Why does the offering tray for ancestors on the 30th of Tet in the West always have bitter melon soup?

With the concept of "eating bitter melon soup to overcome suffering", wishing for the hardships and difficulties of the old year to pass, and for the new year to bring good luck, along with many other fresh meanings, the offering tray to welcome ancestors on the 30th of Tet of the Western people always has bitter melon soup stuffed with meat.

In the Tet tray of Western people, they often prefer dishes with meanings according to their names, for example: The five-fruit tray must be "cầu - coconut - du - mango" - with the meaning of praying for enough to use; braised meat must be cut into large squares, braised with round duck eggs to represent completeness; the red color of the watermelon cut out to wish for luck all year round and the same goes for the bitter melon soup stuffed with meat, "khở qua" - with the wish that the difficulties and hardships of the old year will pass, the new year will bring good luck and many other fresh meanings...

Bitter melon soup stuffed with meat is always present on the ancestral altar on the 30th of Tet in the West. Photo: Hong Cam

True to its name, bitter melon soup symbolizes the hope that the hardships and difficulties of the old year will pass so that the new year will bring more luck, convenience, and freshness.

Stuffed bitter melon soup with meat is a familiar dish of Western people in family meals, especially during Tet and death anniversaries, this dish cannot be absent. However, stuffed bitter melon soup in the Tet tray to worship ancestors becomes extremely meaningful, it seems that with a bowl of stuffed bitter melon soup, people will feel more secure that all the bad things of the old year have passed, hoping that in the new year everything will be different, will be better.

The process of stuffing meat into bitter melon. Photo: Hong Cam

In addition, stuffed bitter melon soup is also a refreshing, cool and nutritious dish during Tet. Many families choose to cook this soup as a remedy to cool down and detoxify, which is extremely effective during hot days and greasy meals like Tet.

The recipe for stuffed bitter melon is simple. The ingredients include fresh bitter melon or wild bitter melon; ground meat, shiitake mushrooms, black fungus, vermicelli, onions, coriander, spices, etc. The ground meat and chopped spices are mixed well and then stuffed inside the bitter melon that has had its core removed, washed and drained.

The way Westerners cook broth is also simple and frugal, usually using 50% coconut water mixed with 50% filtered water. After boiling the broth, add the stuffed bitter melon and simmer until the bitter melon is soft, then season to taste. When eating, dip it in chili fish sauce.

A pot of bitter melon soup stuffed with meat on the stove of a Westerner. Photo by Hong Cam

The offering tray to welcome ancestors on the 30th of Tet usually includes dishes such as: braised pork with duck eggs, bitter gourd soup stuffed with meat, stir-fried rice noodles, grilled pork roll, banh tet, pickled cabbage, watermelon...

After the dishes are ready, the homeowner will prepare two trays of food, including one tray to worship ancestors and one tray to worship the land to welcome ancestors back to their descendants, praying for a new year of peace, happiness, abundance, and prosperity. After the worship is finished, the family will eat a family meal together.

Package of bitter melon stuffed with snakehead fish cake of Ky Nhu Cooperative.

Understanding the demand of every family on Tet holiday to have a pot of bitter melon soup to worship ancestors, but due to busy work, especially in urban areas, Ms. Nguyen Kim Thuy, Director of Ky Nhu Cooperative (Tam Vu commune, Chau Thanh A district, Hau Giang province) has made frozen stuffed bitter melon with snakehead fish cake to supply the market. Currently, the product has been recognized as meeting 3-star OCOP standards and is very popular in the market.

A bowl of wild bitter melon soup stuffed with snakehead fish cake, a convenient product of Ky Nhu Cooperative. Photo: Hong Cam

According to Ms. Kim Thuy, to prepare goods for the 2025 Lunar New Year, she prepared 5,000 packages of frozen bitter melon stuffed with sliced pork to supply the market, and by the 25th of Tet, they were "sold out". With the price of 128,000 VND/0.5kg package, customers will easily have a pot of delicious bitter melon stuffed with fish cake soup, quickly and conveniently for family meals.

Source: https://danviet.vn/vi-sao-mam-com-cung-ruoc-ong-ba-ngay-30-tet-o-mien-tay-luon-co-mon-canh-kho-qua-20250127180358903.htm