Top 12 Traditional Tet Dishes from Northern Vietnam

Jellied Pork is a beloved dish in Northern Vietnam, especially during the colder months and Tet holidays. A meal with fragrant, translucent jellied pork, accompanied by pickled onions and sour, crispy pickled vegetables, may seem simple but offers a delightful taste. It also brings a cozy, familial atmosphere to the table.

In the chilly weather, jellied pork is irresistibly appetizing. It can be made from pork, chicken, or even pig’s trotters. The meat is washed, sliced, and marinated with spices such as pepper, salt, and seasoning powder, then refrigerated to absorb the flavors. After marinating, the meat is sautéed with wood ear mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, and carrots, then seasoned to taste. When simmering, be sure to remove any scum so the jellied pork will be clear. Once the meat is tender enough, transfer it to a bowl. In Northern Vietnam during Tet, the dish will solidify after two hours at room temperature. It can then be stored in the refrigerator for later consumption. Jellied pork is best enjoyed with pickled onions for the perfect flavor combination.

Braised Beef is a dish commonly prepared during the days leading up to Tet, particularly on the 29th and 30th. The cooking process typically begins by heating oil in a pan and sautéing garlic and onions. Then, add carrots, potatoes, and beef, and stir-fry until the meat is sealed and the juices evaporate. Remove the vegetables, add boiling water to cover the meat, and add star anise and crushed lemongrass. Simmer for about 35 minutes, until the meat starts to soften, then add the carrots and potatoes back in and cook until tender. Using a pressure cooker can speed up the braising process.

To give the dish a beautiful color, add annatto oil to the pot and adjust the seasoning to taste. For extra flavor, add black pepper, chili, or satay if you enjoy spicy food. The beef should be cooked until tender, releasing its aromatic flavors with every bite. Serve the braised beef hot, garnished with chopped green onions. This dish is perfect with rice, noodles, or bread. Braised beef is a signature dish for Tet in Northern Vietnam and is suitable for all ages, from children to the elderly.

According to various sources, the origin of fried spring rolls comes from Chinese cuisine, specifically from the famous dim sum dishes. When it was introduced to Vietnam, it was adapted with local ingredients and spices to suit the Vietnamese palate. Today, fried spring rolls are a beloved dish, an essential part of many families' Tet feasts. The recipe is simple, and with easily accessible ingredients, it results in crispy, delicious spring rolls that are sure to delight any eater.

With a thin, crispy wrapper, the filling of fried spring rolls consists of lean pork, shiitake mushrooms, wood ear mushrooms, onions, carrots, bean sprouts, eggs, pepper, salt, and seasoning. The mixture is wrapped in rice paper or banh trang and skillfully rolled by hand. When deep-fried, the rolls become golden and crispy, releasing an irresistible aroma. The taste of fried spring rolls is greatly enhanced by the dipping sauce. A well-balanced sauce combines the saltiness of fish sauce, the sweetness of MSG and sugar, the tanginess of vinegar or lemon, the heat of garlic and chili, and some fresh herbs on the side to counterbalance the richness of the fried rolls.

Dry bamboo shoots cooked with pig’s trotters is a beloved soup dish, especially popular during the traditional Tet holiday in Northern Vietnam. The ingredients are simple to find but essential for the perfect dish. It’s important to choose fresh, high-quality pig’s trotters rather than frozen meat. After bringing them home, briefly sauté the trotters with shallots to enhance their flavor.

The dry bamboo shoots should be soaked overnight to rehydrate, then rinsed thoroughly before being boiled 2-3 times until the water runs clear. This process removes any bitterness, and the bamboo shoots will have the perfect texture—tender, not chewy. The soup is then simmered for several hours, allowing the trotters to become tender and rich. You can add wood ear mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, and finish with some green onions and black pepper for added flavor.

No Tet feast is complete without mentioning bamboo shoot soup. The rich, fatty flavor of the pig’s trotters blends beautifully with the sweet, earthy taste of the bamboo shoots, creating a unique and satisfying combination. Some families even use the broth to cook vermicelli, which adds another delicious twist to this already irresistible dish!

