On Dinh Cong Ha Street, the family of Luu Thi Hue, 64, has set up a wood-fired stove in a small space outside their home. Family members take turns tending the fire and watching over the pot as the cakes slowly cook.
Hue said her family has kept the tradition for more than a decade, making banh chung for four to five households of relatives and friends each year.
“There are plenty of ready-made banh chung on the market now, convenient and varied, but my family still wants to wrap and cook them ourselves so we can fully feel the traditional Tet atmosphere,” she said.
On Trung Kinh Street, Khanh Tuan, 55, said his family has also maintained the practice for many years. Since most siblings live nearby, they arrange to make the cakes together on the 27th day of the 12th lunar month.
“Wrapping and cooking the cakes is not only about preparing the Tet feast,” Tuan said. “It’s also a chance for the family to gather, remember our traditions and reflect on our roots.”
His family began boiling a pot of more than 200 cakes from 10 am, with relatives taking turns watching the fire until the cakes were fully cooked.
“We make a lot so we can give them to relatives and neighbours, as a way of sharing the taste of spring,” he added.
Along the To Lich River, Hoang Duc Vuong, 50, sat chatting with friends as they watched over another pot.
Vuong said the group is made up of 20 childhood friends who have kept up the tradition for decades. With years of practice, they work smoothly through each step, taking turns every two to three hours to tend the fire and add water to ensure the cakes cook evenly.