Bánh tét

Bánh tét

A plate of bánh tét, with mung bean paste filling; with banana leaf removed and sliced into thick wheel-shaped slices just prior to serving
Place of origin	Vietnam
Region or state	Vietnamese-speaking areas
Main ingredients	glutinous rice, banana leaf, meat or vegetarian filling (such as mung beans)
Other information	Traditionally consumed during Tết

Bánh tét is a Vietnamese savoury but sometimes sweetened cake made primarily from glutinous rice, which is rolled in a banana leaf into a thick, log-like cylindrical shape, with a mung bean or mung bean and pork filling, then boiled.^video After cooking, the banana leaf is removed and the cake is sliced into wheel-shaped servings. ^photo

Although bánh tét are made and consumed during Tết (the Vietnamese new year), the "tét" in the food's name literally means "sliced" or "split", possibly referring to the fact that it is served in slices. "Bánh" is used to refer to various baked and grilled food including small packages or "cakes", sandwiches, crepes, and spring rolls.

The process of making bánh tét usually begins the day before Tết where the ingredients are prepared then cooked for at least six hours in a pot of boiling water. The first step is assembling the ingredients - glutinous rice, mung bean paste or soaked mung bean and pork belly. Next, the ingredients are layered on top of banana leaves before wrapped together tightly with strings. To prevent the banana leaf from coming apart during cooking, bánh tét are usually wrapped again several times with a length of plastic ribbon before boiling in a large pot of water. ^photo

Bánh tét is a must have traditional food in Vietnamese Lunar New Year. It demonstrates the importance of rice in the Vietnamese culture as well as historical value. During Vietnamese Tết, family members would gather together and enjoy feasting on bánh tét, the central food of this festive Vietnamese holiday to celebrate the coming of spring. The process of making bánh tét is time consuming, but a tradition that many families still practice even in this modern society where pre-made bánh tét are sold virtually in every Vietnamese store. It is the effort that counts and many choose to spend time with their family to create the holiday treat the traditional way. The process of making bánh tét is to provide an opportunity for family members to bond and come together to celebrate the holiday spirit.

The cake is eaten during the Vietnamese Lunar New Year holiday, dipped in fish sauce with or without chilli, and can be eaten together with pickled scallions. The cake can also be fried.