Top 10 Traditional Dishes in the Tet Feast of the Thai Ethnic Group

During the Lunar New Year, the Thai people have a tradition of preparing a dish called Fish Spring Rolls, made from fermented fish, as an offering to their ancestors. This dish is not only prepared for Tet but is also a staple in wedding celebrations. In the past, fish for the rolls were caught from rivers and streams, with the fish being highly prized for their fresh and delicious meat. However, due to the dwindling supply of this natural fish, larger carp are now often used as a substitute.

The preparation of Fish Spring Rolls is an intricate process. First, the best fish are selected, cleaned, and filleted into thin slices before being dried. The next step involves roasting corn or sticky rice to make rice flour, which is then ground into powder. This flour helps to absorb moisture from the fish while also adding aroma and allowing the fish to ferment, preventing spoilage. Once the fish is dried, the rice flour is mixed in, and the mixture is stored in bamboo tubes or plastic containers. After 7 to 10 days, the fish is ready to eat.

When enjoying Fish Spring Rolls, it is common to pair them with herbs such as wild betel leaves, fig leaves, or fresh vegetables, and dip them in chili paste, much like other fermented dishes. Once fermented, Fish Spring Rolls can be stored for over a month. This dish has been a long-standing part of the Thai people’s Tet feast and holds great cultural significance.

Historically, the Thai people have lived in valleys or along rivers, where fish and other aquatic animals have always been vital to their daily meals. This is reflected in a popular saying: 'A young chicken is a humble gift, but a grilled fish is a prized offering.' Especially during the Lunar New Year, whether wealthy or poor, every Thai family must have Pa Pinh Top (Grilled Fish) on the ancestral altar to honor their ancestors. It symbolizes a year of hard work and signifies that the family has earned enough to offer fish and chicken as a sign of respect, hoping for blessings in the coming year.

Pa Pinh Top is also a much-anticipated delicacy for visitors to the Northwest mountains. This dish is prepared with great care and is reserved not only for regular meals but also for welcoming important guests. The preparation begins with selecting the finest fish, which are then cleaned thoroughly. The fish is marinated with a variety of herbs such as lemongrass, dill, basil, and the unique wild pepper called 'Mắc Khén,' known for its fragrant, slightly pungent flavor. The fish is then skewered using fresh bamboo and grilled over hot coals. Pa Pinh Top is best enjoyed hot, paired with sticky rice for an unforgettable meal.

Buffalo Skin Salad has long been a staple in traditional meals in the Northwestern regions, especially among the Thai ethnic group. Considered a special dish, it is often present at significant events such as the first meal of the year for ancestor worship and is also a must-have at weddings. Despite its humble origin from buffalo skin, a seemingly tough and valueless ingredient, the combination of various herbs and spices transforms it into a renowned dish that has captivated many.

The salad's visual appeal is the first thing that strikes you, with the shiny golden hue of the buffalo skin mixed with the vibrant green of fresh herbs, the red of fresh chili, and the pale yellow of wild bamboo shoots. When you taste it, the distinct flavor of buffalo skin, the spicy heat of chili and wild pepper, the sourness of bamboo shoots, and the fragrant herbs all come together beautifully.

To prepare this dish, buffalo skin is the essential ingredient. The seasoning consists of natural herbs from the mountains such as banana flowers, peanuts, fresh chili, pickled bamboo shoots, cilantro, and spices like wild pepper, cilantro, salted lemon, and fish sauce. After the buffalo skin is cleaned and thinly sliced, it is marinated before mixing in the herbs and seasonings. The final touch involves adding crushed peanuts, and the dish is ready to be enjoyed, a traditional treat especially popular during the Thai New Year celebrations.

Sausage is one of the famous delicacies of the highland people, particularly the Thai ethnic group. For anyone who has had the chance to visit a home in the Thai mountain villages, the sight of sausages hanging under the kitchen rafters is a familiar one. The traditional sausage is essentially made by stuffing pig meat into the pig's intestines, drying it in the sun, and hanging it in the kitchen rafters. This unique preservation method allows the sausages to last all year round, providing a long-lasting food reserve while creating a special dish with a distinctive flavor.

Each year, as the Lunar New Year approaches, the Thai people carry out the tradition of slaughtering pigs to make cakes and prepare dishes for the holiday, and at the same time, they use the intestines and meat to make sausages. The intestines used for the sausages must be fresh, while the meat should come from the fatty cuts of the pig's shoulder or belly. According to the Thai people's sausage-making wisdom, too much lean meat can make the sausage dry, while too much fat can cause it to become mushy, so the ideal sausage is made from a balanced mix of lean and fatty meat.

