Banh Chung

Banh chung Each country’s cuisine isn't simply a habit of eating and drinking, people also consider about the culinary sophistication, assess country’s culture. Referring to Korea, we all know about Kim chi - the proud of Korea's traditional foods; and sushi is a famous food of Japan. Similar, Vietnamese are also have their traditional foods. Beside of ph? , bun bo hu? , or nem nu? ng, Banh chung is also a proud of VietNam.

The dictionary definition of Banh chung as a traditional Vietnamese rice cake which is made from glutinous rice, mung bean, pork and other ingredients. However, it isn’t enough to explain the meaning of Banh chung. Behind that simple cake is a long story about family’s love. According to the book Linh Nam chich quai (Extraordinary stories of Linh Nam) published in 1695, this cake was created by Lang Lieu- the prince of the sixth Hung Vuong; it represents the heart of the child for his father and symbolizes the vitality of the universe.

According to Lang Lieu, a square cake symbolizes the earth (under the concept of the ancients), and the raw materials to create a cake to show the vitality of all things in universe (animal and plant). This is a traditional cake which every Vietnamese have in Lunar New Year. We use la dong to wrap the cake in square form before boiling it. Mung bean, fatty pork and black pepper, salt, sometimes green onion, and fish sauce for spices are added inside the glutinous rice. When eating cake, people like to add fish sauce or eating with c? i? u (tubers procession), dua m? m (cucumber sauce) or salt radish… <= c? ki? u Cuisine: a manner or style of preparing food - ? m th? c Sophistication: the complexity - tinh t? Traditional: a custom handed down- truy? n th? ng Glutinous rice: a kind of sweet rice- g? o n? p Vitality: an energy, or principle that- s? c s? ng distinguishes the living from nonliving Concept: a general idea or understanding - khai ni? m Ancients: very old, aged, in the past- ngu? i xua Lunar: caused by, or affecting of the moon- am l? ch