You're My City: tháng 1 2012

Wintercress field in Tay Tuu

Every year, the Lunar calendar completes its mission exellent. It's started sprinkling and moisturizing about 2 weeks before Tet. Spring comes. Naturally and exactly that Sun calendar can't do (just about the weather, at least in Vietnam).

So, here we are preparing for Tet. Most of adults hate it, but children love Tet so much. We come to Tet flower market in Quang Ba or Hang Luoc Street, crowdly and noisy to buy the best for home (decoration like Christmas tree). There are lots of lots kind of flowers and trees which I can't count, they're all unique and local or un-local. Quat (kumquat - citrus tree) and Dao (peach blossom) are the most traditional tree - MUST HAVE.

Quang Ba Flower Market

Peach Blossom in Uncle Ho Mausoleum

Another thing must have is Chung cake. So delicious :)) My grandparents make this cake every Tet. In the past, every home used to make their own Chung cake, but mordenism changes everything. We buy! for convenient. So, Chung cake is the combination between glutinous rice, mung bean and fatty pork meat, black pepper, salt. It can be wrapped in a box shape with dong leaves. Those cakes are arranged in a large pot, fill with water and cook about 10-12 hours.

Fruit Arranging is what I talk about next. It took my mom about an hour to make it right and beautiful. In Northern of Vietnam, it must have Banana, Pomelo, Kumquat, Apple, Annona, Pouteria lucuma. My mom gave it more extra: Pitaya, Chilli, Mango. The fruit needs 5 colors, and the meaning of united and full-filled with happiness. (In Southern Vietnam, there are Annona, Coconut, Papaya and Mango which means in Vietnamese is Cầu-vừa-đủ-xài We pray for enough)