Traditional Foods for the Doan Ngo Festival

The Doan Ngo Festival, the Dragon Boat Festival or the day for killing insects, is observed on the 5th day of the 5th lunar month. This year, it falls on June 10th in the Gregorian calendar.

Doan Ngo Festival

While it only lasts a day, the Doan Ngo Festival holds significant spiritual importance for the Vietnamese. Throughout the festival, people actively participate in various traditional customs and activities, including:

Offering sacrifices to ancestors

Killing insects in the body by food

Planting and checking trees

Herbal baths

Seawater baths

Throughout history, the Vietnamese have prepared unique dishes for important celebrations to honor ancestors and bond with family.

The foods enjoyed during the Doan Ngo Festival are diverse and flavorful, showcasing regional characteristics.

Vietnamese Fermented Glutinous Rice – Cơm Rượu Nếp

Fermented glutinous rice is a traditional dish for the Doan Ngo Festival in Vietnam. People believe that the spicy flavor of this dish can get rid of harmful parasites in the body and prevent diseases.

Fermented glutinous rice is commonly crafted from glutinous rice, such as black rice or yellow glutinous rice, and is renowned for its unique colors that symbolize luck and wealth.

Cooking fermented sticky rice requires perseverance and commitment to achieve delicious results. Although it originates from fermented sticky rice, the cooking method sometimes differs between regions. The main difference lies in the appearance; glutinous rice wine is separated into grains in the North, pressed into blocks in the Central region, and shaped into round balls in the South.

Tro Cake - Bánh Tro

Bánh Tro is a familiar and delicious dish during the Doan Ngo festival. Banh tro has a deep yellow color from glutinous rice soaked in water with burnt ashes from dry wood, then wrapped in leaves and boiled. Banh tro has a subtle, refreshing taste, not only tasty but also helps the body avoid feeling greasy when enjoying it.

Ú Cake - Bánh Ú

Bánh ú Đoan Ngọ includes bánh ú lá tre and bánh ú bá trạng. Bánh ú lá tre is made from natural ingredients, slightly sweet, and cooling for digestion. The secret to delicious flavor is soaking glutinous rice in alum water overnight. This cake has a golden color and a slightly salty taste, and has a faint aroma of bamboo leaves.

Bánh ú bá trạng is wrapped with a savory filling of meat, salted eggs, dried shrimp, mushrooms, peanuts, etc. Glutinous rice is soaked with Chinese herbs and spices to create a distinctive flavor.

Duck Meat

Duck meat is essential during the Doan Ngo festival in Central Vietnam. People believe that duck meat has cooling properties, helping the body stay cool and nourished during the hot days of the 5th lunar month. According to some beliefs, duck meat is said to become tastier and fattier starting from the 5th day of the 5th lunar month. During this time, the beef also loses its undesirable smell. Additionally, according to traditional medicine, duck meat can help replenish the body after illness, treat convulsions, reduce fever, and alleviate acne.

Fruits

In addition to duck meat, fruits are also important during the Doan Ngo festival. Consuming summer fruits such as plums, lychees, mangoes, rambutans, and watermelons is believed to boost health and represent a wish for a bountiful and successful family life. In the North, the ancestral altar offerings often include seasonal fruits such as plums, lychees, and peaches.

Sweet Desserts

Vietnamese rice balls sweet soup and millet sweet soup are two traditional dishes that cannot be missed at the Doan Ngo Festival. Rice balls sweet soup is made from white glutinous rice flour and mung beans, offering a sweet taste. You can enjoy it with sugary syrup and the aroma of toasted sesame seeds.

On the other hand, millet sweet soup consists of millet, sugar, and water, with the unique tradition of using sesame rice crackers to enjoy it instead of a spoon. This sweet soup is known for its ability to nourish blood, cool the body, and relieve heat, making it a perfect choice for hot weather in the middle of the year.

Rita Company Distributed Cakes to Employees for Doan Ngo Festival

Rita Company has a long-standing tradition of distributing bánh ú bá trạng to employees during the Doan Ngo festival each year. These cakes are crafted using delicious ingredients such as glutinous rice, pork, salted eggs, dried shrimp, and shiitake mushrooms, resulting in a distinct and delightful flavor.

Rita Company frequently gives its employees unique gifts, demonstrating care and gratitude towards the staff and fostering a positive and united work environment. These considerate actions make every employee at Rita Company feel valued and motivated, which in turn helps them uphold high standards of work and actively contribute to the company's advancement.