Foreign tourists join square rice cake wrapping contest

60 foreign families participated in a Vietnamese square rice cake (banh chung) package contest at Seahorse resort in the southern province of Binh Thuan on Jan.27.
They are from various countries such as the UK , France , German, Switzerland , Russia and the Netherlands .
Many tourists there were keen to join in the contest, but the organisers could only arrange for some to participate, while others attended to watch and cheer on the contestants, Tran Viet Ha, Managing Director of Seahorse resort, said.
For many tourists, it was their first exposure to this type of Vietnamese culinary culture, and they found wrapping up square rice cakes properly more difficult than it looks, often letting out a burst of laughter in victory when they got it right. A good time was had by all.
Banh chung or square rice cake is a traditional Vietnamese dish that is an integral part of the lunar New Year celebration. It is made from glutinous rice, pork meat and green bean paste; and wrapped in a square of “Dong” (arrowroot)leaves, giving the rice a green colour after being boiled for ten hours. Every family must have “ Banh chung ” among their offerings to be placed on the ancestor’s altars during the Tet festival season./.