Top 20 Best Dishes to Serve Guests During Tet

First and foremost, we must mention a dish that is indispensable during Tet, and that is preserved fruits. It seems to have become an essential symbol every spring. There are many types of preserved fruits that you can use to treat guests, such as: Coconut preserves, carrot preserves, rose preserves, spicy ginger preserves, soft papaya preserves, and sweet and refreshing fruit preserves.

Undoubtedly, every time guests come to offer Tet greetings, they will be very pleased to be invited to enjoy this interesting dish. With the fresh, sweet taste of various preserved fruits combined with the distinctive flavor of each type of preserved vegetable, it will surely make everyone feel warmer on Tet day.

However, nowadays there are many types of preserved fruits on the market that are contaminated or of poor quality, which can affect your health and your family's health. But you can rest assured because you can make this dish at home, just try a little harder and be a little more careful, and you will have high-quality and delicious Tet preserved fruits.

The next line in the verse: 'Fatty meat and pickled onions in the red couplet' is 'Green square sticky rice cakes on the New Year's pole'. If pickled onions and preserves symbolize the traditional Tet of Vietnam, then green square sticky rice cakes do too! It's not only a traditional dish with a long history in our culinary culture, but also a blend of the essence of heaven and earth.

With ingredients like glutinous rice, green beans, pork, a hint of pepper, and the natural aroma of fresh dong leaves, it always leaves a profound impression on those who taste it. That's why green square sticky rice cakes have become one of the greatest dishes to serve guests on every Tet occasion. Making sticky rice cakes is not difficult; you can wrap the cakes in neat square molds or by hand.

When it comes to pickled onions, everyone knows what it is, right? There's an old saying: 'Fatty meat and pickled onions in the red couplet'; pickled onions are one of the traditional dishes of the Vietnamese people that is essential for Tet. With its fragrant, slightly spicy, and sour taste, pickled onions will make you feel warm during Tet. However, eating too much pickled onions may cause indigestion.

Vietnamese people often use this dish as an indispensable part of the feast for guests and ancestral altars every Tet. Pickled onions are not difficult to make either. With main ingredients like shallots and chili, after cleaning the onions, a little processing will give us delicious pickled onions for a cozy Tet.

If bánh chưng is the hallmark dish of the North and Central regions, in the South, people prefer sticky rice rolls (bánh tét). Occasionally, bánh tét is prepared similarly to bánh chưng, but with the difference that it's wrapped in banana leaves like sausages, filled with pork and sausage.

For Southern folks, bánh tét typically comes in two fillings: savory (similar to bánh chưng but wrapped differently) and sweet (banana or mung bean fillings). Serving sticky rice rolls (bánh tét) with braised pork and pickled vegetables is a delightful combination for Tet celebrations. Simple yet indispensable, this dish is an integral part of the traditional Vietnamese Tet cuisine. You can also make this dish at home.

Pork Sausage and Vietnamese Pâté are indispensable dishes on the Tet dinner table. Vietnamese people often buy a whole piece of sausage and cut it into slices for each meal. The first meal on the first day of Tet also cannot be without this dish.

Originating from Northern Vietnam and now widespread across the country, but similar cooking methods to some extent exist in many other cuisines around the world. The cooking process is relatively easy, the ingredients are easy to find, and the finished product is fragrant, crispy, and delicious, making pork sausage and pâté familiar dishes to people from all regions. Families often make these sausages during traditional Tet holidays, and they are sold at sausage and pâté shops in most markets nationwide. Their rich flavor will enhance the Tet feast. Pork sausage and Vietnamese pâté are decorated with coriander and carrots, making them look very attractive.

Braised pork with eggs is an easily recognizable dish on the Tet menu of people from the Southern region. The golden, glossy pieces of braised pork, tender yet firm eggs soaked in spices. This dish is not overly complicated to prepare but very delicious, suitable for the festive atmosphere of the New Year's Day. With main ingredients being braised pork belly, boiled eggs, and fresh coconut water, it creates a harmonious dish in both color and flavor. Served with white rice and pickled vegetables, it's absolutely delicious.

Amidst the slight chill of Tet, holding a bowl of steaming white rice, eating it with braised pork with eggs and pickled vegetables will make you and your family feel warm and closer. This dish is also easy to make.

A famous dish from the dreamy land of Hue, Hue sour shrimp is undoubtedly one of the best dishes to treat guests during Tet. This dish is often served with raw vegetables, sliced green bananas, and pork belly. The sophistication of Hue cuisine is demonstrated from ingredient selection to preparation method, with shrimp of just the right size to soak up the spices evenly and beautifully arranged in jars. With sour shrimp, you can enjoy it with hot rice or, most famously, sour shrimp served with boiled meat, rice paper, pickled vegetables, and other herbs... all mixed together to create an irresistible flavor. Although delicious, the preparation method is not too complicated.

The harmonization of flavors will create an unforgettable taste during Tet. With its distinctive flavor, unique taste, and appealing color, it will be the perfect choice for you to use sour shrimp as a highlight for your Tet feast.

