What does Banh Chung represent?

“Banh Chung” (Chung cake) is a traditional and irreplaceable cake of Vietnamese people in the Tet Holidays and King Hung’s anniversary (10th March Lunar). For the Vietnamese, making “Banh Chung” is the ideal way to express gratitude to their ancestors and homeland.

Why is it called Banh Chung?

Lieu said that he had cooked the glutinous rice, then molded it into a round rice cake, and called it Banh Day as it symbolized the sky we live under; he also cooked a square rice cake, stuffed it with cooked bean paste and ground meat in the middle, and called it Banh Chung, which was symbolic of the earth we live on.

What language is tieng Viet?

Vietnamese (Vietnamese: tiếng Việt) is an Austroasiatic language originating from Vietnam where it is the national and official language.

What is Banh Chung made out of?

Bánh chưng (Chữ Nôm: 餅蒸) is a traditional Vietnamese food which is made from glutinous rice, mung beans, pork and other ingredients.

What is Banh Chung wrapped in?

banana leaves
Traditionally, Banh Chung is wrapped in dong leaves which I can’t find here. Instead, we use banana leaves which you can find in the freezer at a lot of Asian grocery stores. The leaves give the outer rice the bright green color.

Is banh tet and Banh Chung the same thing?

Banh tet is normally a log-like cylindrical shape that’s about a foot long and 4 inches in diameter. South and central Vietnamese families refer to this cake as banh tet. Banh chung is normally a square that is a foot around and about 4 inches in width. North Vietnamese families refer to this cake as banh chung.

Is banh tet and banh chung the same thing?

Why is banh chung square?

In ancient concept, the Earth is square; hence Banh Chung has a square shape to reflect the Earth. Since the cakes he offered were of special meaning and delicious taste, Lang Lieu was selected to be the next king. Since then, in honor of this, Vietnamese people always make and have this for the Lunar New Year.

What is banh chung wrapped in?