The Lunar New Year is also the biggest celebration for the Vietnamese community and is celebrated as Tết or the Spring Festival.
While Tết is often compared with Chinese New Year, it has its distinct traditions and auspicious food items.
Steven Nguyen, head chef of Vietnamese-inspired Jungle 8 Restaurant, is originally from Hanoi and says one must-have item during the festival season is banh chung - a sticky rice cake eaten to honour ancestors.
Red and yellow are considered lucky colours in Vietnam, representing wealth and health.
Banh chung, which consists of square layers of aromatic glutinous rice, beans and tender pork, is a signature Lunar New Year dish for Vietnamese.
“The layering and ingredients in banh chung symbolise everything being in harmony, and eating it will bring peace for the new year,” he said.
A banana leaf, tied with a string, holds the dish together, representing all living things in harmony with nature.
“Banh chung is very time-consuming to cook. They are placed in a pot and steamed for between 10 and 12 hours to get the delicate flavour,” Nguyen said.
The end product is a glossy green square of sticky rice, symbolic of the land of Vietnam.
“Traditionally, people will gather around a big pot of banh chung or New Year’s eve and chat overnight until the banh chung is cooked,” Nguyen said.
“They will cook enough banh chung to eat throughout the Tết holidays.”
In Auckland, the community would gather at the Chùa Giác Nhiên, a Vietnamese Buddhist Temple in Ōtāhuhu to do this.
The name Tết is short for Tết Nguyên Đán, which is translated to mean "Festival of the First Morning of the First Day".
Other traditional foods eaten during Tết include spring rolls, boiled chicken, pickles, candied fruits, seeds, and nuts.
WHERE TO GET BANH CHUNG IN AUCKLAND
Gai Lee Trading, 81 Atkinson Avenue, Ōtāhuhu.
Ph: 09 2762828
