Bánh Tét Sticky Rice Cake of the Mekong Delta • Binding Tradition of Vietnam

I am grateful for the privilege to observe at first hand the making of banh tet, the iconic rice dumpling of Vietnam.

Tet means "festival" in Vietnamese and often refers to the Lunar New Year.

Through the decades, I have eaten many different forms of rice dumplings from different cultures / countries.

Even within Vietnam, there are many varieties of rice dumplings. This form, banh tet is from the south. I was in the heartland of the Mekong Delta, at Hau Giang, a district of Can Tho City about four hours southwest from Ho Chi Minh City.

Please don't get angry with me. My personal favourite rice dumpling now is this Vietnamese banh tet 🤭

I love its soft tender moist texture and blend of sweet savoury flavours with banana leaf and coconut fragrance 😋

Banh tet is made during the lunar new year festivities and also special occasions such as important anniversaries.

In Vietnam, where ancestral reverence is deeply ingrained, death anniversaries are commemorated. Banh tet is essential at such occasions.

Banh tet symbolises respect for the past / ancestors, gratitude to gods / deities, and hope for the future.

One theory suggests that banh tet originated from the Muslim Champa kingdom which existed in central to south Vietnam from the 2nd to 19th century. The Champa kingdom has dissolved but Cham culture and communities still exist in Vietnam e.g. Ninh Thuan province.

Another theory says it gained prominence after a soldier from the south presented the cylindrical rice dumpling to King Quang Trung during Tet following the Vietnamese army's victory against the Qing army (from China) in Jan 1789. Since then, banh tet is associated with Tet and celebrations.

Let's make banh tet together.

Banana leaves were harvested in the morning. Passed over wood flame, cleaned and torn into the required shape and size for making dumplings.

Making banh tet, like many things in Vietnam, is a community bonding custom / event.

Friends and relatives all chip in.

The main ingredients were glutinous rice, banana, scallion, grated coconut pulp, mung bean, pork belly fat, all wrapped in banana leaf. (Some recipes call for bamboo shoots.)

A lot of things inside each roll. 

Half a foot long, thick as my forearm, I can't finish eating one by myself 😅

A small pyramid ready for the next stage of preparation.

The dumplings are cooked by boiling in a big pot of water, in a similar way as cooking Chinese dumplings.

Bubbling and churning in the hot water.

Add a layer of banana leaves over the top.

Add oil wood.

The fire is kept going for several hours.

A simple lean-to kept the rain away.

Almost done.

Cooked banh tet hung up to air cool and rest.

To serve, the banh tet is cut into sections / chunks. I feel full with just one section 😅

Banh tet is so delicious!

The glutinous rice was soft tender and moist as were the mung bean, red bean, and pork fat which porcine sweetness held everything together, making the dumpling taste special to me.

It's a filling, energy giving staple, but its balance of sweet and savoury flavours with banana and coconut fragrance was exquisite.

Fine food doesn't always have to rely on premium, exclusive ingredients and be made by celebrated masters.

It can be by communities with its accumulated collective wisdom handed down through the river of time.

The variety with banana at its core. 

The sweet soft banana tends to dominate the flavours, so if you like more sweet, this is for you.

Family, friends, and neighbours are invited to the event. 

Today, the death anniversary of the grand patriarch. Many dishes were served including banh tet.

Banh tet is presented to guests to enjoy at home after the party. Deliciousness and blessings follow the guests home.

Try banh tet when you are in Vietnam or when it is available. You may like it too.

Read more 👉

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Written by Tony Boey on 28 Jun 2025

About Johor Kaki