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VOV.VN - In recent days, households in Tranh Khuc, on the outskirts of Hanoi, have been working at full stretch as Tet approaches, mobilising entire families for every stage of making banh chung (square sticky rice cakes traditionally prepared for the Lunar New Year). The annual peak production period typically runs from the 20th day of the twelfth lunar month through the full moon of the first lunar month.

At this time of the lunar year, the Tranh Khuc banh chung craft village is busier than ever, with trucks carrying dong leaves, beans, rice and finished cakes moving in and out throughout the day.

The banh chung season in the craft village runs from the 20th to the 30th day of the twelfth lunar month. After Tet, production resumes from around the third to the 15th day of the first lunar month to serve the festival season, though demand peaks in the lead-up to the Lunar New Year.

During the Tet peak, each household in the village wraps around 10,000-15,000 banh chung, with total output estimated at more than one million cakes supplied to the market.

Of that total, about 70% is sold to customers in Hanoi, while the remaining 30% is supplied to other provinces and cities nationwide and for export.

The Tranh Khuc banh chung craft village is home to more than 120 households. During the Tet season, all of them set aside other work to take part in every stage of making the traditional cakes.

According to village elders, the Tranh Khuc banh chung craft village has a long history and has preserved its traditional flavours, long renowned for their rich taste and aroma.

To make a good banh chung, Tranh Khuc villagers are meticulous in selecting ingredients, from rice, mung beans and pork to the dong leaves used for wrapping.

Before the peak season begins, villagers wash the dong leaves in advance, ensuring they are rinsed twice and left to drain, dry and become pliable before cakes are wrapped.

The filling is prepared with equal care, using the right ratios of pork and green beans and, most importantly, carefully measured seasoning to ensure a rich, aromatic and satisfying flavour.

The cakes must be boiled for 10-12 hours to achieve the right texture, allowing the rice grains to turn soft and sticky as the glutinous rice melds with the filling to create a rich, fragrant and full-bodied flavour.

Today, in response to market demand, Tranh Khuc villagers have developed new varieties such as banh chung made with gac fruit (a red-fleshed tropical fruit) and young green rice, offering both savoury and sweet fillings that have proven popular with customers.

Households in the craft village have invested in electric boilers to cook banh chung, replacing wood- and charcoal-fired stoves, helping ensure consistent quality while improving environmental hygiene.

Tranh Khuc banh chung is wrapped entirely by hand. According to local artisans, hand-wrapping makes the cakes firmer and more supple, helping preserve their distinctive flavour.

Tranh Khuc villagers hold that every banh chung they produce should be a messenger, bringing the spirit of Tet to every home.Across generations, Tranh Khuc villagers have remained meticulous at every stage, putting the heart of their craft into each cake so that every banh chung carries both the flavour of Tet and the artisans’ dedication far and wide.

Across generations, Tranh Khuc villagers have remained meticulous at every stage, putting the heart of their craft into each cake so that every banh chung carries both the flavour of Tet and the artisans’ dedication far and wide.

Year-end festivities bring early Tet to highland communities in Dien Bien

VOV.VN - A festive atmosphere spread across highland communes in northern Dien Bien province on December 27-28, as many localities simultaneously held the first Ethnic Cultural Festival in 2025, with residents welcoming early Tet (Lunar New Year festival)

Tranh Khuc banh chung village gears up for Tet

Year-end festivities bring early Tet to highland communities in Dien Bien

Foreign tourists enjoy experiencing traditional Tet space in Da Nang

Foreign tourists enjoy experiencing traditional Tet space in Da Nang