Top 13 Essential Dishes for Tết in Southern Vietnam

The dish bitter melon soup, also known as stuffed bitter melon, is a beloved choice for Southern households during the Lunar New Year. The dish symbolizes the hope that hardship and suffering will be left behind. It is especially appreciated during Tết, as the hot weather of Southern Vietnam begins to set in, offering a refreshing and cooling effect. The bitter melon represents the desire for a smooth, successful year ahead.

While bitter melon is readily available year-round, it takes on a special significance during the holiday season. A bowl of bitter melon soup on the Tết feast table symbolizes the removal of life's daily struggles. This humble dish carries deep meaning, reflecting human connection, sharing, and the wish for a brighter future. Additionally, consuming this soup during Tết helps with digestion, relieving bloating and easing the stomach after rich holiday meals.

During Tet, families come together to enjoy special dishes that are hard to find the rest of the year, such as fresh sausage, sticky rice cakes, and pork roll. While the North celebrates Tet with a steady supply of traditional Vietnamese sausage (known as cha lua in the South), the South insists that sausage be present at every Tet feast. Sausage is a beloved food in Southern Vietnam, and during Tet, it's common to buy sausage as both a treat for guests and a part of the celebration. There are various types of sausage—fresh, dried, or lean sausage—each with its own distinctive flavor and preparation.

At every Tet celebration, sausage is a must-have dish that guests enjoy with a glass of wine or other beverages. This dish holds a special place in the hearts of the Southern Vietnamese. The name 'sausage' comes from the fact that the shape of the sausage resembles a red money bag, a symbol of good fortune and prosperity. As a result, it is often included in offerings made to ancestors. When talking about sausage, no one can forget the distinct taste of fresh sausage from the Mekong Delta, which is carefully prepared by locals during the festive season to welcome guests. If you’ve ever tasted this unique sausage and would like to try making it yourself for your family during the upcoming Tet, now is the perfect time to start!

Sticky rice with mung beans is a sweet and delicately fragrant dish that’s soft and rich in texture. This simple yet traditional dish is a staple during Tet celebrations in Southern Vietnam. When discussing Southern cuisine, it's impossible not to mention the renowned sticky rice with mung beans, which blends the sticky texture of glutinous rice, the nutty sweetness of mung beans, and the creamy richness of coconut milk.

The standout feature of this dish is its individual grains of rice, which are not stuck together like regular sticky rice dishes. Despite this, the rice still maintains its soft texture, while the mung beans offer a sweet, nutty flavor, and the coconut milk adds an irresistible richness. Once you’ve tried it, the unique taste will stay with you. At Tet meals, a golden plate of sticky rice with mung beans is always placed at the center of the altar, symbolizing respect for the ancestors and hopes for a peaceful, prosperous new year.

Bamboo shoot soup is a dish packed with fiber and vitamins, making it a popular choice for Tet meals in Southern Vietnam. What sets Southern bamboo shoot soup apart is the use of fresh bamboo shoots, which gives it a unique and delightful flavor. During the festive season, the taste of this aromatic and savory soup is sure to win over anyone, with its distinct and captivating charm that draws people in.

The ingredients for bamboo shoot soup are simple and familiar, commonly found in everyday life. The cooking method is not complicated, but that's what makes this dish so special. How can such a humble dish, made with easy-to-find ingredients, continue to be a beloved part of Tet celebrations year after year? The answer lies in its simplicity and deep connection to tradition. It's a dish that has stood the test of time, cherished for its familiarity and warmth. Bamboo shoot soup carries the soul of Vietnamese cuisine, representing the heritage passed down through generations. The steaming bowl of bamboo shoot soup on the family altar symbolizes both respect for ancestors and the continuity of culture through the ages.

Along with sticky rice cakes, Vietnamese pork sausage is an essential dish during Tet celebrations in Southern Vietnam. However, since it is a perishable food, it doesn’t stay fresh for long. As a result, preserving the sausage and ensuring it remains flavorful is a priority for many during the Tet holiday. Made primarily from lean pork, with added fat, fish sauce, pepper, and other spices, this sausage is typically only good for 1 to 3 days, depending on the storage conditions.

