Vietnam celebrates Cold Food Tet

Today, the country is making or buying Banh Troi and Banh Chay in celebration of Tet Han Thuc (Cold Food Festival), which falls on the third day of the third lunar month.

Originating from Chinese tradition, the festival nowadays has become popular in Vietnam, and is celebrated by Vietnamese people in both metropolitan and rural areas.

Banh Troi (floating cake) are small white dough balls made of brown sugar, wrapped in glutinous rice flour. The name floating cake came about from the way it is actually prepared.

After kneading the paste, it is tossed into water until the small balls of dough float.

Banh Chay (lean cake), are also made of glutinous flour, however, they resemble boiled dumplings and are filled with green bean paste, sprinkled with sesame seeds and served in bowls with syrup floured with grapefruit blossom.

These two cakes are made from glutinous rice flour but have two distinctively different tastes.