The most important Tet feasts are the New Year's Eve dinner on the afternoon of the 30th and the morning meal on the 1st day of Tet. It seems that all the essence of heaven and earth is poured into the feast by the people of Trang An (ancient name for Hanoi) as a sincere offering to their ancestors during Tet.
During Tet, Vietnamese people spend time gathering with their families, so preparing the New Year's Eve feast or the morning meal on the 1st day of the new year is also a cultural tradition inherited from our ancestors.
Speaking of the traditional Tet feast of Hanoians is to mention the most delicious and quintessential dishes, showcased through the skillful, elegant, and gentle hands of Trang An women.
As the seventh generation of a family originally from Hanoi, artisan Ánh Tuyết has been fortunate to inherit cooking skills from family traditions.
From these family secrets, artisan Ánh Tuyết has elevated the culinary art of the Thang Long (ancient name for Hanoi) region to a new level with the establishment of a restaurant specializing in traditional dishes, embodying the essence and spirit of Hanoi cuisine on Mã Mây Street.
Hanoians have long been known for their refined taste, meticulousness in selecting ingredients, and sophistication in preparation, from main courses to desserts. Each season has its own dishes, and even desserts are incredibly diverse and elaborate. For example, winter features xôi vò (steamed sticky rice with mung beans) and chè bà cốt (a type of sweet soup), while summer offers chè sen long nhãn (lotus seed and longan sweet soup) and chè hoa cau hương bưởi (pomelo-scented sweet soup) with a bit of xôi vò. For Hanoians, the Tet feast epitomizes the subtlety of Hanoi cuisine, showcasing the talent, skill, and resourcefulness of Trang An women. The ancients of Hanoi imbued the Tet feast with many meanings, such as the concept that the feast must be "abundant and full" to ensure a year of plenty and a house full of children and grandchildren. This is the profound significance that our ancestors embedded in the culinary culture of the traditional Tet holiday.
*A Tet feast consists of 4 bowls and 12 plates with traditional dishes such as bánh chưng (square sticky rice cake), boiled chicken, fried spring rolls, bamboo shoot soup, pigeon stewed with lotus seeds, cinnamon-scented pork loaf, black carp braised for 12 hours... Photo: Gia Huy*
In the past, Hanoians prepared the Tet feast very meticulously, following the correct format, with all the required dishes and courses. For an average family, a Tet feast typically included 4 bowls and 6 plates; for middle-class or well-off families, it was 6 bowls and 8 plates, or 6 bowls and 12 plates. Artisan Ánh Tuyết explains that while the number of dishes seems large, the bowls and plates in the feast are usually small and delicate, with food arranged neatly on small plates. The Trang An way of eating is about savoring dishes lightly and elegantly.
A Tet feast always includes dishes meeting the criteria of giò (Vietnamese pork sausage), nem (spring rolls), ninh (stewed dishes), and mọc (meatball soup). Typically, the 6 bowls include: bamboo shoot soup, pork rind soup, squid soup, vermicelli soup, mushroom soup, and meatball soup; the 8 plates often include braised black carp, chicken, cinnamon-scented pork loaf, giò lụa (lean pork sausage), fried spring rolls, pickled onions, bánh chưng, xôi vò... Each family has its own creative variations, but dishes like giò mỡ (fatty pork sausage) or chả quế (cinnamon-scented pork loaf), pickled onions, boiled chicken, stewed pigeon with lotus seeds, and stewed bamboo shoot with pork trotters are indispensable.
The sophistication and refinement in Hanoi cuisine lie in all three stages: selecting ingredients, preparation, and enjoyment. Artisan Ánh Tuyết shares that a bowl of pork rind soup with kohlrabi and carrots must have the vegetables carved into flower shapes so that diners can enjoy the colors, presentation, and flavors. The pork rind pieces should not be mushy and should release the aroma of shrimp paste from the first taste. Similarly, for bamboo shoot and pork trotter soup, the trotters should not be falling apart but have a moderate tenderness, and the bamboo shoots must absorb the richness of the trotters and their own distinct flavor.
*The chả Kim tiền kê (golden coin chicken loaf) dish, which artisan Ánh Tuyết says is over 100 years old, includes ingredients like shiitake mushrooms, onions, Chinese sausage, and lean pork. Its essence lies in using red paper to wrap the bamboo skewers so that hands don't get greasy when holding them.*
When preparing stir-fried dishes, the woman must hand-carve the vegetables, ensuring each piece is uniform in size, so that the creativity and diligence of the woman can be seen in every piece. Even in arranging the feast, the woman must pay attention to beauty and color harmony, such as placing the 4 soup bowls at the four corners, arranging the plates around them, and placing the dipping sauce in the center.
Regarding the traditional Hanoi spring roll, artisan Ánh Tuyết explains that the rice paper must be thin and wrapped in kohlrabi leaves to prevent it from becoming too crispy. The filling is made from finely chopped onions, shredded kohlrabi and carrots, shredded wood ear mushrooms, minced pork, and eggs. When wrapping, the rolls must be even and round, and they should be fried over low heat so that the filling is thoroughly cooked while the outer shell turns golden and crispy. The dipping sauce consists of fish sauce, minced garlic, and chili floating on the surface, with a touch of lemon juice for sourness, both in color and flavor.
Even desserts are very elaborate. For example, chè kho (thick mung bean sweet soup) is often chosen for ancestral offerings because the elders believed that mung beans help balance yin and yang. To make this dish, one must select good beans, wash them, steam them, pound them, and rub them smooth before stirring them into a sweet soup. It takes three to four hours of constant stirring to finish the pot of sweet soup, so that it melts on the tongue as soon as it is tasted.
According to culinary artisan Ánh Tuyết, observing the traditional Tet feast of Hanoians reveals the thoughtfulness and skill of the women in the family. To prepare a Tet feast, some steps require the woman to prepare a week in advance, especially the careful selection of ingredients to ensure delicious dishes.
Artisan Ánh Tuyết shares that today, many traditional dishes have faded and are no longer the only ones appearing on many families' feasts. The changes in modern life have also somewhat altered the quality and value of the traditional Tet feast, as women now have many social responsibilities and are not solely homemakers and caregivers. However, artisan Ánh Tuyết believes that learning to cook and knowing how to cook is a valuable asset for women entering family life. Therefore, no matter how busy they are, women should take time to learn, appreciate, and understand the traditional dishes left by our ancestors in culinary culture. This is a true essence of our national culture.
Source: [The Essence of the Traditional Tet Feast](http://thanglong.chinhphu.vn/tinh-hoa-mam-co-tet-co-truyen