Preserved Meat is a traditional dish commonly seen in Vietnamese Tet meals. Pork, chicken, or duck is simmered thoroughly and then left to cool. Under the slightly cold weather of Tet, the well-simmered meat will solidify, giving us a delicious dish. Preserved meat, when served with crunchy pickled onions, tangy and spicy, needs no further description. Add a bowl of chili fish sauce with minced garlic, and it becomes even more exquisite. That's why this is also a wonderful dish used to entertain guests during this Tet holiday.

Preserved meat mainly consists of pork, usually the leg meat, with key spices being star anise and peppercorns, along with pork skin and possibly agar-agar. It's a cold dish, eaten with hot rice, providing a refreshing sensation on the palate. The texture of the pork skin affects the firmness of the jelly. Depending on preference, the amount of pork skin added to the simmering process can be adjusted. The gelatinous part should be firm, not too soft at room temperature. The firmness of the gelatin depends on the amount of pork skin added during simmering, resulting in a solidified jelly.

The main dishes mentioned above are complete, but can you imagine a Tet meal without a bowl of soup? In Northern Vietnam, a Tet feast would not be complete without a pot of braised pork leg with bamboo shoots soup. Pork leg contains many beneficial nutrients for the body. It's a food rich in calcium, iron, and various vitamins that help with blood circulation, lactation, skin softening, kidney nourishment, and more. Not only is pork leg good for health, but it also has a delicious aroma when cooked, as the pork leg with its tendons and skin is chewy and crispy, blending perfectly with fresh and tangy bamboo shoots, making it suitable for family meals on rainy days or even scorching hot days.

The crispy texture of the bamboo shoots combined with the rich and fragrant pork leg creates an unforgettable taste. With pork leg, bamboo shoots, and a few spices, we can easily make a flavorful soup to entertain guests during the Tet holiday.

Sesame-crusted tuna is a variation in the method of preparing tuna dishes, bringing a new and appealing flavor to the dish, stimulating the taste buds of the diners. This is one of the delicious and nutritious dishes you can choose to entertain guests on Tet day. Pan-seared sesame-crusted tuna is prepared by cleaning and filleting the fish, patting it dry, then marinating it with mustard, salt, coffee, and cooking oil. Next, the fish is coated with black and white sesame seeds, pan-seared with 1 tablespoon of cooking oil until evenly golden on both sides. The dish can be served with salad or raw vegetables.

The tuna meat is tender and sweet, infused with the fragrant, crunchy layer of sesame seeds, creating an irresistible allure of pan-seared sesame-crusted tuna. The dish not only has an eye-catching color and an appealing flavor but also provides essential nutrients for the body. With the pan-searing method, the tuna meat is not overcooked and retains its nutritional value along with its natural sweetness.

Bitter melon, also known as bitter gourd, can be used to create many delicious dishes - despite its bitter taste, the benefits it brings to the body are immense - helping to cool the body and providing a large amount of fiber to regulate the body as well as beautify the skin on hot days. And especially bitter melon stuffed with meat soup is sure to be one of the choices for meals. Not only because it is easy to eat and cook, but it also helps to complete the taste of the meal.

In the Tet feast of people in the North, the stewed bamboo shoot and pork rib soup then bitter melon stuffed with meat soup will appear in the Tet meal of people in the South. It is not only a good dish for health but also carries the meaning of dispelling all the hardships of the old year and bringing joy, happiness, and luck for the new year. Cooking bitter melon stuffed with meat soup for guests is also very simple, no need to be too elaborate but it requires you to put your soul and dedication into the dish.

Silver paper grilled fish can be considered one of the most delicious and appealing dishes to serve guests during Tet. You prepare carp fish by stuffing it with lime leaves, ginger, horn peppers, and sliced lemongrass into the gutted fish. Then wrap the fish in silver paper and grill it in the oven for an appropriate amount of time. Once done, place the fish on a plate, pour the dipping sauce made with 1 tablespoon of fish sauce, 1 tablespoon of chili sauce, 1 tablespoon of lime juice, and 1 tablespoon of sesame oil on top, and serve while hot.

Silver paper grilled fish has the natural sweetness of the fish, wrapped in layers of refreshing green herbs and soaked in the rich flavor of fish sauce, making it irresistible to anyone. The process of making silver paper grilled fish is quite simple and does not require much time for marinating and grilling the fish.

Marinated beef jerky is a popular dish loved by many, not only for snacking but also as a delicious accompaniment to rice. However, it is often considered difficult to make, and most people buy it from stores instead of making it themselves. In fact, the process of making this dish is not as difficult as people think. The key to a delicious marinated beef jerky lies in selecting the right ingredients, and the method is quite simple.

This is one of the easy-to-make Tet dishes. You prepare the beef and boil it until cooked, then place it in a glass jar to marinate with pre-mixed sweet and salty fish sauce, tightly cover the jar. After about 5 – 7 days (depending on the size of the beef), the dish is ready to be served. Marinated beef jerky is a delicious dish commonly enjoyed on festive occasions and is used to entertain guests. It's not too complicated to make but very delicious, loved by many.

