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Steamed cake

Wikipedia - 08-31-2010 14:13:47

Bánh chưng (steamed cake) is a traditional Vietnamese cake which is made from glutinous rice, mung bean, pork and other ingredients. Its origin is told by the legend of Lang Liêu, a prince of the sixth Hùng Vương, who became Hùng Vương's successor thank to his creation of bánh chưng and bánh dày, which symbolized respectively the Earth and the Sky. Considered an essential element of the family altar on the occasion of Tết, the making and eating bánh chưng during this time is a well-preserved tradition of Vietnamese people. Beside the Tết holiday, bánh chưng is also tasted all year round as a delicacy of Vietnamese cuisine and one of the national dishes of Vietnam besides nem rán and phở.

Legend and symbol

According to the book Lĩnh Nam chích quái (Extraordinary stories of Lĩnh Nam) published in 1695, the creation of bánh chưng was credited to Lang Liêu, a prince of the sixth Hùng Vương. It was said that after the victory against the army of Shang Dynasty, in choosing a successor among his sons, Hùng Vương decided to carry out a competition in which each prince brought a delicacy representing the sincerity for the ancestors on the occasion of the Tết, whoever could introduce the most delicious dish for the altar would become the next ruler of the country.

 

An unwrapped, cut into 8 pieces bánh chưng ready to serve

 

While other princes tried to find the rare and delicious foods from forest and sea, the eighteenth prince Lang Liêu, who was the poorest son of Hùng Vương, could not afford those luxury dishes and had to content with the everyday ingredients ingredients such as rice or pork. Finally, he created one cake in the square form of earth called bánh chưng and one in the round form of sky called bánh dày from these simple ingredients. In tasting the dishes offered by his son, Hùng Vương found bánh chưng and bánh dày not only delicious but also a fine respresentation of the respect for ancestors. Therefore he decided to cede the throne to Lang Liêu and bánh chưng, bánh dày became traditional foods during the Tết.

 

Bánh chưng is served with giò lụa and other dishes

 

 

 

This content is also available in: Tiếng Việt

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