On the night of the Lantern Festival, a full moon shines in the sky, and on earth, the offerings are also full of the sincere devotion of the host. Everything harmonizes in the pure light of creation. Therefore, the rituals during the Lantern Festival are solemn ceremonies, no less important than any other.
A delicious and satisfying meal.
For a long time, the full moon of the first lunar month has been considered the biggest and most important full moon of the year. Many people meticulously prepare delicious dishes for the offering tray on the full moon of the first lunar month.
Besides other elaborate cakes and pastries, glutinous rice balls (bánh trôi) are the simplest yet most elegant dish. These smooth, round rice balls encase a soft bean filling inside, nestled in a fragrant, light brown syrup infused with ginger, and topped with a rich, creamy coconut milk...
The hopes for a new year filled with smooth and successful work, family harmony, and reunions of parents and children are all embodied in those beautiful floating rice balls. Under the bright moonlight of the full moon in the first lunar month, people always wish each other the best.
The origins of Vietnamese glutinous rice balls (bánh trôi) can be traced back to the Chinese glutinous rice dumplings, also known as Nguyên Tiêu dumplings, as they are often offered during the Nguyên Tiêu festival. This dish originated in ancient China and later spread and became widely popular in Asian countries, including Vietnam.
There are two distinct types of Vietnamese glutinous rice balls (bánh trôi): the glutinous rice balls offered during the Cold Food Festival in the North and the sweet glutinous rice balls in syrup (chè trôi nước) in the South. Although the preparation methods are somewhat similar in both regions, the presentation of the dish differs from region to region.
Glutinous rice balls offered at the Cold Food Festival are usually small, finger-sized balls of glutinous rice flour, arranged side-by-side on a plate, sprinkled with roasted sesame seeds, and topped with little or no sugar syrup. Southern Vietnamese sweet rice balls, on the other hand, are larger balls of glutinous rice flour with a mung bean filling.
The glutinous rice balls, surprisingly, harmonize perfectly with the ginger syrup, displaying their full, round beauty in the bowl. On top, a few strands of grated coconut are added, along with a spoonful of coconut milk to balance the rich sweetness of the tea. The glutinous rice flour, cooked over a fire, has an ivory color, but the outer layer of dough, kneaded thoroughly, results in a smooth, glossy surface that is pleasing to the eye.
Long-standing culinary culture
Over time, Southern Vietnamese glutinous rice balls have gradually been modified in their preparation to make them more visually appealing, mainly by "coloring" the outer layer: gac fruit glutinous rice balls, dragon fruit glutinous rice balls, pandan leaf glutinous rice balls, green tea glutinous rice balls, etc. But fundamentally, it remains a glutinous rice ball dish based on a long-standing culinary culture.
Some traditional dishes have faded away to some extent, but this meaningful cake is always present on the offering trays during the Lantern Festival, the day of sending the Kitchen God to heaven, and the Dragon Boat Festival.
Enjoying these fragrant, chewy glutinous rice balls is not just about wishing for everything to be perfect. It's also about letting your taste buds reconnect with the roots of this simple, wholesome traditional dessert. I remember my mother saying, "The shape of a glutinous rice ball, whether round or misshapen, partly reflects the mood of the person making it. Who can roll a perfectly round glutinous rice ball when their heart is filled with anxiety and worry?"
So, just one dish, yet it encapsulates so much. To this day, I still don't understand how my mother, using tiny lumps of dough no bigger than her palm, could knead them into perfectly uniform glutinous rice balls, as if they were made by a machine.
Perhaps it's not just because she's so skilled at it, able to estimate and size "like a pro" without needing to weigh or measure, but because my mother makes this dish with all her heart. Just by looking at whether the glutinous rice balls are round or misshapen, you can tell whether the maker is sincere or indifferent. The old saying is true: "Where your heart is, there your results will be."
Source: https://baoquangnam.vn/nguyen-tieu-thuong-chiec-banh-troi-3148726.html
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