Mixed Ball Soup is a classic dish commonly served during Tet celebrations in Northern Vietnam. Perfect for cold weather, a bowl of this nutritious soup is sure to warm you up. This soup is a delightful blend of various ingredients such as mixed balls, cabbage, carrots, peas, Vietnamese pork sausage, thinly sliced eggs, shrimp, and pork loin, all topped with a few sprigs of cilantro. The dish requires a lot of care and attention, but the result is a truly unique and flavorful experience.

The mixed ball soup can also be made with different ingredients, such as meat, sausage, spinach, and mushrooms, with the star ingredient being the mixed skin balls. These are made from pig skin that is softened, marinated in white wine and ginger, and then turned a light golden color. Next, prepare the filling by mixing sausage with seasoning and pepper. Thin egg pancakes are made and placed on top of the pig skin, then spread with the sausage mixture and topped with egg slices. The mixture is tightly rolled and secured with green onions before being steamed to perfection and cut into bite-sized pieces. The broth is made by simmering bones for a rich, natural sweetness, complemented by fresh vegetables and other ingredients. This delicious, aromatic soup is perfect with a bowl of steaming rice and will leave everyone craving for more.

One essential dish in the Tet feast is Chao, made with pig's trotters or pork shoulder, also known in some regions as Grilled Pork. The perfect blend of grilled meat combined with aromatic herbs like lemongrass, grapefruit leaves, and guava leaves. Once the meat turns golden, it is thinly sliced and mixed with minced galangal, kaffir lime leaves, chopped sour starfruit or green mango, and seasonings. The dish is often wrapped in fig leaves along with fresh herbs and dipped in a sauce made with fish sauce, lime, garlic, chili, and sugar for an irresistible flavor.

The preparation of Chao has undoubtedly become a cherished recipe for many home cooks. It's a simple yet flavorful dish made with natural ingredients that create an unforgettable taste, especially during Tet. The version with pig’s trotters is a popular choice. Chao is not only a great family meal but also a perfect dish for a men’s gathering. The fragrant combination of pig’s trotters with the natural aromas of lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, and galangal creates a dish that's simply irresistible.

The Lunar New Year marks the start of a fresh year, a time for new beginnings in all aspects of life. It is also a time for family reunions and honoring our ancestors. No matter the hardships a family faces, the preparation of the ancestor offerings for Tet must not be taken lightly, as it is believed to bring blessings for the new year – prosperity, warmth, and happiness. Among the essential dishes for Tet is the boiled chicken.

The boiled chicken is an important offering on New Year's Eve and the first day of the lunar year. It is believed that presenting this dish to the heavens on the first day of the new year ensures a prosperous start. The chicken is carefully prepared, retaining its natural form, and brushed with oil to give its skin a glossy appearance. On the altar, the chicken is placed with other offerings throughout the night, and when served, it is typically accompanied by fragrant lime leaves and a spicy salt-and-pepper dip, creating a distinctly fresh and savory flavor. This dish is a cornerstone of traditional Tet cuisine in Northern Vietnam.

The arrival of the Lunar New Year brings with it a time to reunite with family and long-lost friends, a time for sharing the delicious, nourishing foods that define Northern Vietnamese Tet cuisine. Sticky rice is a staple in the culture of rice-growing communities, made from ingredients like rice, mung beans, and peanuts, all steamed to perfection. The key to a perfect sticky rice is the consistency – it must be soft, fragrant, and not mushy. Among the many varieties, the most beloved during Tet is gac sticky rice. The rich, natural red hue it gains from cooking with gac fruit makes it a visually striking dish.

In Eastern philosophy, the color red symbolizes good fortune, and gac sticky rice is thought to bring luck in the new year. It’s particularly beneficial for improving eyesight, and it offers a host of other nutritional benefits. This dish is especially favored in Northern Vietnam, where its vibrant red color is associated with prosperity. As such, gac sticky rice is often served as part of the Tet feast, presented to guests and family as a symbol of good health and good fortune for the year ahead.

