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What are the Must-Have Foods for Doan Ngo Festival on the 5th of May?
1. Seasonal Fruits
Among the top choices for Doan Ngo Festival are seasonal fruits. Summer is abundant with delicious and sweet fruits, making them the prime offerings for this occasion. Depending on the region, different fruits are selected: In the North, typical choices on the 5th of May include lychees, plums, and peaches; people in the South often opt for watermelon, rambutan, mangoes, etc. According to folk belief, these fruits have cooling properties and can ward off pests and diseases. To ensure your family enjoys fresh and tasty fruits, you also need to learn the secrets of selecting fruits for Doan Ngo Day!
2. Rice Wine
Rice wine sticky rice, also known as rice wine sticky rice cake, is a quintessential dish chosen for the day of Tet to exterminate pests. It is made by cooking glutinous rice into a porridge, then letting it cool and fermenting it with wine yeast. This dish is quite nutritious, providing many vitamins and nutrients for the body. Moreover, it helps detoxify the body, alleviating illnesses. Therefore, it is an indispensable dish for the Doan Ngo Tet holiday in Vietnamese families.
3. Duck Meat
For the people of the Central region, duck meat is a popular and essential dish for the Doan Ngo Tet holiday. This is the time when duck meat is at its best, most delicious state, and people prepare it in various dishes, including duck blood pudding, which is quite unique. Duck meat contains a high amount of vitamins and beneficial substances necessary for health. It is particularly effective in gaining weight and has supportive effects in treating ailments such as body weakness, night sweats, ringing in the ears, dizziness, back pain, and asthma. Hence, eating duck meat on the Doan Ngo Tet holiday is indeed appropriate.
4. Tro Cake, Gio Cake, Nẳng Cake, U Tro Cake
Banh tro, banh gio, banh nang, and banh u tro are all names for a type of cake made by soaking glutinous rice with tro water (kitchen ashes), then wrapping it in leaves and steaming until cooked. While Tet Nguyen Dan features banh chung and banh giay, in some regions, banh tro is a common offering on the altar during Tet Doan Ngo, which falls on the 5th day of the 5th lunar month. This cake is known for its cooling properties and is easy to digest, making it suitable for the elderly, young children, and those with heat-related illnesses. Additionally, banh gio aids in detoxification, cooling the body, and may help alleviate conditions such as hypertension and kidney stones.
5. Banh troi nuoc, banh chay
When it comes to banh troi nuoc and banh chay, we often associate them with the 3rd day of the 3rd lunar month. However, in the southern regions of Vietnam, these cakes are also commonly enjoyed during Tet Doan Ngo. Made from glutinous rice flour combined with mung bean paste and either sugar syrup or coconut milk, these cakes are known for their cooling properties and excellent ability to repel insects.
6. Banh khuc
For the Nung ethnic people in Muong Khuong, Lao Cai, banh khuc is a distinctive dish on the Doan Ngo Tet. This type of cake consists of glutinous rice, khuc leaves, green beans, black sesame seeds,... can be steamed, fried, or cooked in hot oil, very appealing. The Nung people believe that eating banh khuc on the 5th of May will bring them a warm and prosperous life, a bountiful harvest, and ward off diseases in their bodies.
7. Peanut chè
When it comes to Doan Ngo Tet dishes, one cannot ignore the peanut chè, which is a typical dish of the people in Hue. Peanut chè is chosen for Doan Ngo Tet because it is a cooling dessert, balancing the body temperature during hot summer days. Peanuts are considered as the 'longevity food' because these nuts are very nutritious, beneficial for digestion, contributing to the treatment of body weakness, sunstroke, cold, fever, rapid heartbeat,...
In this article, we have compiled some common Doan Ngo Tet dishes that carry significant cultural meanings and are beneficial for health for people across the country, suitable for the meaning of the 5th of May for readers to refer to. Hopefully, through this, you can choose the foods for your family to enjoy on this special Tet day.
=> When to perform the Doan Ngo Tet ritual?
=> How to select fruits for Doan Ngo Tet, 5/5
Have you prepared your Doan Ngo Tet prayer yet? If not, you can download the Doan Ngo Tet prayer here to ensure meticulous preparation for the worship.
