Wrapping banh chung with square almond leaves in Truong Sa

Tien Hung• February 2, 2019 15:01

(Baonghean.vn) - The square banh chung wrapped in almond leaves, with the typical flavor of Truong Sa, reminds young soldiers of the difficult times their fathers and brothers had to endure when there were no dong leaves and they had to use square almond leaves.

The square-leafed banyan tree is a symbol of the strong vitality of Truong Sa. Many years ago, when transportation was difficult, the dong leaves from the mainland had already withered when they arrived, so the soldiers and people in Truong Sa came up with a way to wrap banh chung (square-leafed banh chung) to celebrate Tet with square-leafed banh chung leaves. Nowadays, although the dong leaves have grown in a more timely manner, every time Tet comes, the island soldiers still often pick banh chung leaves to wrap the cakes.

The square leaves of the Indian almond tree are large, thick and green like dong leaves. Some leaves are even half a meter long. To wrap the cake, officers and soldiers must choose the largest square leaves of the Indian almond tree, wash them, and use scissors to strip off the stems before folding them into the mold.

Many officers and soldiers in Truong Sa said that in the place at the forefront of waves and winds, living with the saltiness of the ocean all year round, wrapping and eating a piece of cake wrapped in square almond leaves adds meaning to the New Year.

The leaves are washed and then cut neatly. Wrapping banh chung with almond leaves usually takes more leaves than wrapping with dong leaves.

The process of wrapping the cake is similar to wrapping it with dong leaves on the mainland.

Like on the mainland, banh chung packages in Truong Sa also have full fillings of pork, green beans...

After just a few minutes, through the skillful hands of the soldiers, the banh chung was completed.

Celebrating Tet away from home, soldiers and civilians on the island gathered together to wrap banh chung, reunited as a family, encouraged and shared love, helping to ease the longing for relatives on the mainland.

The square banh chung cake wrapped in almond leaves, with the typical flavor of Truong Sa, reminds young soldiers of the difficult times their fathers and brothers had to endure when there were no dong leaves and they had to use square almond leaves.