This is one of the famous Tet dishes served to guests in Nam Dinh. You can prepare this dish by mixing glutinous rice flour with water and eggs, forming small balls smaller than longan fruit. Then, the balls are deep-fried until golden in a pan filled with oil, then taken out to drain the oil and coated with a sufficient amount of sugar. After the cakes are evenly cooked, they are crispy on the outside, soft inside, and have a delicious sweetness.

It is unclear when this cake appeared, but it seems that the famous longan cake in Nam Dinh is always a sweet gift for those who come to this place. Each small and lovely longan cake is kneaded round, fried in hot oil emitting a fragrant aroma, and crispy. The reason why the people here call this cake by such a rustic name is because the cake is shaped like a longan fruit. In addition, this sweet cake is also known as a tea cake or a cake bi.

Sweetened Green Bean Soup is one of the beloved sweet treats served to guests that many people adore. This dish is prepared by cooking peeled mung beans until soft, grinding them into a smooth paste (ginger can be added if desired), then adding a sufficient amount of sugar, simmering over low heat, stirring constantly until the soup thickens, and adding sesame seeds if desired. Finally, scoop the soup into bowls and let it cool until set.

In the past, people in Hanoi often used this dish for religious offerings and ancestral worship. It is also a delicious gift to invite honored guests during Tet. A familiar image to everyone is sweetened green bean soup cut into flower shapes along with lotus tea. As a child, every Tet eve, I would sit and watch my mother cook sweetened green bean soup. Breathing in the fragrant scent of beans, sugar, and herbal aroma... happy childhood memories.

When it comes to Vietnamese cuisine, it's hard to fully describe its richness and diversity. Alongside traditional Tet delicacies, Sweet and Sour Pickled Pig's Ears are also a delicious and exotic dish to serve to guests. Your guests will surely find it mouthwatering, almost irresistible.

Most dishes made from pig's ears are well-loved, such as boiled pig's ears in sweet and sour sauce, pig's ear salad, pig's ear salad... and especially crispy Sweet and Sour Pickled Pig's Ears. This crunchy dish with its tangy and sweet flavor always leaves diners with a unique and delightful experience.

Dried Banana is a favorite snack loved by many people because bananas are very good for health, but buying dried bananas outside the store will surely contain preservatives. Therefore, women should make dried bananas at home for cleanliness, deliciousness, and health assurance.

This is also one of the attractive sweet dishes that often appear on the table to treat guests. You can do this by buying ripe bananas, peeling them, slicing them thickly, marinating them with sugar. Then, you take the bananas to dry in the oven. The finished banana pieces have a beautiful yellow color, crispy texture, and just the right amount of sweetness.

Banh To is one of the types of cakes that often appear on occasions like Lunar New Year according to Chinese culture, including the culture of Vietnamese people living in the Central region. Banh To is made from glutinous rice flour, which is a type of cake commonly used for rituals in Chinese culture and can be served as a dessert or snack, an indispensable dish for entertaining guests during Tet.

The name meaning of Banh To symbolizes luck and prosperity for the whole year. Moreover, this type of cake is very sticky, so it is also considered a dish for the Kitchen Gods to prevent these deities from saying bad things about the family in front of the Jade Emperor, instead saying good things to bring more luck to the family.

The image of boiled chicken on the Lunar New Year's table is very familiar to many generations of Vietnamese people. On Tet, chicken is prepared more meticulously, resembling a rooster holding a rose in its mouth. According to ancient folklore, the chicken symbolizes many good meanings. The rooster is a symbol of resilience and strength among the 12 zodiac animals. In literature, the chicken is believed to possess five virtues: literary, martial, courageous, humane, and moral.

When boiling chicken, the first step is crucial. Therefore, you should put the chicken into the pot when the water is still cold, ensuring that the chicken is fully submerged in water (note that the belly should face downward). This means the chicken will cook from the inside out and will not turn dark during the cooking process. Additionally, a large and sharp cleaver is essential for neatly cutting the chicken meat and keeping the pieces intact. The wings are also cut on both sides to enhance their taste when lightly touching the breast. Then, proceed to cut the neck, cut the boiled chicken in half, and slice into small pieces. To prevent the chicken meat from becoming mushy, remember to cut it decisively into rectangular or parallelogram shapes.

20. Beef Jerky

Beef jerky is a beloved dish that no one can resist with its delicious aroma. Sun-dried or smoked beef (known as 'bò gác bếp' in Vietnamese) is nutritious, flavorful, and easy to preserve. During the Tet holiday, having beef jerky in the fridge for snacking or serving guests with a celebratory beer to ring in the new year is unmatched.

The most popular beef jerky product is usually the shredded version because it offers convenience in preparation. Simply put the beef jerky on a plate and sprinkle a little lime juice, and it's ready to eat without any additional seasoning. During the Tet holiday when guests continuously visit, beef jerky is considered the most enticing and convenient snack to pair with a beer.