Since the beginning of time, glutinous cakes and buns have always held a special place in Vietnamese hearts. Representing the ‘round sky and square earth’ that gave birth to the universe in between, they are a part of our Vietnamese faith and reverence of the Hung Kings and ancestors. On the 10th of the 3rd lunar month every year, in Mo Chu Ha Village, Bach Hac Commune, Viet Tri Township of Phu Tho Province, pestles and mortars get busy making glutinous buns for the celebration of Hung, the nation’s ancestor.
The story of glutinous cakes and buns
Once upon a time, during the reign of King Hung the 6th (about 2,700 BC), having defeated the An aggressors, the King wanted to pass the throne on to a heir.
As the New Year approached, the King told his sons, ‘The one among you who makes the best and most meaningful food items to offer on the ancestral altar will be my heir.’
The princes immediately dispersed to all corners of the country, looking for the rarest and most precious things to offer to their father. Only the 18th prince named Lang Lieu stayed home, spending time in deep thoughts.
On the cold bright night of the last full moon of the year, coming to the fork of the Bach Hac River where the soil was rich with sediments and folk worked hard all year round in happy harmony, Lang Lieu suddenly sensed a familiar aroma from a nearby paddy. It was the sweet smell of a crop of October sticky rice. It was an awakening that led him to what he was looking for.
The day finally came for the princes to pay tokens of gratitude to their father. As the sun approached the western horizon, the King still had not found the adequate offering that his heart desired.
This story is from the April - May 2018 edition of Vietnam Heritage.
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This story is from the April - May 2018 edition of Vietnam Heritage.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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