Spring brings with it the taste of Tet. It is the sweetness of jams, candies, fruits... but also a bit of the salty taste of the lucky salt grains at the beginning of the year.
Spring brings with it the flavor of Tet. That flavor begins with the spring raindrops.
The observant person will recognize the warm sweetness of the rain on Tet holiday. When Tet comes, in addition to the natural flavors, there are also things created by humans that must be visualized and imagined to be clearly understood. That is the flavor of reunion and family love.
In the middle of the 12th lunar month, we can feel the taste of Tet everywhere. It is the taste of year-end meals, of hot tea welcoming guests from far away to gather and celebrate Tet...
Walking during the Lunar New Year, somewhere we can see the salty taste of street vendors selling salt at the beginning of the year, bringing luck to every home and every person according to the concept of "buying salt at the beginning of the year...".
The taste of Tet is even in the kitchen smoke. The smoke of Tet is different from normal days, warmer and more fragrant. The smell of smoke spreads from pots of green banh chung, fragrant with the smell of dong leaves, and stewed sticky rice; the smell of firewood blends into the space... Tet remembers the taste of banh chung. That taste is characteristic, indispensable every time Tet comes, spring returns, overwhelming all other cake flavors, bringing a sense of fullness.
The taste of Tet comes from countless types of jam. Ginger jam must be spicy, sweet, and warm on the tip of the tongue. Coconut jam must be rich and fatty. Pumpkin jam must be sweet and refreshing. Kumquat jam must be sour but attractive...
Few people know that Tet has a strange yet familiar flavor, which is the warm atmosphere of each family when Tet comes and spring comes. That "sweet" flavor starts from the friendly greetings. Even though you can't taste it, the sweetness from the warmth and love between people makes everyone recognize it.
Interestingly, the taste of Tet is mainly harvested and gathered from the seasons of the year. For example, grapefruit is formed in late spring, through the summer sun, then the autumn storms, and even the dry, cold months of harsh winter.
Tet is also the time when we enjoy the sweet taste of the results of a year of hard work, of our efforts being rewarded.
This spring, the taste of Tet is also evident in the belief in the country's change, in the era of growth and development. To have the sweetness that comes from the determination to innovate, the taste of Tet this year has many nuances. We wait, we believe that we will receive the "sweet and fragrant" flavors of Tet in the new stages of the nation.
NGUYEN HIEN