Discover 12 amazing kitchen hacks for Tet that you should know

Dried bamboo shoots are commonly found in markets, stores, or supermarkets. Therefore, when choosing these products, you should pay attention to whether they have clear labels or expiration dates. Alternatively, you can quickly get them from trusted, reputable stores to avoid buying floating products with unclear origins. Good dried bamboo shoots have a light yellow color, a slightly amber appearance, and shine. Additionally, they should feel firm to the touch, have many segments, and have intricate vein patterns. However, dried bamboo shoots need to be rehydrated until they are soft to make delicious dishes.

How to do it:

• Soaking them in rice water will help dried bamboo shoots swell quickly and cook faster.
• If you want to keep them longer, first put the bamboo shoots in boiling water for 30 minutes, then simmer over low heat for about 5 to 10 minutes, remove them, discard the older parts, and rinse them thoroughly.
• Then, use rice water or boiling water to soak and gradually eat them.
• Change the water every 2 to 3 days to keep the bamboo shoots fresh, allowing you to cook various dishes while maintaining the delicious aroma of this dried bamboo shoot dish.

Banh chung is an indispensable dish on the traditional Tet tray of the Vietnamese people, a delicious banh chung must be delicious from taste to eye-catching color. Banh chung on Tet day not only represents the traditional beauty of the nation but also serves as a gift for each other, so the appearance of the cake is very important, making the recipient feel respected and appreciating the skillfulness of the cake maker.

How to do it:

• The first step to get sticky rice banh chung is to wash it thoroughly through many waters until the water is clear.
• Soak glutinous rice with ginger leaves or pandan leaves. Crushed ginger leaves or pandan leaves to extract water mixed with glutinous rice before wrapping the cake, so the cake will have a consistent green color from the shell to the filling and also have a special aroma.
• After boiling, press the cake, remove the string, and wrap it with 2 more layers of fresh leaves, then put it back in the pot and cook again to gradually change the color of the outer leaves to green, then remove and press again so that the cake is completely dry, at this point, the cake has the green outer leaf color as you like.