Hanoi residents stay up all night watching over the rice cakes being cooked for Tet.

TPO - In the days leading up to Tet (Lunar New Year), many streets in Hanoi suddenly become warm with the glow of firelight. Adults and children gather together, staying up all night to watch over the pots of banh chung (traditional Vietnamese rice cakes) waiting for them to cook.

VIDEO : Adults and children gather together, staying up all night to watch over the pot of Tet sticky rice cakes.

As the new day approaches, the sidewalks, alleys, and streets of Hanoi , such as Khuong Dinh, Nguyen Trai, and Vu Tong Phan, are still ablaze with the glow of fire, with adults and children gathering and staying up all night around steaming pots of banh chung (traditional Vietnamese rice cakes) in the final days of the year.

Ms. Tuyen's family, living in an alley on Vu Tong Phan Street, has a tradition of making banh chung (traditional Vietnamese rice cakes) for Tet (Lunar New Year) that has lasted for decades. "Every year, around the 25th or 26th of the Lunar New Year, three generations of our family gather together to make banh chung, huddled around the warm fire. This is also the happiest day for our extended family," Ms. Tuyen shared.

Not to be outdone by the adults, the children here also help carry firewood, watch over the pot of sticky rice cakes until late at night, and immerse themselves in the warm Tet atmosphere with their families.

It took 12 hours, until 5 a.m., before the cakes could be taken out of the pot, but everyone was excited and didn't mind staying awake to watch over the pot.

To make a banh chung (Vietnamese sticky rice cake), the family must gather from morning, going through many steps, from selecting and washing large, beautiful banana leaves to choosing pork belly, soaking sticky rice and mung beans. The cakes are wrapped entirely by hand, maintaining their square shape before being placed in the pot.

The warm hearth not only cooks banh chung (traditional Vietnamese rice cakes) but also preserves the traditional beauty of Hanoi people, bringing them together after a year of hard work.

After more than 12 hours, the sticky rice cakes were taken out of the pot by Ms. Tuyen's family. The cakes were rinsed with clean water before being offered as sacrifices and enjoyed. This year, her family made over 150 cakes.

A steaming pot of banh chung (Vietnamese sticky rice cake) is being cooked by Mr. Han's family (65 years old) on the sidewalk of Khuong Dinh street. Mr. Han said this is the 17th year his family has set up a fire to cook banh chung here.

"This year, my family plans to make about 1500-2000 rice cakes, including square sticky rice cakes, Tay-style sticky rice cakes, and cylindrical sticky rice cakes... so we have to cook continuously from the 25th to the 28th of Tet. At night, the family takes turns watching the stove. The homemade sticky rice cakes are mainly for relatives, family, and neighbors around the area," Uncle Han added.

Firewood and water are continuously supplied to ensure the cakes cook evenly and maintain their quality.

A pot of steaming banh chung (Vietnamese sticky rice cake) on a Hanoi sidewalk – a sight only seen in the final days of the year.

Hundreds of households from four residential groups in Zone 8, Khuong Dinh Ward, came together to "share rice and cook a communal meal." This is the 9th year that this traditional cake-making activity has been organized during the last days of the year.

"This activity aims to strengthen community bonds and show gratitude to families receiving government assistance, while also joining hands with disadvantaged families to celebrate the New Year together with much joy," shared Ms. Huong (Area 8, Khuong Dinh Ward).

Over 600 cakes were carefully wrapped before being distributed to each household.

Source: https://tienphong.vn/nguoi-ha-noi-xuyen-dem-canh-banh-chung-don-tet-post1820888.tpo