Bánh chưng is a very old traditional Vietnamese food (dates back to thousand years ago) consisting of glutinous rice in a square shape wrapped in dong leaves (Phrynium placentarium; lá dong in Vietnamese; a relative of arrowroot) and stuffed with mung beans, fatty pork, and black pepper. It is traditionally eaten during the Lunar New Year (Tết). Bánh chưng is served with pickled scallions, vegetable pickles or "dưa món", and/or fish sauce. A few days before Tết, family members (mostly senior citizens) gather to prepare sticky rice, pork, mung beans, and banana leaves. Making bánh chưng requires a lot of care from choosing ingredients to the preparation and cooking process. Bánh chưng are boiled for approximately 8 hours over a wood fire. Because bánh chưng have to be watched until they are done, the girls in the family are usually responsible for that. They gather their friends and neighbours to talk during the cooking night. Traditionally, every house must have at least one or a pair of bánh chưng to be placed on their ancestor's altars. Before Tet, families often offer gifts of bánh chưng to other families, and it is typical for a family to end up with piles left of uneaten bánh chưng long past the holiday.