Pork sausage has its origins in the 18th century, during the Late Le Dynasty, when it was considered a luxurious food, offered exclusively to the royal family during grand ceremonies. At that time, Vietnam was poor, a fact captured in local sayings like “a meal as large as a pagoda” or “feasts at the grave, but working the fields.” Furthermore, during the French colonial era, Vietnam was heavily influenced by French cuisine, including sausages and hams. Today, thanks to the rich history of Vietnamese cooking, pork sausage has become a dish that is both a humble comfort food and a symbol of refinement when served to guests. While it appears simple, a piece of pork sausage embodies prosperity, wealth, and family harmony, bringing both warmth and blessings to the home.

Shredded chicken salad is a beloved dish in the southern region of Vietnam, with tender, sweet chicken mixed with crispy vegetables, evoking the flavors of home. There are many variations of this dish, primarily depending on the choice of vegetables paired with the chicken, such as cabbage, carrots, cucumbers, or banana flowers. The preparation is straightforward, but each cook adds their own twist, creating a unique version of this refreshing salad. The key to a great shredded chicken salad is using fresh, high-quality ingredients.

The salad becomes even more flavorful when served with a tangy fish sauce dressing and crispy shrimp chips. Don’t miss out on making this delicious dish during Tet. A staple of Southern Vietnamese Tet celebrations, shredded chicken salad has won the hearts of many with its balanced sweet and sour taste, offering a light and satisfying dish that is never too heavy. It’s a must-try dish for any family gathering!

Shallots are a distinctive bulb grown along the waterways of Southern Vietnam, especially in the provinces of Dong Thap, Bac Lieu, and Soc Trang during late autumn and early spring. The shallot plant resembles onions, but has a milder taste and smaller bulbs. Every Tet season, alongside the traditional bánh tét, pickled shallots are an essential side dish in many Southern households. The sweet and sour pickled shallots are perfect for pairing with bánh tét or braised pork, offering a refreshing contrast to rich, fatty dishes. But why should pickled shallots only be enjoyed during Tet? With its unique flavor and easy-to-eat nature, this dish has found its way into everyday meals.

Using the famous dried shrimp from the region and adding century eggs, the pickled shallots are combined with seasonings to create a delicious new dish: pickled shallots with dried shrimp. The combination of savory shrimp, the rich taste of the century eggs, and the crispy, tangy shallots make this a flavorful and unforgettable dish. A popular treat during Tet in Southern Vietnam, this dish is beloved by many. Its sour pickled shallots and sweet shrimp complement each other perfectly, making each bite a delightful experience. When served with bánh tét, this dish is an absolute hit that everyone will love. This is why people in the South adore it so much.

Southern Vietnam is known for its sweet landscapes, fragrant flowers, and unique fruits, and it’s also the birthplace of many simple yet distinctive dishes. One such dish is pickled radish in fish sauce, a traditional favorite that has to be on the table during Tet celebrations in the South. Like other regional dishes that are rich in fats and proteins, pickled radish offers a refreshing contrast, making it the perfect side dish to balance out heavier flavors. To prepare this dish, choosing the right ingredients is key. Select young, firm radishes and carrots—avoid older ones as they tend to be tough and not as tasty.

The fresher the ingredients, the better the flavor. The radishes and carrots are washed, peeled, and cut into thick or thin slices or carved into flowers, depending on personal preference. It's important to cut them evenly so that the seasoning can absorb uniformly. Once prepared, salt is mixed with the vegetables to extract excess water, then the mixture is drained and sun-dried for a few hours until slightly wilted. The result is a dish with the perfect balance of sour, sweet, chewy, and crunchy flavors—an essential part of any Southern Tet feast. Pickled radish in fish sauce not only serves as a great palate cleanser during the holiday feasts, but it's also delicious when paired with bánh tét, a Southern Tet specialty.

