What is Traditional Tet? Traditional Food on Tet Holiday

Additional Tet (Lunar New Year) is a time for family reunions and well wishes for a prosperous and lucky year ahead. Tet dishes are not just about taste—they carry deep meaning, reflecting the hopes and sentiments of the Vietnamese people and offering spiritual fulfillment in the early days of the year. Let Vietjet guide you through the unique Tet dishes of Vietnam's three regions.

Tet trays always play an important role in the spiritual life of Vietnamese people.

1. What is Traditional Tet?

Traditional Tet, also known as the Lunar New Year or Vietnamese New Year, is the most significant traditional holiday of the year in Vietnam. It usually begins in the last days of the 12th lunar month and continues into the early days of the 1st lunar month.

During this time, people pause their work to clean and decorate their homes, worship their ancestors, express gratitude to the deities and elders, and most importantly—reunite with their families.

Common Tet customs include:

House cleaning and decoration
Visiting ancestors’ graves
Sending the Kitchen Gods to Heaven
Making Banh Chung and Banh Tet
Visiting flower markets
Preparing five-fruit trays
Celebrating New Year's Eve
First visitor of the year
First trip of the year
Picking fortune buds
New Year greetings
Giving lucky money
Visiting temples
Playing folk games

Tet foods are extremely diverse, with each region offering unique dishes based on local customs.

See more: Springtime Customs – Famous Spring Destinations

2. Traditional Tet Dishes in Northern Vietnam

2.1 Banh Chung (Square Sticky Rice Cake)

This iconic Northern dish is a symbol of the earth and embodies harmony with nature. It’s made from glutinous rice, mung beans, fatty pork, and pepper—creating a savory, rich, and slightly spicy taste perfect for Tet.

2.2 Frozen Meat (Thịt đông)

Due to the busyness of Tet, Northern families often prepare frozen meat in advance. It is easy to store, convenient to serve, and perfect for cold weather. Ingredients include pork leg, pig skin, wood ear mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, and sometimes pig ear, nose, or flower-shaped carrots.

2.3 Pickled Onions and Pork Rolls (Dưa hành, Giò lụa)

These are essential in every Northern Tet meal. Giò lụa (Vietnamese pork roll) symbolizes warmth and peace within the family. It's made from finely ground pork mixed with fish sauce, wrapped in banana leaves, and boiled. It's great alone, or with rice, sticky rice, or Banh Chung.

Pickled onions, with their tangy and mildly spicy flavor, are often served with Banh Chung and frozen meat to balance out the richness.

According to Northern tradition, Giò lụa symbolizes warmth, harmony, and prosperity.

2.4 Pork Skin Soup (Canh bóng)

Also known as pork skin drop soup, this elaborate dish features 12 different ingredients representing abundance. Ingredients include: pork skin, quail eggs, pork tenderloin, dried shrimp, peas, broccoli, cauliflower, shiitake mushrooms, carrots, and ginger. The broth is traditionally the second boil of chicken stock for clarity and richness.

See more: Spring in the beginning of the Northern year-Temple ceremony on Tet holiday

3. Traditional Tet Dishes in Central Vietnam

3.1 Banh Tet (Cylindrical Sticky Rice Cake)

Unlike the North, Central Tet features Banh Tet—cylindrical rice cakes. The ingredients are similar to Banh Chung, but the shape is different. It is considered the soul of Central Tet meals.

3.2 Marinated Meat in Fish Sauce

This is a beloved Central Tet dish made from pork or beef soaked in a sweet-salty fish sauce mix. It’s often served with pickled vegetables, kimchi, pickled leeks, or herbs. It can be stored and enjoyed throughout the first 3–7 days of the Lunar New Year.

3.3 Nem Chua (Fermented Pork Rolls)

A popular Tet appetizer, especially in Central Vietnam. Made from seasoned pork wrapped in guava leaves with a slice of chili for heat, then fermented for several days. It’s tangy, chewy, slightly spicy, and often paired with garlic for an extra flavor kick.

Nem chua is a popular Tet appetizer loved by many in Central Vietnam.

3.4 Sour Shrimp (Tôm chua)

A signature dish of Hue and Central Vietnam. It combines the sweetness of shrimp, the richness of pork, the aroma of herbs, the sourness of starfruit, and the earthiness of lemongrass—creating a bold and unforgettable flavor.

See more: Quang Nam Culinary Culture – Rich, Delicious, and Unique

4. Traditional Tet Dishes in Southern Vietnam

4.1 Banh Tet (Southern Style)

Southern-style Banh Tet includes both savory and sweet fillings. While the savory filling is similar to the Central version, it may also include sausage or salted egg. The sweet version often features bananas, red beans, or mung beans.

Southern Banh Tet features both savory and sweet variations.

4.2 Duck meat braised

Duck braised meat is an indispensable dish in the New Year of the South.With this dish, the Southern New Year is more complete and complete.On Tet holiday, every family prepares a pot of duck braised meat to eat throughout the mosquito nets.Ingredients include cut bacon, duck eggs, fresh coconut water, tasted and spice mixed with a little chili.This dish can be eaten with white rice, palanquin or melon..

4.3 Dried shrimp tubers

If the Northern people eat the palanquin with banh chung, the Southern people like to eat the palanquin with dried shrimp.Haven't seen dried shrimp tubers yet, the Southern New Year has not been seen.The palanquin will be soaked in a small jar, until the meal is removed, put the dried shrimp and sprinkle a little more sugar.This dish has enough spicy, pungent, salty, sweet, extremely strange and attractive.

4.4 Suffering soup through stuffed meat

This is a popular soup in the tray of the people of the South.However, when appearing on Tet holiday, the miserable passing through meat has a deep meaning.In addition to the cool, nutritious, cooling for the New Year, this soup is also the belief that the new year of suffering, sorrow will pass, welcome more luck, advantages and happiness.The ingredients of this dish in addition to meat and bitter melon are also mushrooms, cat mushrooms and vermicelli.The meat will be minced, mushrooms, vermicelli will be diced, then mixed together, marinated with a little spice, stuffed into bitter melon and cooked, forming a sweet, bitter soup, slightly bitter..

See more: Food on Tet holiday:Discover Culture Culture3 domain

5.Traditional jam dishes of the Lunar New Year

No Tet is complete without jams. Beloved by all ages, Tet jams are used to treat guests and symbolize family reunion and a sweet, prosperous new year.

Common ingredients include ginger, coconut, lotus seeds, pineapple, kumquat, pomelo peel, etc. Their sweet, chewy textures are perfect with hot tea—adding warmth and joy to any Tet gathering.

Tet jam symbolizes family reunion and a sweet, abundant new year.

Above are the traditional traditional dishes typical of the three regions. Hopefully, you have found more delicious dishes for your family's Tet holiday.

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