children run around excitedly admiring the neatly arranged layers of green banana and dong leaves.
Wrapping the dumplings isn't difficult, but to make them beautiful, evenly cooked, neither undercooked nor soggy, requires experience and meticulous attention to detail. Photo: Dinh Du.
In a corner of the house, Mr. and Mrs. Than meticulously straightened each string, adjusted each leaf fold, measured the amount of glutinous rice, beans, and meat to ensure a perfect, round shape, then swiftly wrapped and tied them. Each square banh chung and each perfectly round banh tet seemed to embody the care and experience of this couple who have been connected to this basalt land for nearly 30 years.
Mr. Than believes that banh chung and banh tet have become a connecting thread between those far from home and the traditions of their ancestors for generations. Photo: Dinh Du.
“Wrapping the rice cakes isn't difficult, but to make them beautiful, evenly cooked, neither undercooked nor soggy, you need a bit of meticulousness. Each cake is not only a Tet holiday dish but also a symbol of reunion and connection to our roots. In this Central Highlands region, my family and other families who bring ingredients to have the cakes wrapped are all from other regions who came here to settle. That's why banh chung and banh tet have become a thread connecting those far from home with their ancestral traditions,” Mr. Than said kindly.
Warmth of spring from simple things
For decades, during Tet (Vietnamese Lunar New Year), Mr. and Mrs. Than have helped wrap hundreds of banh chung and banh tet (traditional Vietnamese rice cakes) for people in the area every day, but what's special is that they don't charge a single penny. The people in the ward understand this, and when they bring ingredients, they only bring a small gift from their hometown – sometimes a dozen eggs, sometimes a bunch of garden vegetables – as a sincere thank you.
Mr. Than is an employee of Production Team No. 8, Coffee 15 One-Member Limited Company, under Military Region 5, Ministry of National Defense . Photo: Dinh Du.
Not only does he make bánh chưng (traditional Vietnamese rice cakes) at home, but from mid-December until the 30th of Tet (Lunar New Year's Eve), Mr. Than also goes to the homes of single-parent families, elderly people, or families busy with work to help them make bánh chưng. He brings his skillful hands, dedication, and the Tet atmosphere to each house. Wherever there is laughter around the pot of bánh chưng, there is this sturdy man with a sun-tanned face and calloused hands… but with warm eyes.
The image of Mr. and Mrs. Than diligently wrapping cakes for their neighbors in dark green banana leaves has become a unique and beautiful feature of Buon Ho ward. Photo: Dinh Du.
Few people know that, outside of work, Mr. Than is an employee of Production Team No. 8, Coffee Company No. 15, under Military Region 5, Ministry of National Defense. His daily work is connected to vast coffee plantations, with red basalt soil and sun-drenched, windy weather. Perhaps it was the disciplined environment and sense of responsibility within his unit that instilled in Mr. Than a compassionate way of life, a willingness to share with the community.
Mr. and Mrs. Than helped local people wrap hundreds of kilograms of banh chung and banh tet (traditional Vietnamese rice cakes), but remarkably, they didn't charge a single penny for their services. Photo: Dinh Du.
Ms. Pham Thi Binh (60 years old, residing in Buon Ho ward) always speaks of Mr. Than with great respect. In her eyes, Mr. Than is not only the "most skillful baker in the ward" but also the one who keeps the flame alive for the traditional cake. "In modern life, when many families choose to buy ready-made cakes from the market for convenience, the gathering to wrap cakes has become less common. However, thanks to Mr. and Mrs. Than, many families here still maintain the old tradition, preparing the ingredients themselves, sitting together to wrap the cakes, staying up all night watching the pot of cakes, listening to the crackling of the firewood in the cold of the Central Highlands," Ms. Binh shared.
In the days leading up to Tet (Lunar New Year), Mr. Than's house is always ablaze with fire as he cooks banh chung and banh tet (traditional Vietnamese rice cakes) for his neighbors. Photo: Le Minh.
After a night of tending the pots of sticky rice cakes, a new day begins. The morning mist continues to blanket the pathways, and smoke rising from the pots behind Mr. Than's house mingles with the faint aroma of coffee. The murmur of conversations and the laughter of children make the cold seem to lessen. In this atmosphere, the image of Mr. and Mrs. Than diligently working with their piles of dark green banana leaves has become a unique beauty of Buon Ho ward. This very camaraderie warms a corner of the neighborhood, so that with each Tet holiday, the people here become even more connected and believe in this simple yet enduring tradition.
Tet will pass, the cakes will dwindle, but the sense of community and neighborly love will remain. The simple sharing of Mr. and Mrs. Than makes the flavor of Tet even more enduring in the hearts of the people in Buon Ho ward.
Source: https://nongsanviet.nongnghiepmoitruong.vn/gui-tinh-vao-banh-chung-xanh-d797498.html
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