The banh chung wrapping area is decorated with a rustic bamboo bed. Fresh green dong leaves, pure white sticky rice, and fragrant yellow mung beans are carefully prepared to create a space full of the flavors of Tet.

Although it started at 8:30, it was only 8:00 a.m. when a number of young people gathered at Organica Thao Dien (Thu Duc City, Ho Chi Minh City) to be guided by artisans and make traditional banh chung themselves. Some people brought their children along.

They sit together, choose leaves, measure rice and meticulously perform the steps of making cakes.

Learn to wrap banh chung, learn to love

"This is banh chung, son. It's the banh chung you eat on Tet holiday" - Ms. Ha pointed to the banh chung wrapping area and said to her two sons, about 6 or 7 years old.

She happily told Tuoi Tre Online : "My husband is American. On the occasion of returning to Vietnam, I brought my children here to experience with the hope that they would understand what the traditional Vietnamese New Year is like. My two children were born and raised in America.

My parents in the US also make banh chung for Tet, but the cakes are not as delicious as those in their homeland. The children are still young, but I still want them to understand and love Vietnamese culture. Waiting until they grow up is too late."

Runner-up Mau Thuy patiently sat down to wrap her "first banh chung" in her life, according to her.

"In the past, when my parents cooked the cakes, I could only sit and watch the fire to wait for the cakes to cook, but I couldn't participate. Today, I was guided by professional artisans and found it very interesting. I will mark my cakes, and tomorrow I will come back to get the cooked cakes to enjoy and see if they are delicious.

Although I don't know how good or bad it is, seeing everyone coming and sitting together to make the cakes makes me feel very cozy. This activity connects people with traditional Vietnamese culture."

Ms. Ngoc, who lives near the venue, also brought her 4-year-old daughter to visit.

She smiled and said: "I don't know how to wrap cakes so I brought my child here so he could experience traditional Vietnamese Tet activities and learn to distinguish between different types of trees. City children don't have many opportunities like that."

Vietnamese Tet meal of three regions

After wrapping, the banh chung are cooked. Customers can come tomorrow, pay for the ingredients, and take home their finished product to enjoy.

This is the second time Tet Viet - Regional Impressions has been organized with the aim of creating a small space of traditional Vietnamese Tet for families to come and enjoy and experience.

In addition to the activity of instructing on how to wrap cakes, Tet Viet - Regional Impressions also introduces the Tet meal prepared by chef Ngoc Son, including bamboo shoot soup, sticky rice with gac fruit, boiled chicken, bitter melon soup, cabbage salad and indispensable dried shrimp, pickled shallots and banh tet.

Looking at the tray of food, a female customer said jokingly: "Tet from the three regions of the South, North and Central is concentrated on this tray of food. Sticky rice with gac fruit and peanuts looks strange."

Many customers ask for the secret to the attractive sauce poured over the salad, the chef reveals: "Fresh milk, condensed milk, sugar plus a little pink salt, then mix well to create a delicious sauce that is not boring."

In another corner, the calligrapher is diligently writing "words" for visitors.

Ms. Truong Thuy Kieu (Thao Dien, Thu Duc City) said:

"This year I ask for a calligraphy   "An Yen" with the wish to always be peaceful and stable in the new year. My job is not too stormy but "An Yen" helps me look back at what I have done and experienced".

Pot of braised pork with jackfruit leaves for Tet

Chef Ngoc Son guides visitors through the simple process of making braised pork with jackfruit leaves for Tet in his hometown:

Wash the pork belly with salt, cut into pieces as desired, add garlic, vegetable seasoning, boiled eggs, mix with the meat and coconut water and marinate overnight.

Then braise the meat and eggs with coconut water over medium low heat for about 5 - 5 and a half hours.

The special thing about the pot of braised pork and eggs is that it is not covered with a lid but covered with jackfruit leaves picked from the garden, washed with salt water and the stems removed to avoid the sap of the leaves.

"Cooked this way, the meat doesn't turn black, the broth is golden yellow and has the unique aroma of jackfruit leaves," said chef Ngoc Son.