The traditional way to wrap banh tet is simple and quick

The secret to wrapping Banh Tet affects more than half of the cake's success. The process of wrapping the cake requires care and technique to ensure the cake inside keeps its shape when steamed.

In this article, we will show you how to wrap banh tet quickly and simply at home, helping you confidently cook this traditional cake for Tet more deliciously.

Choose quality ingredients to wrap banh tet

Banh tet, a traditional Vietnamese specialty, is often made and enjoyed during Lunar New Year - the most important holiday of the year. The main ingredients to make banh tet include sticky rice, banana leaves, meat and spices.

Banh tet not only has a rich, distinctive flavor but also contains a deep traditional meaning. A symbol of solidarity, family love and gratitude to ancestors, Banh Tet is often shared and given as a gift during Lunar New Year.

An important step to making delicious, authentic Banh Tet is knowing how to choose and buy fresh ingredients. Here are some tips to help you choose quality ingredients for this traditional cake:

Choose to buy quality sticky rice

Sticky rice plays an important role in banh tet, accounting for more than 50% of the product's flavor. The quality and aroma of sticky rice directly affects the deliciousness of banh tet. Prioritize choosing fresh sticky rice, with the right moisture and natural aroma for the cake.

Sticky rice with large, round, unbroken, opaque white grains is the best type of rice to make banh tet. Choose freshly milled sticky rice to ensure flavor and quality. Avoid buying sticky rice that has been milled for a long time because it may lose some important nutrients.

If the sticky rice has a strange color or a musty smell, it may be a sign of improper storage or of being left for a long time. Avoid buying this type of rice.

Choose quality sticky rice for banh tet. (Source: Internet).

Choose fresh and delicious pork belly

Bacon plays an important role in the filling for banh tet. Know how to choose fresh meat to ensure delicious and rich filling. Choose meat with a ratio of fat to meat that is not much different. The lean part sticks tightly to the fat part, making the filling soft and delicious.

Delicious pork belly has a dry skin on the outside and a beautiful color. The meat inside is soft, firm and pinkish white in color. Avoid buying meat that has a dark red color or strange smell, this can be a sign that the meat is not fresh. Check by pressing on the meat, if the indentation returns to its original state, it is fresh and delicious pork belly.

Choose natural pink and white pork belly. (Source: Internet).

Ingredients for wrapping the cake

1. 400g yellow flower sticky rice
2. 1 bunch of bamboo slices
3. 200g green beans, shelled
4. 1 bunch of banana leaves (long, intact leaves)
5. 100g pork belly
6. Spices: seasoning powder, ground pepper, salt.

Ingredients for making banh tet using banana leaves. (Source: Internet).

Preparation steps before wrapping the cake

Step 1 : Prepare sticky rice

Place the sticky rice in a large bowl of water and soak for about 8 hours. After floating, take the rice out and drain. Add some salt to the rice and mix well.

Step 2 : Prepare green beans

Soak green beans in water for about 4 hours so they bloom evenly. Then, take the beans out, drain and mix with a little salt.

Step 3: Prepare banana leaves and bamboo slices

Soak the bamboo strips in water until soft, then strip them into long fibers 0.5cm wide.

Wash the banana leaves and remove the spine of the leaf. Roll banana leaves into small rolls about 60cm. Boil water in a pot, add a little salt and gently blanch the banana leaves to soften before wrapping the cake.

Step 4 : Process the pork belly

Wash the pork belly, then cut it into bite-sized pieces, about 2cm long. Mix pork belly with seasoning, salt, pepper and leave at room temperature for 30 minutes.

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Step 5: Wrap the cake

Spread banana leaves on a flat surface. Arrange two pieces of banana leaf next to each other, then place another piece of banana leaf in the middle.

Place the sticky rice in the middle of the banana leaf, spreading it thinly across the leaf. Next, add green beans and pork belly in layers so that they fit neatly in the layer of sticky rice.

Place the pork belly on top of the pile of green beans. Continue placing green beans and ending with a layer of sticky rice covering the filling.

Wrap a layer of banana leaves in the middle to secure the cake, then wrap the two outer banana leaves to tie tightly and then gently fold the two edges to complete the package. Be careful to use folding force and roll the banana leaves to avoid the leaves unwinding when steaming the cake.

Use strips to tie the cake horizontally and vertically in place.

Wrap banh tet in banana leaves. (Source: Internet).

Step 6: Steam the cake

Arrange extra banana leaves in the bottom of the pot and place on the stove. Put the wrapped banh tet in and pour water to cover the cake. Steam continuously for 8 hours to ensure the cake is cooked evenly.

Step 7: Finish

When banh tet is steamed in banana leaves, the natural aroma of banana leaves permeates the cake, creating a special and seductive flavor. When enjoying, you can dip the cake with a little chili sauce or soy sauce to enhance the flavor of the dish.

Banh tet wrapped in banana leaves has a beautiful image. (Source: Internet).