Gai cake is a traditional Vietnamese sweet originating from the Red River Delta region in the North. This square-shaped cake, wrapped in dark green leaves, has a distinct aroma of mung beans and sticky rice. Gai cake is now popular throughout Vietnam, particularly in the South during Tet celebrations. The cake is easily available at local markets, supermarkets, or can be made at home. It contains either a mung bean or coconut filling, wrapped in a layer of sticky rice and encased in the black gai leaves, giving it a unique chewy texture and special color.

Perhaps this cake is so familiar that it has become a symbol of Vietnamese cuisine. When thinking about Southern Tet food, gai cake is an indispensable part of the celebration. People often purchase dozens, even hundreds, of these cakes to enjoy during the holiday. Southern gai cakes typically come in two sweet fillings: mung bean or coconut with sugar, depending on individual preference. The sticky rice is mixed with gai leaves, creating a deep green color that is visually enticing. A bite into this soft, aromatic cake reveals the true essence and joy of Southern Tet cuisine.

Pickled bean sprouts are a popular pickled dish in the South, highly favored during Tet for their cool and crunchy texture. This simple, affordable dish is easy to eat and offers a sweet-and-sour taste that balances the richness of meat-heavy meals.

Pickled bean sprouts are particularly beloved during Tet when constant servings of meat can become overwhelming. They are often served with rice, wrapped in rice paper, but are most commonly paired with braised pork and eggs, a combination that’s perfect for relieving the heaviness of the holiday meals. The dish is made with bean sprouts, chives, and carrots, all nutritious and refreshing. It can be prepared as a quick pickle or with a longer fermentation for a deeper flavor.

Braised pork with eggs, also known as pork braised in coconut juice or with salted eggs, is a beloved traditional dish of the South. As Tet approaches, families often prepare a large pot of this dish to offer to their ancestors. It is also a staple during the holiday meals, commonly served alongside pickled bean sprouts to balance the richness of the pork.

While the North has its cold meat dishes, the South has this iconic dish. Visitors to a Southern home during Tet are likely to find this dish at the center of the celebration, evoking memories of family and togetherness. The whole eggs in this dish symbolize completeness and wholeness for the coming year. Braised pork with eggs, like other braised dishes, is cooked to last through the holiday, and while it is simple to make, achieving the perfect flavor is a delicate art. The salty-sweet, savory, and tender pork combined with the sourness of pickled vegetables creates an irresistible Tet flavor.

The phrase "Fatty pork, pickled onions, red couplets, bamboo poles, firecrackers, and green sticky rice cakes" is a classic depiction of Tet in Vietnam. Pickled vegetables are a must-have traditional dish that frequently graces the dining table. During Tet, the meals are rich in protein and fat, which can sometimes lead to a feeling of heaviness and indigestion. This is why pickled vegetables, typically served alongside dishes like sticky rice cakes or braised pork with eggs, play a crucial role in balancing out the meal's richness.

Pickled vegetables, such as pickled cabbage, pickled garlic chives, and pickled carrots, are made by soaking vegetables in a sweet-salty brine made from fish sauce and sugar, often over the course of several days. This tangy dish not only enhances the flavor of the meal but also aids digestion. It’s especially essential during Tet, as it complements the richness of other foods and offers a refreshing contrast. Have you tried the pickled vegetables served during Tet in the South of Vietnam? If not, make sure to experience this delightful addition to the holiday feast!

While people in Central Vietnam cherish the simplicity of banh chung during Tet, the people of Southern Vietnam enjoy a more varied and inventive approach with banh tet. Banh tet in the South comes in two main varieties: savory and sweet. The savory ones are often filled with mung beans and pork, but many families also add salted eggs and Chinese sausage for a richer flavor. The sweet versions, on the other hand, are typically filled with red beans, green beans, or even bananas. Banh tet is an essential part of Tet celebrations, often offered as a tribute to ancestors.

Wrapped in multiple layers of banana leaves, banh tet symbolizes the mother’s embrace around her child. Eating this dish is a way of honoring the maternal bond, reminding us of family unity and the importance of nurturing. The green color of the cake, with its golden filling, represents the hope for a peaceful and prosperous life. Much like banh chung, despite the difference in wrapping techniques, the essence of both cakes celebrates the hard work and harmony of life, and serves as a reminder of our connection to our ancestors.