When served, the sausages are first boiled to clean them and reduce the smoky flavor from the kitchen. After boiling, the sausages are fried and then sliced. Alternatively, they can be sliced thinly and stir-fried with wild garlic for a delightful flavor. When eaten, the texture of the sausage is chewy, with the saltiness of the seasoning, the sweetness of the meat, and a rich fattiness from the pork fat, enhanced by the unique herbs used in the seasoning, such as the flavor of mac mat and ginger.

The traditional Thai New Year feast is rich and diverse, featuring dishes like grilled minced pork wrapped in dong leaves, a fragrant and delicious treat beloved by many. This dish has long been a staple in the Thai communities of the Northwest, particularly during the Lunar New Year or when hosting guests. It is especially favored by children and the elderly. Today, this flavorful dish is commonly served in ethnic restaurants and is widely enjoyed by people from all walks of life.

To prepare this dish, you’ll need fresh pork, wrapping leaves (either dong leaves or banana leaves), and seasonings. For pork, you’ll use spring onions, pepper, salt, monosodium glutamate, and aromatic herbs. For beef or buffalo meat, you’ll need ginger, garlic, and “mắc khén” (a wild pepper). After mincing the meat, mix it with the seasonings and place it onto plastic sheets, then shape it into rectangular or cylindrical packages. For cylindrical packages, bamboo skewers are used to securely tie the meat into neat bundles.

Once wrapped in leaves and grilled, the savory aroma of the meat blends perfectly with the smoky flavor of the leaves and spices. When sliced, the meat holds together well, creating a delicious bite. If you prefer rectangular packages, simply cut them into square pieces. You can serve the dish hot with sticky rice. The grilled minced pork is rich and savory, so locals often mix in chopped mustard greens before wrapping and grilling to balance the richness and enhance the flavor.

The Thai people of Moc Chau refer to this dish, Gà Mọ, as 'cáy trục cáy móc,' which is considered very special and was historically a dish only the royal family could enjoy. Today, it remains an essential part of the Thai New Year feast. The name 'Gà Mọ' comes from the meticulous preparation of the chicken using ingredients unique to the Northwest region. If you visit Moc Chau during the bloom of the ban flowers, you’ll be able to savor the distinctive flavors of this dish.

To prepare Gà Mọ, the chicken is first cleaned and chopped into pieces, then marinated with spices such as ginger, lemongrass, chili, dill, shallots, coriander, and wild herbs. A special ingredient in this dish is mắc khén, a unique spice found only in the Northwest. After marinating, the chicken is cooked over a fire until it is evenly done, then mixed with herbs, flowers, and the most crucial ingredient: highland glutinous rice flour. The rice should have a distinct aroma, typical of the region.

The chicken is then wrapped in dong leaves and made into small parcels before being steamed in a traditional Thai-style bamboo basket. This method locks in the rich flavors of the spices and ensures that the chicken retains its full taste. Gà Mọ is traditionally served with sticky rice, and the dish has become a signature delicacy, once reserved for royalty. When cooked perfectly, the chicken is tender and sweet, with a fragrant aroma from the spices, herbs, and rice flour, blending into a memorable culinary experience.

Dớn Salad is a signature dish of the Thai people in Lai Chau, as well as the broader Northwest region. It is an essential part of the Thai New Year feast. The Thai people call this dish 'pắc cút,' named after a plant that resembles a fern, with large leaves and a smooth green surface. This plant grows along riverbanks, streams, and in damp, shaded areas.

To prepare Dớn Salad, only the tender young tips of the dớn plant are selected. These are cleaned and sun-dried to slightly soften them. Next, the dớn is steamed in a wooden steamer for about 20 minutes to retain its vibrant green color. Once cooked, the dớn is placed in a large bowl and mixed with herbs, chili, ginger, garlic, lime juice, monosodium glutamate, and salt. After letting the flavors meld for about 5 minutes, crushed roasted peanuts are added for a delightful crunch. The result is a refreshing dish with the characteristic fragrance of the dớn, a rich and savory flavor, and a balance of tangy sweetness and mild spice from the chili.

In addition to making the salad, the Thai people also create other unique dishes with dớn, such as stir-fried dớn with garlic and stir-fried dớn with sour bamboo shoots. The preparation is simple, and dớn has become a specialty in Lai Chau restaurants. So, if you visit Lai Chau, be sure to try this traditional dish, made with love by the local Thai people, or enjoy it at one of the local eateries that serve this humble yet delicious treat.

