International tourists in Hoi An, a popular tourist city in Quang Nam Province, central Vietnam, have had the opportunity to learn how to wrap two types of traditional cake for Vietnam’s Lunar New Year (Tet): 'banh chung' (square sticky rice cakes) and 'banh tet' (cylindrical glutinous rice cakes), with guidance from staff at a local restaurant.

Over the past few days, the front yard of Boi Com Hoi An Restaurant & Café, located on Dao Duy Tu Street in Hoi An, were buzzing with the festive atmosphere of Tet, which is due on January 29.

Western tourists walking by this area were delighted to see young locals preparing and wrapping these cakes.

According to Luong Quy Nhan, the general manager of Boi Com Hoi An Restaurant & Café, the restaurant organized the wrapping of 1,000 ‘banh chung’ and ‘banh tet’ this Tet holiday, which were gifted to tourists, lottery ticket sellers, and underprivileged families in Hoi An.

Starting Friday, restaurant staff visited banana groves to select fresh banana leaves, which were then washed and dried, Nhan said.

The front yard of the restaurant was cleared to create a space for wrapping and cooking the cakes. Ingredients like sticky rice, green beans, fatty pork, and others, along with banana leaves and strings for tying the cakes, were laid out.

Many tourists from Australia and European countries who strolled through the area were surprised to see this very Vietnamese tradition.

They stopped to take photos, and when told that this activity was part of the preparations for Vietnam's traditional Tet holiday, they joyfully asked to participate in wrapping the cakes.

Under the guidance of the staff, the tourists held the banana leaves and filled them with sticky rice and fillings, before wrapping them into the traditional shapes.

Although the cakes they made were not as neat or perfect as those made by the locals, their participation was significant because they had immersed themselves in Vietnam's Tet celebration, adding to the lively and joyful atmosphere of the festive season.

“I’ve been to Vietnam several times, but I’m lucky this trip coincided with Tet. Everything is so impressive, and the festive air is contagious. I see flowers everywhere, and people are cleaning their homes,” said Jonathan Kruisselbrink, a Dutch tourist.

The idea of letting tourists wrap cakes and then giving them to people in need is a wonderful one, Kruisselbrink commented. “It spreads joy to everyone in this Tet atmosphere,” he said.

Nhan mentioned that many foreign tourists even stayed up overnight to help tend the fire on the street to cook the cakes.

By early morning on the following day, the 1,000 ‘banh tet’ and ‘banh chung’ were ready and distributed to tourists who participated in the wrapping, as well as to other visitors and local people in need, including lottery ticket vendors.

Everyone who received the cakes was happy, and many international tourists said they would take the cakes home as a special gift from Vietnam.

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