Traditional fire keeper in a foreign land
Born and living in a foreign land, Mr. Nguyen Huu Cu, whose Lao name is Vihan Syphom, has always maintained the tradition passed down from his ancestors, which is to make banh chung for Tet. Every year, his family cooks hundreds of banh chung to serve Tet to his family and as gifts for Lao friends.
(Baonghean.vn) -Born and living in a foreign land, Mr. Nguyen Huu Cu, whose Lao name is Vihan Syphom, has always maintained the tradition passed down from his ancestors, which is to make banh chung for Tet. Every year, his family cooks hundreds of banh chung to serve Tet to his family and as gifts for Lao friends.
Born in Xieng Khouang province, now living in Vientiane and a true Lao citizen, Mr. Nguyen Huu Cu still maintains the tradition of cooking banh chung for his family and as gifts for Lao friends. This Tet, his family gathered around the banh chung pot to wait for the time to scoop the cakes out. Life for overseas Vietnamese families in Vientiane like his is considered well-off, food is no longer a basic need, but cooking banh chung is still an indispensable need during Tet. For him, cooking banh chung for Tet is to pass on to his descendants so that they never forget their ancestors' customs, so that his descendants know that they have Vietnamese blood in them, and no matter where they live or what nationality they have, they are still descendants of Lac Hong.
"Working hard with the pot of banh chung is also a joy and happiness for overseas Vietnamese celebrating Tet in a foreign land. In general, on Tet, in addition to the usual dishes, every year we still wrap banh chung, the traditional cake of the Vietnamese people, not only for the elderly like us but also for the young generation to learn and preserve the Vietnamese tradition. Every year I wrap hundreds of cakes as gifts for Lao friends and invite them to celebrate Tet, so I have to wrap a lot" - Mr. Nguyen Huu Cu confided.
Mr. Cu next to the pot of banh chung.
Cooking banh chung on Tet holiday is also an occasion for friends and relatives to gather to talk about the old year, discuss business plans for the new year, talk about the homeland, ask about family and life, and wish each other good health. On normal days, everyone is busy with their own work, only on these days can we give each other moments of completeness. Currently, there are more than 30 thousand Vietnamese living in Laos, but the vast majority still live according to Vietnamese customs and habits.
During Tet, the hobby of making banh chung is considered the most impressive not only for the Vietnamese community but also makes the hearts of friends from Champa, the country that supports people to have a prosperous life today. Invited to join the gathering around the pot of banh chung for Tet, Mr. Somboun Khuongsavan, a native of Nongbon Vientiane, said: "Every year, I see Lao people of Vietnamese origin here often cook banh chung for Tet, I am very impressed, that shows that overseas Vietnamese people love their homeland very much. Cooking banh chung is very good, besides the pot of banh chung there are also many cultural activities, it is not just about the cake but also Vietnamese culture for us Lao people".
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