The Easiest, Quickest Way to Wrap Traditional Tet Cakes

Wrapping Tet cakes, also known as Chung cakes, is a cherished tradition of the Vietnamese people during the Lunar New Year. Learning how to wrap Tet cakes not only helps preserve this tradition but also equips you with the skills to prepare a festive Tet dish. Today, the PasGo Team will share with you how to make Tet cakes using traditional banana leaves, wrapping techniques with dong leaves, and essential tips for wrapping the quickest, most delicious Tet cakes.

1. Ingredients for making Tet cakes

• Glutinous rice: About 1kg (depending on the number of Tet cakes you want to make)
  
• Peeled mung beans: 250 grams (proportionate to the amount of rice you prepare)
  
• Seasonings: Bouillon, salt, ground pepper, MSG, cornstarch, shallots
  
• Pork: Pork belly 300 grams (you can prepare more if you like more filling)
  
• Other Tet cake ingredients: 1 bunch of banana leaves, 1 bunch of dong leaves
  
• Tools for wrapping Tet cakes: Tray, spoon, chopsticks, bowl,...
  

Ingredients for Making Tet Cakes

2. Different Ways to Wrap Tet Cakes

Traditional way of wrapping Tet cakes with banana leaves

In the traditional way of wrapping Tet cakes, banana leaves are commonly used to wrap the cakes, and the filling is typically meat. Below are the detailed steps for making traditional Tet cakes with meat filling using banana leaves:

Step 1: Soaking glutinous rice for wrapping Tet cakes

• Clean the glutinous rice and put it in a clean bowl, then pour enough water to cover the rice and add a little salt. If you want the Tet cakes to be greener, you can use pandan leaf extract mixed with water for soaking.
• Soak the glutinous rice for about 4 hours until it becomes soft and has a light green color. Then, pour out the water, allowing it to drain in a sieve, and let the glutinous rice drain.

Method for soaking glutinous rice for wrapping Tet cakes

Step 2: Preparing mung beans for filling

• Soak the mung beans in water for about 4 hours. Then, drain and rinse them before putting them in a pot and adding enough water to cover the beans. Cook over low heat until the beans are tender. Once they reach the desired tenderness, turn off the heat and add a tablespoon of salt and a tablespoon of sugar. Stir well to mash the beans.
• Let the mung beans cool slightly, then use your hands to shape them into long or round pieces, estimating one piece for each Tet cake.

How to Make Tet Cake

Step 3: Preparing banana leaves and bamboo strings

• Wash banana leaves thoroughly, handling them carefully to avoid tearing. Then, remove the central spine of the leaves and cut them into long pieces about 60cm each. Roll them up into small rolls. Handle the banana leaves gently to prevent tearing.
  
• Place a pot of water on the stove and add 1 teaspoon of salt. Bring to a boil. Place the banana leaves in the boiling water for a quick blanch, then quickly remove them. This step helps soften the banana leaves, making it easier to wrap the Tet cakes later.
  
• Next is the preparation of bamboo strings: Soak the bamboo strings in water for about 8 hours to soften them. After that time, you can tear the bamboo strings into long strands, about 0.5cm wide. For convenience, you can buy pre-stripped bamboo strings.
  

How to Wrap Tet Cake with Banana Leaves

Step 4: Preparing and marinating the pork

• Clean the pork belly thoroughly, you can use a little alcohol and ginger to eliminate the odor, which will make the Tet cake taste better after wrapping.
  
• Cut the pork belly into even slices. Then, marinate the pork with the following spices: half a teaspoon of seasoning powder, half a teaspoon of ground pepper, finely chopped shallots, a bit of broth powder, and seasoning to taste. Marinate the pork for about 1-2 hours, or preferably overnight in the refrigerator.
  

Traditional Method of Making Pork-filled Tet Cake

Step 5: How to Wrap Tet Cake

• Prepare a clean tray, line it with banana leaves. Place two banana leaves side by side, resembling the original boat shape of banana leaves before they were cleaned, and place another leaf in the middle.
  
