What is Glutinous Rice?

Banh Chung (Chung cake)

Chung cake (Banh Chung) holds a rich tradition in Vietnamese culture, spanning thousands of years. It stands as an essential delicacy, particularly during the Tet festival (Lunar new year) in Vietnam. The ingredients used to craft chung cake encompass glutinous rice, mung beans, pork, and Dong leaves.  Making chung cake demands a considerable amount of time and effort. The process extends throughout the entire day, with preparations starting the day before.

Xoi (sticky rice)

Sticky rice (Xoi) is a traditional dish that is indispensable during festive occasions and Tet (Lunar new year). On these occasions, Vietnamese people offer sticky rice on the altar to express gratitude from descendants to their ancestors, as well as appreciation towards heaven and earth for providing a season of abundant harvests with favorable weather.

Sweet soup

For Vietnamese people, a simple and delicious dish made from glutinous rice is glutinous rice sweet soup. To make this dish, we’ll need glutinous rice, sugar, and ginger. Begin by washing the glutinous rice and soaking it in water for about 3 hours to soften the grains. In a pot, mix sugar with water and bring it to a boil. Add the soaked glutinous rice to the boiling mixture, stirring well. When serving, ladle the glutinous rice sweet soup into a bowl and sprinkle a bit of ginger on top.