While originating from China, Vietnam’s Cold Food Festival carries its distinctive customs. It’s a time for Vietnamese people to reconnect with their heritage and honor the kindness of their ancestors.
On the third day of the third lunar month, families prepare bánh trôi and bánh chay to pay respects to grandparents and ancestors, disregarding fire restrictions. In many regions, these delicacies are also offered to the emperor, symbolizing a deep reverence for ancestry. This occasion serves as a reunion for families, who come together to visit graves, share meals, and strengthen familial bonds.
Bánh chay is made from glutinous rice flour with pureed green beans inside and served with cool tapioca starch water.
Bánh trôi is filled with sugar inside, sweet and fragrant with sesame sprinkled on top.
As the weather warms in the third lunar month, heralding the arrival of summer, the refreshing coolness of bánh trôi and bánh chay provides a welcome respite. These sweet treats, made from traditional sticky rice, offer a delightful contrast to the heat of the season.
The filling inside each rice ball can be green beans, brown sugar and black sesame.
While traditional bánh trôi and bánh chay hold a special place in Vietnamese culture, modern variations have introduced vibrant colors and innovative shapes while preserving the essence of the original recipe. Despite these creative adaptations, the soul of these rice balls remains rooted in tradition, crafted from fragrant sticky rice flour—a testament to the enduring spirit of wet rice culture.
Traditional bánh trôi, through the creativity of the makers, have been transformed into extremely eye-catching shapes and colors.
Bánh trôi and bánh chay serve not only as culinary delights but also as symbols of reverence and gratitude, representing the diligence of past generations and the deep cultural heritage of Vietnam.
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Source: Vietnam Insider