Linh Son Pagoda’s banh for the Lunar New Year
Linh Son pagoda, Houston, click on the image to see more pictures of the pagoda.
Linh Son pagoda, Houston. Click on the image to see more pictures of the pagoda.
Although not all Vietnamese living oversea can take a day off to go to the pagodas on the first day of Tet, many manage to keep the tradition. Of course there is no strict requirement that one has to be looking at and praying to the Buddha at a certain day, for a certain amount of time, or with a certain prayer. Tet is not a religious based tradition. But many Buddhist and even non-Buddhists like to go to the pagodas on the first day of Tet to have a peaceful start of the new year, to feel spiritually lightened (hopefully enlightened as well) and pure on the important day. Many also choose to eat no animal product on this day, as it’s the new spring and every creature deserves to be happy and live in peace. Nonetheless, vegan restaurants are somewhat scarce in the conservative town, places with banh chung banh tet for sale don’t generally make the vegan version, and to deprive a Vietnamese of banh chung banh tet on a Tet’s day is somewhat cruel. So the pagodas take on the precious task.
Dua mon is pickled vegetables, here packaged in jars, and apparently on sale for $5? I believe I haven’t had dua mon. I’m not big on veggies in vinegar-sugar-salt mix, the only exception to me is pickled bean sprout (dua gia). But perhaps because every house during Tet is so overabundant with meat and glutinous rice, the dua being a bit tart, a bit sweet, crunchy, and light is a nice change in both taste and texture. In fact, with its economic nature and longevity, a big jar of dua on its own makes Tet in poor households.
Back to the star of Tet food. The square ones are banh chung, the cylindrical ones are banh tet. Banh chung is wrapped in dong leaves, banh tet is wrapped in banana leaves (theoretically). Banh chung declothed:
and quartered:
Mother got to the banh tet before I did, with a knife. I was 5 minutes too late to grab the camera. So here, in all gruesomeness, six “khoanh” of banh tet:
If you’re wondering, yes, their basic structure, except for the shape, is the same. Thick coat of glutinous rice outside, simple mung bean paste inside, since these are vegan banh made and sold at the pagoda. The meaty version of banh chung has lean pork amidst the bean paste, and that of banh tet has fatty pork. The outermost rim of glutinous rice is somewhat greenish yellow, naturally dyed by the leaves wrapping them and the long cooking process, in which they are submerged in water for hours. Banh chung was born in the North of Vietnam over 2000 years before Jesus was born, and especially made for Tet and Tet only. It even has a myth to explain its symbolism. Banh tet was its little brother, made for easy cooking and carrying, more popular in the South, available in one form or another all year long. The rice layer is soft and gummy, the bean paste middle is a little salted and sweetened. It’s vegan, but it doesn’t lack flavor. It’s really really heavy though. One khoanh of banh tet for breakfast and I was full from 10AM until 7PM! I would have been starved otherwise, classes all day, and school cafeterias don’t serve vegan food. That means if you like to keep yourself reasonably full, with 6 bucks you are full for 3-6 days of banh tet, and 4-8 days of banh chung. Pretty good huh?
Excellent goods from you, man. I’ve understand your stuff previous to and you’re just too wonderful. I really like what you have acquired here, really like what you are stating and the way in which you say it. You make it entertaining and you still care for to keep it wise. I can not wait to read far more from you. This is actually a terrific website.
1I’m not sure where you’re getting your info, but good topic. I needs to spend some time learning much more or understanding more. Thanks for great info I was looking for this information for my mission.
2Regards for all your efforts that you have put in this. very interesting info .
3Thanks for the marvelous posting! I seriously enjoyed reading it, you can be a great author.I will make certain to bookmark your blog and definitely will come back someday. I want to encourage continue your great job, have a nice evening!
4I’d forever want to be update on new posts on this site, bookmarked! .
5Very good written post. It will be supportive to everyone who usess it, as well as myself. Keep up the good work – for sure i will check out more posts.
6Aw, this was a really nice post. In idea I would like to put in writing like this moreover – taking time and actual effort to make an excellent article… but what can I say… I procrastinate alot and by no means seem to get something done.
7I went over this internet site and I conceive you have a lot of fantastic info , saved to fav (:.