Another beloved dish served during the Lunar New Year in Northern Vietnam is sweet green bean dessert, or chè kho. This simple yet flavorful dessert has a distinctive fragrance from the green beans and a subtle hint of grapefruit blossom water, making it both refreshing and smooth. It is a staple treat in Hanoi during the Tet holiday. To prepare, you need just a few ingredients: green beans, sesame seeds, and sugar, which come together to create a delightful dessert. Once you take a bite, you’ll experience its cool, smooth texture that melts in your mouth.

This dessert is traditionally offered during Tet celebrations, either for honoring the ancestors or for guests as a special treat. It’s commonly served in a decorative shape, often resembling a flower, accompanied by a cup of lotus tea. Families customize their chè kho with unique flavors, such as vanilla, cardamom, or the fragrant essence of grapefruit blossoms. On these festive days, enjoying a bite of chè kho with its soft, velvety texture and the delicious aroma of green beans and cardamom evokes a sense of nostalgia, especially for those far from home.

Bánh chưng holds a special place in Vietnamese culture and history. It is much more than just a dish; it represents the very essence of the Vietnamese people, symbolizing the harmony between heaven and earth through the rich gifts of nature. This iconic dish is as much a part of the Tet celebration as the holiday itself, evoking memories of family and tradition. While bánh chưng is primarily found in the northern regions of Vietnam, its counterpart, bánh tét, is beloved in the south. These two cakes are essentially the same, differing only in shape and, to a lesser extent, ingredients that vary by region. Throughout centuries of cultural unity, the Vietnamese have maintained the custom of preparing bánh chưng, which has become a symbol of familial ties and community bonds during the Tet festivities.

Made from simple yet meaningful ingredients like sticky rice, green beans, pork, and dong leaves, bánh chưng encapsulates the philosophy of Vietnamese culture. The rice, carefully chosen for its plump and fragrant grains, is wrapped around a filling of tender pork and rich mung beans. Each ingredient reflects the traditional farming and husbandry practices passed down through generations. Although straightforward, this dish holds deep symbolism, embodying the ancient concepts of balance and harmony—representing the universe and the cycles of nature in every layer.

Pickled scallions are often served alongside the iconic square sticky rice cake (bánh chưng) and other traditional northern dishes like pork jelly, braised pork, and boiled pork. This tangy and mildly spicy side dish enhances the flavors of main dishes and aids digestion. A unique aspect of making pickled scallions is the inclusion of sugarcane sticks placed at the bottom of the jar, which infuses the scallions with a delightful fragrance and flavor.

Contrary to popular belief, making pickled scallions in the northern style is a simple, humble process. It’s a dish made with familiar, everyday ingredients, which is why it has become a beloved traditional food in the North. Pickled scallions are a staple of Tet celebrations, though they are also made year-round. However, the ones prepared for Tet are considered the most flavorful and true to tradition.

Vietnamese sausage (giò) has been a staple of Vietnamese New Year feasts for generations. A popular dish, giò lụa is both a simple yet elegant food that plays an important role in the nation's culinary culture. Originating in the northern regions of Vietnam, it became widely known in the South under a different name: chả lụa. Over time, the method of making this sausage has evolved, with regional variations in flavor and texture, though the basic ingredients of finely minced pork and spices remain the same. Despite the variations, the northern style of giò lụa is considered the traditional recipe and has a distinctive taste.

In addition to giò lụa, another essential dish in northern Vietnamese New Year celebrations is giò xào. Traditionally wrapped in banana or dong leaves, the modern version often uses molds. This version contains a chewy texture from wood ear mushrooms and pigskin, with a fragrant hint of green pepper, making it light and not too greasy. There are also many other types of giò, such as giò bò (beef sausage) and giò trâu (buffalo sausage). When served at the feast, the sausages are usually sliced into neat, bite-sized pieces, making them both visually appealing and easy to enjoy. Simple yet symbolic, giò represents the essence of Tet in northern Vietnam.