An Truyen village (formerly Phu An commune, now My Thuong ward), located by Dam Chuon in Hue City, is renowned for its tradition of making banh chung and banh tet for the Tet holiday. In the final days of the lunar December, the village buzzes with activity as households accelerate their production to meet customer orders for the upcoming Tet Binh Ngo.

The meticulous preparation for these festive cakes begins with sourcing ingredients. Even before the lunar December, facilities in An Truyen village proactively order banana leaves from southern provinces, as local supply cannot meet the high demand during the peak production season. The fillings for banh chung and banh tet are carefully prepared: green beans are husked and soaked until soft, and fresh pork belly with a balanced ratio of lean meat and fat is chosen to ensure the cakes are neither dry nor overly greasy after cooking.

At facilities like Ms. Nghiep's in hamlet 9, over 10 workers gather in the courtyard, skillfully wrapping the cakes. Each person handles one specific step. Older workers select and sort banana leaves before they move to the wrapping stage.

The banh tet rolls, filled with green beans and pork, are tightly wrapped by An Truyen villagers in layers of sticky rice and banana leaves. The crucial step of tying them with bamboo strips determines if the cakes will be perfectly round and firm. After shaping, the cakes are carefully wrapped in multiple layers of green banana leaves. Some households also use colorful strings for tying, both to secure the cakes and to add a decorative touch for Tet offerings.

Unlike other provinces and cities that typically use dong leaves for wrapping, banh chung in An Truyen is wrapped in banana leaves, using external copper molds to ensure a square shape. The common mold size is 15 cm x 15 cm. Ho Van Binh, 38, shared that this year his family is making over 10,000 cakes of various types for Tet Binh Ngo. To keep up with demand, his family has hired neighbors to help. Each banh tet roll costs VND 80,000, and banh chung sells for VND 80,000 a pair.

To cook large quantities of banh tet, An Truyen facilities use large pots placed over wood-burning stoves. Throughout the 12 hours of cooking, the cake makers constantly monitor the pots, adding water and wood to maintain a steady fire for thorough cooking.

Banh tet is cooked continuously for 12 hours until evenly done. After being removed from the pot, the cakes are immediately soaked in cold water to preserve the natural green color of the banana leaves, then hung to drain. To maintain the square shape of banh chung and facilitate long-distance transport, Ms. Nghiep's facility uses vacuum sealing before delivery. During Tet, many families in Hue offer banh chung on New Year's Eve, placing them respectfully on the altar of Ong Cong and Ong Tao (Kitchen Gods).

After one night of cooking, the banh tet is packaged and delivered to customers who placed orders in advance. Currently, An Truyen village still has over 10 facilities making banh chung and banh tet, serving the Tet offering needs of local residents and surrounding areas.

Vo Thanh