The scent of Tet (Vietnamese New Year) emanates from the kitchens.

In December, under the shade of green coconut trees, in a small alley or in a familiar corner of the market, the smell of smoke mingled with the aroma of baked goods and the pungent smell of pickled onions… signals that Tet (Lunar New Year) is very near.

These fragrant, savory and sweet sponge cakes, fresh from the oven, are the result of the skillful hands of Ms. Tran Bao Phuong. Photo: MOC TRA

Many say that Tet in the Mekong Delta begins on the 20th day of the lunar month, when kitchens not only burn brightly for the morning and evening meals but also become "workshops" of happiness, preserving the unique flavors of each family before the New Year. On the porch, Mrs. Nguyen Thi Tuyet Nga, residing in Hamlet 4, Giong Rieng Commune, and her grandchildren are meticulously cutting each pristine white shallot. Mrs. Nga shared: "Making pickled shallots at this time of year ensures they are perfectly sour, crispy, and retain their mild pungency by the first day of Tet." Mrs. Nga and her grandchildren gather around a basket of shallots that have been sun-dried for a day. The crackling sounds of their work and the cheerful laughter of the grandmother and grandchildren drown out the sound of the television broadcasting news about the arrival of spring.

The small kitchen is filled with the fragrant aroma of boiled and cooled vinegar and sugar. While many families can easily buy ready-made pickled shallots, Mrs. Nga's family still chooses the traditional method at home. Each shallot is neatly arranged in a glass jar, like reserving memories of the past year, preparing to welcome a prosperous Year of the Horse. Around the age of 10, Phuong Vy learned the craft from her grandmother, arranging the shallots in an eye-catching way. On weekends, Vy often goes to her grandmother's house, and they make the dishes together. For several years now, every Tet holiday, Vy has made pickled shallots, pickled vegetables, and dried shrimp with her grandmother.

In a small kitchen located in an alley off Chi Lang Street in Rach Gia Ward, smoke rises from Mrs. Thuy's pot of banh tet (Vietnamese sticky rice cakes), filling the air with the fragrant aroma of banana leaves and sticky rice. Normally, Mrs. Thuy's family makes and sells banh tet at a street corner in front of their house. Over time, many people in Rach Gia have become familiar with the taste of the banh tet made by Mrs. Thuy's family. The cakes are neatly tied with string, beautifully balanced; the sticky rice is soft and chewy, and the filling has a rich, authentic homemade flavor, earning them much support. At this time of year, Mrs. Thuy's family mobilizes all their relatives to prepare ingredients to fulfill customer orders in time for delivery, ensuring that every household has banh tet ready for the Tet holiday. According to Mrs. Thuy, the hustle and bustle is joyful; earning money through hard work is happiness. She says this while still concentrating on counting each stack of banana leaves to ensure she has enough ingredients for making banh tet for the Tet holiday.

At a house with a fairly large courtyard on Tran Khanh Du Street, Rach Gia Ward, Huynh Kim Ngan's family is bustling these days with the scene of removing dried fish from the drying rack, packaging, and vacuum-sealing... sending handcrafted products to customers for Tet (Lunar New Year). For more than 10 years, every Tet, Ms. Ngan's family has served dishes such as dried fish marinated in pepper and sugar, salted scad, kimchi, and salted crab mixed with spices. For many people returning home to celebrate Tet with their families, it's the scent of their homeland. Ms. Ngan's kitchen is busy working through the night these days, making rice cakes, pork skin cakes, and sweet soups for customers to prepare for the farewell ceremony for the Kitchen God on the 23rd day of the 12th lunar month. I saw the love and faith in life in Ms. Ngan's sweat as she bent over in the late afternoon removing dried fish, still wearing her uniform from her workplace.

Leaving the sun-drenched drying shed and the kitchen of the traditional house, I came across the glowing embers of a fire in a corner of the Tắc Cậu market in Bình An commune, belonging to the couple Tý Nhỏ and his wife. Tý Nhỏ was carefully fanning the embers in the stove and on the baking mold, as if guarding a family secret, ensuring the cake cooked evenly to a golden brown, fragrant, crispy exterior, and a smooth, subtly sweet interior. The crackling of the burning charcoal and the lively sound of whisking eggs filled the air. Unlike industrially produced cakes, sponge cake baked in a traditional charcoal oven remains an unforgettable delicacy for many, especially during Tet (Lunar New Year).

In a corner of Rach Gia Shopping Center, from dawn, Ms. Tran Bao Phuong sits by her glowing charcoal stove, heating up an old copper mold. The aroma of eggs, flour, and vanilla permeates a corner of Nguyen Tri Phuong - Ly Thai To street. Looking at the golden-brown, fragrant cakes, Ms. Phuong confided: "Although electric ovens are convenient, baking with charcoal, with fire above and below like this, ensures the cake's surface is evenly golden, and the subtle smoky flavor is truly authentic to Tet in our hometown." Ms. Phuong's baked cakes are popular and frequently ordered during Tet.

Modern life offers many conveniences, but the kitchen has become a place that connects generations, where the elderly pass on their experience and the young learn to appreciate handcrafted values. The warmth from the charcoal oven baking bread, the reddish color of dried shrimp, and the sweet and sour taste of pickled onions are the first signs that a peaceful and warm season is approaching.

MOC TRA

Source: https://baoangiang.com.vn/mui-tet-tu-nhung-gian-bep-a476263.html