History and Legend
The origin of Banh Chung can be traced to Hong Bang Dynasty –
when the 6th Hung Emperor ruled the land. Sadly thinking he was too old
to lead the country, Hung Emperor wanted to find the one to inherit his
position and sit on the throne. Therefore, he held a cooking contest for
his 21 sons, and who could fully satisfy his taste would be the winner.
Most princes set out on their journey to find special, exotic and
far-fetched food, except for Lang Lieu – the 18th son of Hung King, also
the poorest and loneliest since he lost his mother at a young age. Not
having enough money to afford such delicacies, Lieu just stayed around
his house. Thanks to the help of a fairy in his dream, Lieu came up with
2 types of cake called ‘Banh Chung’ and ‘Banh Day’ and started baking
exactly like what he had been told. On a spring day on which all the
princes’ labor had to be presented, Lang Lieu and his wife brought Banh
Chung and Banh Day to the emperor while other princes presented such
expensive and unusual dishes.
Others sneered at Lieu’s cakes, but Hung Emperor was deeply impressed
by the special flavor of these cakes. He asked Lieu about the meaning of
these cakes. Lieu said that he had cooked the glutinous rice, then
molded it into a round rice cake, and called it Banh Day
as it symbolized the sky we live under; he also cooked a square rice
cake, stuffed it with cooked bean paste and ground meat in the middle,
and called it Banh Chung, which was symbolic of the earth we live on.
After that, Hung Emperor decided that Lieu was the winner and passed his
throne to him. Since then, Banh Chung and Banh Day become traditional
foods during the Tet holiday
Banh Chung today
Banh Chung can be served as it is or fried to make ‘Banh Chung Ran’
– a delicious for such cold February in Vietnam. In some other regions,
especially the Southern part of Vietnam, Banh Chung can be wrap in a
cylindral shape with same ingredients, called ’Banh Tet’. A
similar one to Banh Tet is ‘Banh Tay’ or ‘Banh Chung Dai’ (Long Banh
Chung), served solely in the North with mung bean and little or no pork,
hence, can be preserved for a longer period. There are also many
variations of Banh Chung according to regions, religions and likings
such as Banh Chung Gu (Humped Banh Chung) of San Diu people, Banh Chung
Chay (Vegetarian Banh Chung) for vegetarians and Buddhists, Banh Chung
Ngot (Sweetened Banh Chung), etc.
In traditional context, the process of making Banh Chung is an occasion for Vietnamese family members
to get together. Sitting around the warm fire, talking and telling each
other past stories, they get ready for a New Year with lots of good
wishes. Although nowadays, not many Vietnamese families keep this habit
anymore, Banh Chung is still an irreplaceable dish of Vietnamese
ancestor altar on the occasion of Tet. It is the evidence of the
Vietnamese loyalty and great gratitude to their ancestors.
The importance of Banh Chung has already gone into poetry:
‘Thịt mỡ, dưa hành, câu đối đỏ
Cây nêu, tràng pháo bánh chưng xanh’
Cây nêu, tràng pháo bánh chưng xanh’
Translation:
‘Rich meats, Salty onions, red couplets
Nêu tree, firecracker, green banh chung’.
Nêu tree, firecracker, green banh chung’.
