BANH TET IN MEKONG DELTA
Currently, there are two stories revolving around the origin of Banh Tet that is mentioned by many people:
The cultural influence of Champa.
Most people believe that Banh Tet originated from the Cham Pa people in history. At that time, they had a flourishing culture, the cuisine was also very diverse and rich. Through the process of acculturation, Banh Tet was born from the visualization of Linga according to the beliefs of the Cham Pa people. This concept is similar to that of the late theoretician Professor Tran Quoc Vuong. He also believes that the present Banh Tet is the product of the process of inheritance and transformation. When the Vietnamese came to the southern land to reclaim and settle down, they have collected many religious elements of the Champa culture, including the belief in prosperity, worshiping the god of rice.
The event that King Quang Trung defeated the Qing invaders on the Lunar New Year of the Rooster in 1789.
Another event that is also mentioned by many people when talking about the origin of Banh Tet is the event that King Quang Trung repelled the invading Qing army on the occasion of the Lunar New Year of the Rooster in 1789.
Legend has it that, in order to have a quick attack from Thuan Hoa to Thang Long, King Quang Trung and his army of 70,000 soldiers had to march non-stop around the clock. The army was divided into groups, each consisting of 3 people and carrying a stretcher. Just like that, one person rests on a stretcher, the other two carry the burden, and so on, take turns throughout the journey. After advancing to the North and defeating the invading Qing army, King Quang Trung's army was able to rest and celebrate Tet. Among the soldiers, there was a soldier who was sent by his family to a cake made from glutinous rice and mung bean paste, wrapped in blows (shaped like today's Banh Tet) but still has no name at this time. . A soldier brought it up and invited King Quang Trung to try it. The king thought it was delicious, so he asked about this cake. The soldier said that this cake was made by his wife at home and sent to him. Every time he eats a cake, he will love his wife and miss his hometown more. I have a stomach ache again, but every time I eat cake, I will no longer feel pain, King Quang Trung was very touched when he heard it, so he ordered everyone to pack this cake to celebrate Tet and name it cake. Tet to remember the victory of the Qing army on the occasion of the Lunar New Year of the Rooster and to show the affection of the family every spring.
On Tet, people in the Mekong Delta will pack two types of Banh Tet: vegetarian Banh tet and savory Banh Tet. The vegetarian cake is often used to worship grandparents and heaven and earth, while salty cake will be used in the meal, accompanied by palanquin, pickles, and braised meat.
Banh tet is not only a dish on Tet holiday, but it also contains the theory of yin and yang, the three talents, and the five elements along with five colors: the green color of dong leaves or banana leaves wrapping the cake, the yellow color of green beans (the cake filling). ), the two red and white colors of bacon make the filling and the black color of pepper mixed with mung bean paste or marinated meat in the cake. Those are the five colors of the five elements in Eastern philosophy: metal (white), wood (blue), water (black), fire (red), earth (yellow).
Over time, today's Western Banh Tet is more varied. The distinctive feature of Western tet cakes is the eye-catching colors, Tra Cuon tet cakes with green color wrapped in the yellow filling, Can Tho brocade-leaf tet cakes with romantic purple color, Vinh Long five-color tet cakes, etc. Red-orange tet gac cake brings good luck on the Tet holiday. The colorful, fresh colors of Banh Tet are made entirely from natural ingredients, so it gives Banh Tet a delicate fragrance that is hard to miss.
To experience the fullness of Banh Tet, you must experience making cakes, wrapping cakes, and then cooking cakes. Especially on Tet nights, the whole family gathers around the pot of Banh Tet, giving people an unusually warm and peaceful feeling.
Today, due to industrialization and modernization, people can make Banh Tet on an industrial scale, with more variation and flexibility in time. No matter what, the Banh Tet handmade from natural ingredients still has a place and strong vitality in the hearts of Vietnamese people in general and people of the West in particular.