• Take about 200g of glutinous rice and spread it evenly in the center of the banana leaves, spreading the rice horizontally and vertically. Then, take a handful of mashed green beans prepared earlier and evenly spread it over the layer of rice. Note that the layer of mashed green beans should be less than the layer of white rice and should be tightly enclosed inside the layer of white rice.
  

Traditional Method of Wrapping Tet Cake

• Next, place the pork belly slice on top of the green bean layer to form the filling, then add 100g of green beans and a layer of 200g glutinous rice. Ensure that the rice layer covers the entire filling consisting of green beans and pork.
  
• After placing the banana leaf in the middle to maintain the shape of the rice layer, you will use two layers of banana leaves on the outside, roll them tightly and fold the edges on both sides to create a complete cake.
  

Step 6: How to Tie Tet Cake with Strings

• After wrapping the Tet cake, use a long string to tie it securely from one end to the other.
• Then, take other strings and wrap them horizontally around the body of the cake, repeating the process until the entire cake is tightly wrapped.
• Finally, trim the strings neatly for a tidy and attractive appearance.

How to Tie Tet Cake with Strings

Step 7: Boil Tet Cake

• The final step in wrapping Tet cake is boiling it. Place banana leaves at the bottom of a large pot and start arranging the Tet cakes (in a vertical direction) into the pot sequentially. Pour water so that it completely covers all the Tet cakes. Next, maintain the boiling process for 8 continuous hours to ensure the cakes are cooked and tender.
  
• Ensure even cooking by keeping the cakes submerged in water throughout, bringing the water to a boil, then reducing the heat and simmering the cakes gently. When the boiling time is up, remove the cakes, let the water drain off, and allow them to cool.

How to Wrap Tet Cake with Dong Leaves

Wrapping Tet cakes with dong leaves follows a similar process to using banana leaves. We only replace the wrapping material from banana leaves to dong leaves. The steps from preparing the ingredients to wrapping the cakes, boiling them remain the same. Depending on the ingredients available and your skill in wrapping, using any type of leaves will result in delicious and beautiful cakes.

The Fastest, Easiest Way to Wrap Tet Cake

The Fastest Way to Wrap Tet Cake

The quickest way to wrap Tet cake is for family members to gather together to wrap the cakes. Each person takes care of a step, one rinsing the leaves, another arranging the rice, someone else preparing the pot, gathering firewood for boiling, etc. This way, you can wrap the cakes quickly and simply while also enjoying precious moments with your family during the Lunar New Year.

3. Notes on Wrapping Tet Cake

When it comes to wrapping Tet cake, whether traditional or modern, the following considerations are essential for a delicious and visually appealing finished product.

How to Wrap Delicious Tet Cake: Choose Ingredients Carefully

• Choose freshly harvested sticky rice with plump, unbroken grains and natural white color. Soak the rice for about 6-8 hours, then wash it thoroughly and mix with pandan water to give the cake a green color.
  
• Select banana leaves about 40x40cm in size, avoiding torn leaves. Clean and dry the banana leaves, then layer them alternately to create a wrapping layer for the cake.
  

How to Wrap Beautiful Tet Cake: Wrap Firmly by Hand

When wrapping Tet cake, the most crucial requirement is to hand-tie it so that the cake remains firm after boiling:
• For folding leaves, once one end is folded, gently tap the cake with your hand to compact the rice grains and other fillings.

How to Wrap Beautiful Tet Cake

• Tight binding technique: Securely tie the strings while ensuring the cake maintains its cylindrical shape without losing its form, carefully knotting to avoid slipping. After completing the cake wrapping, place it on a table and gently shake to check for the sound of rice grains. If you don't hear this sound, it's a sign that the cake has been tightly wrapped.

Hopefully, by now you've learned the most beautiful, efficient, and meaningful way to wrap Tet cakes. We look forward to you sharing images of your finished products with the PasGo Team and other readers. Wishing you and your loved ones a prosperous and peaceful Tet Nguyen Dan.