A traditional Tết feast of Hà Nội. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — The traditional Tết feast of Hà Nội exemplifies culinary artistry and cultural heritage, reflecting the devotion of descendants offering their best to ancestors during the Lunar New Year. Beyond its aesthetic elegance, the feast conveys wishes for prosperity and fulfillment in the coming year.

Highlights of Hà Nội's Tết feast are signature dishes, such as neatly wrapped spring rolls, diamond-shaped slices of chả quế (cinnamon pork rolls), a tender boiled chicken adorned with a rose, and perfectly cut squares of green chưng cake (glutinous sticky rice). Complementing these are bowls of bamboo shoot soup, and pork skin vegetable soup, and other delicacies.

A tender boiled chicken adorned with a rose. — VNA.VNS Photo

Culinary artisan Phạm Thị Ánh Tuyết highlights the meticulous preparation of these dishes.

Traditionally, a Hà Nội's Tết feast includes either four bowls and six plates or four bowls and eight plates, depending on the family’s means. Bamboo shoot soup, for example, is slow-cooked with pork hocks and garnished with scallions. The soup’s flavour balances the sweetness and richness of the pork without being overwhelming.

Another iconic dish, pork skin broth, is enriched with mushrooms, tenderloin, and delicately carved garnishes. Compared to other regions, Hà Nội's Tết Tet dishes are served on smaller plates, emphasising refinement and distinction.

For Trần Trung Hiếu, a Hanoian native, the Tết feast symbolises familial traditions passed down through generations. Featuring essential items like boiled chicken, spring rolls, and pork rolls, the table is a microcosm of togetherness.

Hiếu underscores the feast's harmony in flavour and presentation: chicken is arranged with intact skin, pork rolls are cut into symmetrical floral patterns, and pickled vegetables are beautifully carved.

A bowl of bamboo shoot soup. — VNA/VNS Photo

All dishes are served on compact Bát Tràng porcelain plates, ensuring an elegant yet modest display.

The feast is a vibrant tapestry of colours—green chưng cake, red glutinous rice, golden chicken, and white pickled onions—representing the essence of nature. Hiếu’s favourite dish, pork skin broth, combines chicken stock with dried shrimp and mushrooms for a savoury yet delicate flavour.

Despite the passage of time, Hà Nội's Tết feast retains its intricate traditions, serving as a bridge between the past and present while strengthening family bonds. It remains a testament to the city's rich culinary heritage and the enduring spirit of Tết celebrations.— VNA/VNS