From The Ravenous Couple
Tet (Vietnamese Lunar New Year) is the most anticipated and celebrated holiday in Vietnamese culture. It takes place on the first day of the first month of the lunar calender, however in Vietnam and throughout the world, the festival of Tet is not just a one day event, but celebrated weeks before, day of, and several days following Tet.
Nem Chua. Photo from The Ravenous Couple.
The several weeks before Tet is a time of preparation. Families clean and decorate the house, buy new cloths, repay debt, settle personal differences and of course cook. The most well known festive foods to serve at Tet are the banh chung and banh day (sticky rice cake), however there are many other festive foods which are also served to bring in the new year such as thit kho (braised pork belly) with dua gia (pickled bean sprouts), xoi gac, be thui (roasted veal), cha lua (Vietnamese ham) as well as nem chua are made. This is a time when family members return to the home.
While we have already posted a few Tet festive foods, we’re going to post a short series on a few other Tet celebratory foods. Nem chua is a cured/fermented pork charcuterie, if you will, that has a sweet, sour, salty and spicy taste that is oh so addicting. Now you see these year round either wrapped in banana leaves or plastic wrap in Asian groceries because it’s just that good and can’t just be saved for Tet.
CLICK HERE FOR THE RECIPE!!!!!