8When I initially commented I clicked the “Notify me when new comments are added” checkbox and now each time a comment is added I get four emails with the same comment. Is there any way you can remove people from that service? Many thanks!
9I like this site very much, Its a really nice spot to read and obtain info .
10Once I initially commented I clicked the -Notify me when new comments are added- checkbox and now every time a comment is added I get four emails with the identical comment. Is there any means you may remove me from that service? Thanks!
11I love your writing style really loving this web site.
12After all, what a great site and informative posts, I will upload inbound link – bookmark this web site? Regards, Reader.
13Some truly superb articles on this web site, regards for contribution.
14Way cool, some valid points! I appreciate you making this article available, the rest of the site is also high quality. Have a fun.
15I precisely had to thank you so much all over again. I’m not certain the things that I would have worked on without those smart ideas contributed by you relating to such subject matter. This was an absolute frightening circumstance for me, nevertheless encountering a specialised technique you solved it made me to cry over gladness. Now i’m happier for this information and even have high hopes you find out what a powerful job you have been putting in educating people thru your web site. I know that you haven’t got to know all of us.
16I would like to thnkx for the efforts you have put in writing this blog. I am hoping the same high-grade blog post from you in the upcoming as well. In fact your creative writing abilities has inspired me to get my own blog now. Really the blogging is spreading its wings quickly. Your write up is a good example of it.
17When I originally commented I clicked the -Notify me when new comments are added- checkbox and now each time a comment is added I get four emails with the same comment. Is there any way you can remove me from that service? Thanks!
18I simply had to thank you so much yet again. I am not sure the things that I would’ve worked on without those creative concepts provided by you concerning my field. It previously was a frightful matter in my position, but looking at a new expert way you processed that forced me to leap for contentment. Now i am happier for your support and as well , trust you realize what a powerful job you are providing instructing other individuals by way of your webpage. Most probably you have never met any of us.
19You have mentioned very interesting points! ps decent site.
20Simply wish to say your article is as astounding. The clearness on your submit is simply spectacular and that i can assume you are an expert in this subject. Well with your permission let me to take hold of your feed to stay updated with approaching post. Thank you one million and please continue the enjoyable work.
21Oh my goodness! an incredible article dude. Thank you However I am experiencing situation with ur rss . Don’t know why Unable to subscribe to it. Is there anyone getting equivalent rss drawback? Anybody who is aware of kindly respond. Thnkx
22I went over this website and I conceive you have a lot of excellent information, saved to favorites (:.
23This blog is definitely rather handy since I’m at the moment creating an internet floral website – although I am only starting out therefore it’s really fairly small, nothing like this site. Can link to a few of the posts here as they are quite. Thanks much. Zoey Olsen
24Generally I do not learn post on blogs, however I wish to say that this write-up very pressured me to take a look at and do so! Your writing taste has been surprised me. Thanks, quite nice post.
25Really excellent info can be found on website. “I can think of nothing less pleasurable than a life devoted to pleasure.” by John D. Rockefeller.
26Your place is valueble for me. Thanks!…
27hello there and thank you for your info – I have definitely picked up anything new from right here. I did however expertise a few technical issues using this web site, as I experienced to reload the web site many times previous to I could get it to load properly. I had been wondering if your web hosting is OK? Not that I’m complaining, but sluggish loading instances times will sometimes affect your placement in google and can damage your quality score if advertising and marketing with Adwords. Anyway I am adding this RSS to my email and could look out for much more of your respective exciting content. Ensure that you update this again very soon..
28F*ckin’ amazing things here. I am very glad to see your article. Thanks a lot and i’m looking forward to contact you. Will you please drop me a mail?
29Thanks for any other wonderful post. The place else could anybody get that type of information in such a perfect way of writing? I’ve a presentation next week, and I’m on the search for such info.
30Greetings! This is my first visit to your blog! We are a team of volunteers and starting a new project in a community in the same niche. Your blog provided us beneficial information to work on. You have done a extraordinary job!
31I am no longer sure where you’re getting your info, but good topic. I must spend some time studying more or figuring out more. Thank you for wonderful information I was searching for this information for my mission.
