Thursday, 14:38, 18/01/2024

Harvesting Dong leaves for tasty Tet holiday treats

VOV.VN - With the Lunar New Year holiday (Tet) fast approaching, villagers of Trang Cat in Thanh Oai district, Hanoi, are rushing to harvest Dong (Phrynium placentarium) leaves which are typically used to wrap various food items, including Chung cake (glutinous square rice cake) during Tet.

harvesting dong leaves for tasty tet holiday treats picture 1 — Trang Cat village is famous for its 600-year history of planting Dong leaves, with the harvesting season often lasting for more than 10 days, starting from the 10th day of the 12th lunar month.

harvesting dong leaves for tasty tet holiday treats picture 2 — Situated around 30km far from the centre of Hanoi, the village provides Dong leaves to other localities nationwide for the festive season.

harvesting dong leaves for tasty tet holiday treats picture 3 — The farming of Dong leaves has long been practiced by local people for centuries and passed down from generation to generation.

harvesting dong leaves for tasty tet holiday treats picture 4 — Thanks to the fertile soil next to the Day river, Trang Cat is the ideal location for planting a variety of fruit trees such as oranges, vegetables, and especially Dong trees.

harvesting dong leaves for tasty tet holiday treats picture 5 — According to local villagers, Dong leaves are sold not only during Tet, but also all year round.

harvesting dong leaves for tasty tet holiday treats picture 6 — The leaves can be purchased to wrap traditional cakes, including Banh Day (round cake made of sticky rice flour) and Chung cake (glutinous square rice cake), on special occasions.

harvesting dong leaves for tasty tet holiday treats picture 7 — Villagers often sell Dong leaves wholesale as local restaurants are big purchasers of the product.

harvesting dong leaves for tasty tet holiday treats picture 8 — Each Dong leave is worth between VND800 and VND1,000, and the price often rises to between VND1,500 and VND1,700 in the last lunar month ahead of the Lunar New Year.

harvesting dong leaves for tasty tet holiday treats picture 9 — Dong leaves from Trang Cat village are most popular as they are soft, and have both a catchy colour and odor.

harvesting dong leaves for tasty tet holiday treats picture 10 — Wrapping Chung cake with these leaves provides an eye-catching green colour to the cake.

VOV

Photos: VTC.VN

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