Vietnam s festive tray soul of Tết Vietnam Today

Tet, or Vietnamese Lunar New Year, is the most important celebration in Vietnam, centered on reunion and reverence. At the heart of it is the Tet feast, a ceremonial tray offered to ancestors and filled with wishes for prosperity in the year ahead. And regional flavors give each feast its character. In the North, where winter lingers, hearty dishes such as chinh kek, boiled chicken, pickled onions, and savory meat aspic reflect a balanced, subtle taste. In the Central region, Tet dishes are typically richer and more savory, with specialties like cylindrical sticky rice cake and fermented pork. And in the South, warmer weather inspires sweeter flavors with dishes such as braised pork in coconut juice, alongside bitter melon soup, a symbol of hardship passing in the And today, we will turn to the Northern Tet Tray. In the ancient village of Ba Trang, artisan Pham Thu Hoa has spent nearly a decade preserving this tradition, where her kitchen keeps alive the memories and enduring spirit of Trang An's cultural heritage each spring. In Hoa's kitchen, Tet begins with the rhythm of cooking. Dish by dish, the festive tray takes shape. A traditional Tet feast features a variety of carefully prepared food, from golden peripheral pigeon spring rolls, bamboo shoot and squid soup, to cha tom, where whole shrimp and seasoned pork are grabbed in beetle leaves and grilled over the fire. Each dish demands meticulous effort. Together, they reflect generations of Vietnamese culinary tradition. The traditional feast includes 10 dishes and always reflects the five colors with ingredients from the mountains, the sea, the plains and fresh vegetables, forming a complete Tet tray. During Tet, the feast is not made simply for eating. It is first offered to ancestors, presented with the finest and most beautifully arranged dishes as a gesture of gratitude and remembrance. This is stir-fried kohlrabi with squid, one of 10 dishes in the Ba Trang Lunar New Year feast, combining flavors from both land and sea to symbolize the abundance and harmony. And with all 10 dishes together like this, the tray represents the Vietnamese wish for fullness, prosperity and a joyful year ahead. The Tet tray becomes a thread of reunion. From the kitchen where it is prepared, to the table where it is shared, it creates a focal point for gatherings. In the warmth of a New Year meal, everyday worries fade and people pause to reconnect and simply enjoy being together. I find that every dish is delicious, each with its own special flavor. When I taste them, they bring back memories of family gatherings, the warmth and togetherness of the Lunar New Year. In a time when life moves faster each year, kitchens like this quietly preserve something deeper. Through the steady rhythm of chopping, mixing and cooking, the spirit of Vietnamese steak lives on in every dish placed on the table. As we have just seen in the story, the traditional Tet meal reflects many customs and values that have been preserved through generations in Vietnamese families. More than just a meal, it is also a space where people gather, talk and share their stories. Exactly. And coming today, we have in our studio a traditional Tet meal prepared just for this program. Now let's join it to see what we have. This special Tet meal is prepared by Chef Nguyễn Xuân Hùng from Phú Minh. Very nice to meet you. Thank you very much. Nice to meet you. What do you have for us today? Today we have the traditional Vietnamese dish we prepare for the Tet holiday. Like the Trung Cách, it is very traditional, the braised bamboo shoot, we call it Cánh Măng, another kind of tradition. My favorite. And this is the braised fish. Why is it so special for Vietnamese people? Before, the life was very difficult. We waited only for Tet to have the food like this. And normally there is not much food like this. Yeah, in the old days when the economic growth of Vietnam was still very difficult, Tet is the time when we have the best meals and best food. So a lot of anticipation for Tet. So how about the preparations for meals served during Tet? Is it different from a normal everyday meal? Of course. Because on normal days, the food is served in a simple way. But for the Tet, for the dishes of Tet, it takes time. I think we prepare for over one week. Or more than that, yeah. Not like the normal daily, they just only boil or they just sauté or deep fry. But for the special ones, we have to take the time. Today, we also have a foreigner who has been living here in Vietnam for more than 10 years. And we would love to hear his insights. So please join us to welcome Mr. Bodo Glickenberg. Hello. Nice to meet you. Thank you for having me. Welcome to our studio. So Mr. Bodo, you have been living in Vietnam for more than 10 years. Do you still remember your first date in Vietnam and what's so special about it? I certainly do. I always feel like the sense of excitement and special occasion precedes the holidays long in advance. And what has always impressed me very much from the first time I came to Vietnam was the sense of dedication and care that goes especially in the preparation of the food, which obviously plays a very important part in the holidays. And what is also very impressive is how these meals bring families and friends together in a very warm and meaningful way. Today, we have a surprise for you. And we want to know if you know what the dish is. Yeah. You see that dish with the bowl cover? One is hidden. Yeah. You want to find out what it is? Okay. What is it? Thit Dong? Yeah. Did I pronounce this correctly? Thit Dong is our traditional dish. Thit Dong is traditional for the Tet holiday. And they make from the pork. This is actually very interesting because it reminds me of a traditional dish we have in Germany. Is that right? It's called Zutze. It's also a pork meat set in a clear jelly. Maybe a little bit more savoury because we use like pickled gherkins and vegetables to give it a slightly more savoury note. But in principle, the concept is very familiar. So, how about we now all try to taste it and see how good you are. Okay. So, please enjoy. Please. Thank you. Wow. So, yeah. I guess you are skilful at using chopsticks, right? I try not to drop anything. Thank you, Chef, for the beautiful meal. Okay. Thank you for having us. Yes. I'm going to have a bite on Thit Dong. Yeah. I love bamboo shoot. So, this is good. It is a traditional dish. Very good. How many hours did you spend to prepare this dish? Normally, it takes around four or five hours. Four or five hours. Yeah. Vietnamese food is very much based on fresh herbs and fresh ingredients. And I think that is quite similar also to European food culture. So, yes, the composition is different, but not too foreign. And very delicious. I think you get used to it very fast. And that is what a Thai meal is all about. Not only the flavours, but also the sense of togetherness and sharing. And that's all our programme today. Thank you for watching. And we wish you many meaningful and joyful days during this Lunar New Year. Year of the Horse 2026. Goodbye and see you again.