32I’m not sure where you are getting your info, but great topic. I needs to spend some time learning more or understanding more. Thanks for wonderful info I was looking for this information for my mission.
33Hi there just wanted to give you a quick heads up. The text in your article seem to be running off the screen in Firefox. I’m not sure if this is a formatting issue or something to do with internet browser compatibility but I figured I’d post to let you know. The design look great though! Hope you get the problem fixed soon. Thanks
34In this grand design of things you actually get an A just for effort. Where exactly you actually lost me personally was in your facts. As as the maxim goes, details make or break the argument.. And it couldn’t be more accurate here. Having said that, allow me tell you what did do the job. The text can be very convincing and this is most likely why I am taking the effort to comment. I do not really make it a regular habit of doing that. Second, despite the fact that I can notice a leaps in reasoning you make, I am not really certain of just how you seem to unite your points which inturn produce the actual final result. For now I will yield to your point but hope in the future you actually connect the facts better.
35A lot of thanks for your own labor on this site. My mum take interest in carrying out investigations and it’s really obvious why. Most of us know all concerning the powerful form you give powerful thoughts through your blog and therefore welcome participation from other people on the article then our simple princess is understanding a lot of things. Enjoy the rest of the new year. You’re the one performing a tremendous job.
36Good day! Do you know if they make any plugins to help with SEO? I’m trying to get my blog to rank for some targeted keywords but I’m not seeing very good success. If you know of any please share. Thanks!
37I have been exploring for a bit for any high quality articles or blog posts on this kind of area . Exploring in Yahoo I eventually stumbled upon this website. Studying this information So i’m glad to convey that I have an incredibly just right uncanny feeling I came upon exactly what I needed. I most for sure will make certain to do not overlook this website and provides it a look regularly.
38Great goods from you, man. I’ve understand your stuff previous to and you are just extremely magnificent. I really like what you’ve acquired here, certainly like what you’re stating and the way in which you say it. You make it entertaining and you still care for to keep it smart. I can’t wait to read far more from you. This is really a tremendous site.
39I have been absent for a while, but now I remember why I used to love this website. Thanks , I will try and check back more often. How frequently you update your site?
40Hi there, I found your website via Google while searching for a related topic, your web site came up, it looks good. I have bookmarked it in my google bookmarks.
41I love it when people come together and share opinions, great blog, keep it up.
42Real nice pattern and wonderful subject matter, hardly anything else we want :D.
43Its such as you learn my thoughts! You seem to grasp so much about this, like you wrote the e-book in it or something. I feel that you simply can do with some percent to power the message house a little bit, however other than that, that is fantastic blog. A fantastic read. I’ll definitely be back.
44What i do not realize is actually how you are not actually much more well-liked than you might be right now. You are so intelligent. You realize therefore significantly relating to this subject, produced me personally consider it from numerous varied angles. Its like men and women aren’t fascinated unless it’s one thing to do with Lady gaga! Your own stuffs outstanding. Always maintain it up!
45Great weblog here! Also your web site a lot up very fast! What web host are you using? Can I am getting your affiliate link in your host? I desire my web site loaded up as fast as yours lol
46Nearly all of whatever you mention happens to be supprisingly precise and that makes me ponder why I hadn’t looked at this in this light previously. This piece truly did turn the light on for me as far as this subject matter goes. However at this time there is actually one particular issue I am not necessarily too cozy with and whilst I attempt to reconcile that with the actual core theme of your position, allow me see exactly what all the rest of the subscribers have to point out.Nicely done.
47Thanks for any other informative web site. The place else may just I am getting that type of info written in such a perfect means? I’ve a undertaking that I’m simply now operating on, and I’ve been on the look out for such information.
48The very core of your writing whilst sounding agreeable initially, did not sit very well with me after some time. Someplace throughout the paragraphs you were able to make me a believer but just for a short while. I nevertheless have got a problem with your jumps in assumptions and you might do well to help fill in all those gaps. If you can accomplish that, I could certainly end up being fascinated.
49Whats up very cool web site!! Man .. Beautiful .. Wonderful .. I’ll bookmark your blog and take the feeds additionally?KI am happy to seek out so many helpful information here within the submit, we need develop extra techniques on this regard, thank you for sharing. . . . . .
50