What do you know about Cold Food Festival on the 3rd of the 3rd lunar month?

(Baonghean.vn) - The annual Cold Food Festival on the 3rd of March (lunar calendar) is not only a traditional cultural beauty but also a beauty in culinary art.

1. Origin of Cold Food Festival

According to the Chinese characters "Han" means cold, "thuc" means to eat, "Cold Food Festival" is the festival of eating cold food. This traditional custom originated from China according to a thrilling story that has been passed down for many generations.

The story goes that during the Spring and Autumn period (770 - 221), King Wen of Jin, the Jin Dynasty, was in turmoil and had to leave his country in exile, living in the Qi Dynasty today and the Chu Dynasty tomorrow. At that time, there was a wise man named Jie Zitui who followed the king and helped him with many strategies. One day, while on the way to escape, food was running out, so Jie Zitui had to secretly cut a piece of his thigh meat and cook it to offer to the king. After the king finished eating it, he asked and found out that he was extremely grateful.

Cold Food Festival takes place on the 3rd day of the 3rd lunar month and originates from China.

Jie Zitui followed and assisted King Wen of Jin for nineteen years, together they suffered hardships and became talented. Later, King Wen of Jin regained the throne and became the king of Jin. He rewarded those who had contributed to his country, but he forgot Jie Zitui. Jie Zitui did not resent him, thinking that following and assisting the king was the right thing to do, and he did not think that those things were worth mentioning.

So he returned home and took his mother to the Dien Son mountain to live in seclusion. Later, Duke Wen of Jin remembered and sent someone to look for Zitui. But because he was not a man of fame and fortune, Zitui refused to return to receive the reward. Duke Wen of Jin ordered the forest to be burned (to force Zitui to return). Unexpectedly, Zitui was determined, and both mother and son were burned to death in the forest.

The king regretted and built a temple to worship them. Every year, on March 3, the day Zitui and his mother were burned to death, the use of fire for cooking was forbidden. Even the food offerings had to be prepared the day before. This was considered the Cold Food Festival.

2. The meaning of banh troi and banh chay on the Vietnamese Cold Food Festival

Although originating from China, the Vietnamese Cold Food Festival still has its own nuances, imbued with Vietnamese character. On the 3rd day of the 3rd lunar month every year, people eat cold cooked food with the most sincere heart to remember the upbringing of the deceased.

Unlike the Cold Food Festival in China, on this day Vietnamese people do not abstain from fire and still cook normally. What is special is that Vietnamese people also created banh troi and banh chay with the symbolic meaning of cold food - cold food.

Banh troi is an offering on the Cold Food Festival.

3. Return to the roots

The Vietnamese Cold Food Festival mainly has the meaning of returning to the roots, remembering the merits of the deceased. For example, Vietnamese people have the custom of offering banh troi (rice dumplings) to Hai Ba Trung on March 6 in Ha Tay. Next, on the death anniversary of Hung Kings on March 10, Vietnamese people from all over the country go to Hung Temple, Phu Tho to burn incense and offer plates of banh troi (rice dumplings) and banh chay (rice dumplings), remembering their roots... Thus, it is clear that our Cold Food Festival has its own national color, lasting throughout the process of building and defending the country.

4. National traditions

Vegetarian cakes offered on Cold Food Festival.

Banh troi and banh chay are typical of this holiday. Since ancient times, banh troi and banh chay have been mentioned in folk poetry as popular dishes of the Vietnamese people. Both banh troi and banh chay are made from fragrant sticky rice flour. Banh troi are made into small balls, white on the outside, filled with brown sugar inside, boiled in a pot of boiling water, when the balls float to the surface, take them out and cook until done. Banh chay is made into flat round balls, without filling, placed on a small plate, and when eaten, sugar water is poured on top.

5. Reminiscing

Cold Food Festival with traditional banh troi and banh chay is an occasion for people to remember the upbringing of the deceased.

On these days, enjoying a plate of banh troi or banh chay with your loved ones can help you feel the state of human affairs. Many people also tell each other that eating banh troi or banh chay on this day is to reminisce about old stories, stories of a distant time of our nation.

And these traditions have been deeply ingrained in the Vietnamese subconscious, so that every Han Thuc Festival, every family is excited to prepare Banh Troi and Banh Chay. With the fragrant smell of green beans and molasses, the Tet atmosphere seems to become more vibrant and meaningful.

Kim Ngoc

(Synthetic)