Banh troi ready for "Han Thuc" Festival

Vietnamese people prepare "banh troi" and "banh chay" (white sticky rice balls) to offer the Buddha and ancestors on the "Han Thuc" (Cold Food) Festival which falls on the third of the lunar March.

The main ingredients to make banh troi and banh chay consist of glutinous rice flour,
brown sugar, steamed green bean paste and tapioca. Although they all are made from rice batter, their stuffing is rather different. The stuffing of 'banh troi' is a piece of dark brown sugar and that of 'banh chay' is steamed green bean paste mixed with sugar and coconut. (Photo: VNA)

Banh troi is stuffed with a piece of brown sugar. (Photo: VNA)

Banh chay is stuffed with green bean paste mixed with sugar. (Photo: VNA)

Boiling banh troi and banh chay. (Photo: VNA)

Place the sticky rice balls on a large plate. (Photo: VNA)

Banh troi balls are topped with sesame seeds. (Photo: VNA)

The banh chay is larger than banh troi and served with a sweet soup made of tapioca, grated ginger root and sugar. (Photo: VNA)

Family members gather to make banh troi and banh chay during the festival. (Photo: VNA)

Offering banh troi - banh chay to ancestors. (Photo: VNA)

Banh troi and banh chay. (Photo: VNA)

Today, these cakes are made colouful with pineapple leaves, gac (Momordica) flesh, and sweet potatoes and different stuffing of pumpkin and red beans. (Photo: VNA)

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