Five-Colored Sticky Rice is a traditional specialty of the Thai people, commonly enjoyed during festive seasons like the Lunar New Year. This vibrant dish symbolizes the balance of the five elements and the unity of the Thai people, and it holds deep cultural significance across various ethnic groups. The artistic creation of five-colored sticky rice showcases the Thai people's exceptional craftsmanship and creativity, blending different natural leaf colors to create a harmonious and visually stunning dish.

The colors for the sticky rice—purple, blue, and red—are derived from various plant leaves soaked in sticky rice. You can enjoy the beautiful combination of the yellow hue from dried forest flowers, and the pure white from the rice itself. To ensure the colors remain distinct, harvesters must be careful not to mix leaves of different colors. After boiling the leaves and grinding them to extract the natural dye, it is mixed with sticky rice. The steaming process is intricate, with rice being added layer by layer, and precise control over the heat and timing is essential to cook the rice perfectly while preserving its colors.

Five-colored sticky rice is a key dish during the Thai people’s festivities, representing five colors—green, red, white, yellow, and purple—which symbolize the five elements. These colors are naturally derived from garden plants. According to the Thai people, this dish not only signifies respect and gratitude to ancestors but also represents harmony, unity, and prayers for a prosperous and peaceful future. The red rice symbolizes ambition and dreams, purple represents fertile and valuable land, yellow signifies abundance and prosperity, green represents the vast forests and skies of Northwest Vietnam, and white symbolizes pure, unbreakable love.

During important celebrations like Lunar New Year or village festivals, the Thai people often slaughter buffaloes as offerings to the gods. The freshest cuts of meat are selected to prepare a dish known as smoked buffalo meat. Also referred to as 'smoked buffalo' or 'dried buffalo', this dish is a distinctive delicacy. In the highlands of Northwest Vietnam, however, locals often simply call it 'dried buffalo meat'.

This dish, known in the Black Thai language as 'nhứa khoai giảng', is a traditional and flavorful part of Thai cuisine. Its savory taste, combined with a rich aroma, makes it not just a unique treat to offer guests but also a meaningful and original gift for distant friends and family. On chilly New Year days, pairing a piece of smoked buffalo meat with a cup of local rice wine brings a delightful experience, with the spicy heat quickly spreading across the tongue. The dish features a perfect balance of chewy sweetness from the meat, smoky flavors from the wood, and the heat of chili pepper, all enhanced by the distinctive fragrance of 'mắc khén', creating an unforgettable taste.

To make the best smoked buffalo meat, it is essential to use cuts from strong, free-range buffaloes that graze on the hillsides. The meat is sliced into 3-4 cm wide strips, about 15 cm long, and marinated with spices native to the Northwest region, including pepper, chili, ginger, garlic, and, importantly, the aromatic 'mắc khén'. After marinating for about an hour, the meat is hung near the fireplace, where the heat and smoke from burning wood slowly cook it. The meat is smoked for several weeks, sometimes even months or longer, resulting in pieces that are firm on the outside but tender and chewy on the inside, infused with a rich, smoky flavor.

Known as “Cánh nỏ máy phá phả” in Thai, which translates to “lightning soup”, this traditional dish is made from fresh bamboo shoots and is often prepared to serve guests during special celebrations like the Lunar New Year. The Thai people refer to this soup as 'lightning soup' because it is cooked quickly and served piping hot. During the cool days of Tết, bamboo shoots are one of the wild products harvested by the highland communities, especially the Thai, to sell for extra income or to prepare for daily meals, giving rise to this distinctive soup.

Lightning soup is one of the quickest dishes made from bamboo shoots. In the past, it was often cooked in the fields after the villagers had finished their laborious work. Today, a hot bowl of lightning soup is a favorite among the Thai people, enjoyed during family meals and served as a delicacy for honored guests, especially on New Year’s Day.

However, not all types of bamboo shoots are suitable for this soup. The preferred varieties are Luong bamboo and tre bamboo. The softer the bamboo shoots, the sweeter and tastier the broth becomes. Key ingredients for the soup include chili peppers, salt, monosodium glutamate, ‘mắc khén’ spice, and fermented fish or shrimp paste. Usually, the bamboo shoots are chopped directly into the pot, followed by the addition of all the necessary spices and water. Once the ingredients are in, the most crucial step in making lightning soup is to bring the pot to a rapid boil, which creates the dish's signature flavor.