Unique versions of Vietnamese Bánh Chưng Chung cake
“Banh Chưng” (Chung cake) is one of the indispensable dishes of Vietnamese people on Tet holiday. For
Banh chưng is a traditional Vietnamese rice cake which is made from very simple and basic ingredients such as glutinous rice, mung beans, and pork. This traditional cake is an important part to make a perfect Tet holiday in the heart of Vietnamese people, and has the oldest history in traditional Vietnamese cuisine.
Chung Cake is a traditional cake of Vietnam. The cake implies gratitude of later generations to their forefather and hometown. Ingredients of Chung Cake include sticky rice, green bean, pork, dong leaves, and other additional spices as salt and pepper. Chung Cake is often made on traditional Tet Holiday of Vietnamese people and Hung King Festival (on the 10th day of the third lunar month). Chung Cake has the oldest history in traditional Vietnam cuisine. It is mentioned regularly in historical documents. The traditional cake has a significant position in the heart of Vietnamese people. The cake originated from a legend relating to Lang Lieu Prince, son of the 6th Hung King. The legend recalls the next generation about the national tradition. It is also a meaningful explanation and origin of Chung Cake, Day Cake in Vietnam culture, simultaneously, the importance of rice and nature in Wet Rice Civilization. According to today popular opinions, along with Day Cake, Chung Cake reflects the ancient Vietnamese people's opinion about the universe. The cake is in green and square shape, which reflects the image of earth in the religion of ancient Vietnamese people and other ethnic groups in Asia.
Existing since the 6th Hung King's Empire, Chung Cake has been going with national history and become the soul of Tet Holiday in Northern Vietnam. Once visiting Vietnam during Vietnam Lunar New Year, tourists will see on the feast of local people, there are Chung Cake laid on. These cakes seem to recall Vietnamese people about the legend of Banh Chung and Banh Day which symbolize the opinion bout the universe of ancient Vietnamese people.
Today, ingredients of making Chung Cake remain unchanged: sticky rice, green bean, pork and dong leave. Chung Cake will be more delicious if its ingredients are prepared carefully.
1.5 cups mung beans washed and soaked in water 4 hours
5.5 cups sticky rice washed and soaked in water 4 hours
500 g pork belly (1.1 lb) cut into cubes
2.5 tsp salt
2.5 tsp ground black pepper
3 tbsp fried shallot
1 tbsp vegetable oil
3 shallots smashed/crushed
2 tbsp fish sauce
1 kg banana leaves defrost
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