Soft and fragrant offerings to the Hung Kings
On the Hung Kings' Commemoration Day, there is an indispensable offering to the 18 Hung Kings, which is cakes...
On the Hung Kings' Commemoration Day, there is an indispensable offering to the 18 Hung Kings, which is banh chung and banh giay. The story of banh chung and banh giay originated from the land of the ancestors, through thousands of years of history, until now, that cake has become a symbol of Vietnamese national culture.
Banh Chung Wrapping Competition at Hung Temple Festival
The Hung Kings' death anniversary, which falls on the 10th day of the 3rd lunar month every year, has now become the national death anniversary. On this day, descendants of Lac Hong bloodline, no matter where they are, turn to the land of their ancestors, Phu Tho, to deeply remember the merit of building the country, creating the Hung Kings' era and the first state on the territory of Vietnam. From all over the world, the descendants of Lac Hong return to the land of their ancestors, offering to the Hung Kings products made by themselves. Among the offerings to worship the Hung Kings such as sticky rice, cakes, betel and areca nuts, bananas, incense, flowers, five fruits..., the indispensable banh chung and banh giay are indispensable. It can be affirmed that banh chung has a special place in the consciousness of the Vietnamese community. That is why, many overseas Vietnamese, every time Tet comes, Spring comes, try to ask people from their homeland to send over one or two banh chung... to ease their longing for the traditional Tet flavor of their homeland.
Over thousands of years of history, the banh chung has accompanied the history of the nation and become the soul of Tet in the Northern Delta. Today, one of the indispensable cultural activities on the occasion of the Hung Kings' Commemoration Day - Hung Temple Festival is the banh chung wrapping competition. The team that wins first prize will be honored to be selected to wrap cakes to offer to the Hung Kings next year. This year, 9 provinces were invited to participate in cooking banh chung, banh giay and performing folk culture, including Hanoi, Hoa Binh, Hai Duong, Tuyen Quang, Lang Son, Yen Bai, Lao Cai, Vinh Phuc and Thai Nguyen. To be able to wrap a banh chung both beautifully and quickly, each competing team has its own secrets. Only by witnessing the square, sharp-edged banh chung created by skillful hands can visitors answer their questions: banh chung is wrapped by hand without using a mold. Not only must the cakes be wrapped beautifully and quickly (10 cakes can be wrapped in just 3-5 minutes), the quality of the cakes is also very strict. To have a delicious banh chung, the preparation of ingredients is very important. According to Ms. Bui Thi Thu Hang (Hung Lo commune, Viet Tri city), to have a delicious banh chung, the maker must choose good Dien Bien sticky rice, good beans, good meat, and dong leaves that must be washed thoroughly and cooked for about 7 hours. Ms. Bui Thi Thu Hang's family as well as Hung Lo village (Viet Tri city) are known as the ones who made banh chung for the Hung Temple National Anniversary in 2010 with 18,000 banh chung to form a giant banh chung, to offer to the Hung King on the main day of the ceremony. According to the experience of the people of Hung Lo commune, to have a fragrant banh chung, the cake is green, evenly cooked, and delicious, the cooking process is also very important. The person watching the banh chung pot must continuously burn coal, mix water every 1-2 hours on average, and keep the fire at a reasonable level.
On the National Death Anniversary on the 10th day of the 3rd lunar month, Vietnamese people
According to Daidoanket
