Hang Be market bustling as Tet is around the corner

There are seven traditional Vietnamese food that you definitely should try during Tet (lunar new year festival) - the most important holiday for Vietnamese people: banh chung (Vietnamese square glutinous rice cake), gio cha (Vietnamese pork pies), thit kho trung (Vietnamese braised pork with eggs), mut (candied fruits), and melon seeds. During the last days of the lunar year, people often flock to the capital city of Hanoi’s markets to buy fresh food for the three days of the Tet holiday. And Hang Be market is among their favourite. Coming here, shoppers can buy all the food which are both tasty and beautiful for the holiday. (Photo: Vietnam+)

Belonged to the bustling area in the city, Hang Be street, Hoan Kiem district, was formerly a crowded place for trading ‘be’ – a primitive means of transportation, made of bamboo or wood. It resulted from its location pretty close to the Red River. Years after, the street became famous for selling food. Hang Be street is just some metres long, but within a walk through the market, you can buy all you need for Tet such as boiled chicken, spring rolls, bamboo shoot soup, Vietnamese sausage, square glutinous rice cake, and pig skin soup…, typical dishes for a Tet banquet in the capital city of Hanoi. (Photo: Vietnam+)

Hang Be market has long been famous for ready-to-use food such as boiled chicken, roasted pork, spring rolls, bamboo shoot soup, Vietnamese sausage, square glutinous rice cake, and pig skin soup… These dishes not only look beautiful but are also cooked with tasty flavour, winning favour of Hanoians. The dishes are packed in boxes and bags so as to make it easy for customers to use right away. You can also order the foods for days earlier and get them in the morning of the last lunar year to ensure the food is in good quality for the holiday. There are also pre-seasoned foods for those customers who want to cook the dish by themselves to suit their tastes (Photo: Vietnam+)

Hang Be Market is nestled smack in the heart of the Old Quarter of Hanoi, 5 minutes walk from Hoan Kiem Lake. The street was formerly a crowded place for trading ‘be’ – a primitive means of transportation, made of bamboo or wood. It resulted from its location pretty close to Red River. Years after, the street became famous for selling food. The market stretches through Gia Ngu street, Hang Be street and Trung Yen alley. This is considered one of the busiest corners in the Old Quarter of Hanoi, where traders from Hanoi and neighbouring cities and provinces come to sell their food of all kinds. (Photo: Vietnam+)

Boiled or steamed chicken plays an important role in Tet holiday cuisine because all the tribute meals to the ancestors must contain a boiled chicken, whole or chopped. Chicken meat in Tet meals are various in forms: usually chicken are boiled and sliced, but sometimes people can place the whole chicken in a plate, or nowadays some families use roasted or fried chicken to replace the original boiled ones. Chicken meat is served with sticky rice and square glutinous rice cake, and becomes one of the most popular main dishes in Tet holidays. Boiled chicken always goes with sliced lemon leaves and salt-and-pepper sauce, as a tradition. Boiled chicken shops here are working ceaselessly to serve large crowds of buyers during the last morning of the lunar year. (Photo: Vietnam+)

Most of the altars to worship the ancestors in Vietnam have a space for the boiled chicken – the delicious food for Tet holidays. People might put the processed whole chicken to do worshipping, but some families might decide to chop the chicken into the little pieces and display them on the plate. The food should be topped with the Vietnamese coriander and eaten with the sauce including salt, pepper, and lemon juice. The yellow boiled and skin-perfect chicken represents the good beginning of the New Year. A boiled chicken can be sold at 400,000 Vietnam dong per kilogram, which is about 17.3 USD. (Photo: Vietnam+)

Boiled chicken is basically a whole chicken boiled to the color of pale yellow. The chicken is not to be eaten until it had been placed on the altar to pay homage to their ancestors. Afterward, the chicken is cut to smaller parts like a turkey in the west. Because the Vietnamese people often simply boil the chicken with only water, it is often eaten with a tiny dish of salt, thinly-sliced lime leaves, some lime juice and sometimes a bit of sliced chili as side seasoning. In Hang Be market, up to 15 chickens are boiled in a pot in 40 minutes before cooling for sale. (Photo: Vietnam+)

Only ranking behind banh chung in importance, boiled chicken is also an essential part of the New Year meal. Some believe the dish represents a lucky new start to the family. The chickens used to make the dish are native breeds. After cleaning, the whole chicken is boiled in a large pot until the flesh is fully cooked and the skin turns a bright yellow color. The cook then lets the meat dry and harden before chopping it into pieces of uniform size. The chicken pieces should fully cover a round or oval dish. Each shop can sell hundreds of boiled chickens in the last morning of the lunar year. (Photo: Vietnam+)

It is ready-to-eat food that makes Hang Be market famous. Several famous dishes include boiled chicken, roasted pork, spring rolls, bamboo shoot soup, Vietnamese sausage, square glutinous rice cake, and pig skin soup… These dishes not only look beautiful but are also cooked with tasty flavour, winning favour of Hanoians. The dishes are packed in boxes and bags so as to make it easy for customers to use right away. There are also pre-seasoned foods for those customers who want to cook the dish by themselves to suit their tastes. Although the food is not cheap in Hang Be market, customers still choose to buy here because of the food’s high quality. (Photo: Vietnam+)

All necessary dishes for a Tet banquet such as boiled chicken, spring rolls, bamboo shoot soup, Vietnamese pork pies, square glutinous rice cake, glutinous rice, salad and pig skin soup can be found in this small market. They can be cooked and ready-to-use or pre-seasoned for those who want to cook by themselves to suit their tastes. The dishes are sold in all sizes and shapes to meet customers’ different demands. You can also order the foods for days earlier and get them in the last morning of the lunar year to ensure the food is in good quality for the holiday. (Photo: Vietnam+)

Tet is the most important and popular holiday and festival in Vietnam. It is the Vietnamese New Year marking the arrival of spring based on the Lunar calendar. Many Vietnamese prepare for Tet by cooking special holiday foods and cleaning their house. Tet is also an occasion for pilgrims and family reunions. During Tet, Vietnamese visits their relatives and temples, forgetting the troubles of the past year and hoping for a better upcoming year. In recent days, many people do not want to spend to much time on preparing food but enjoy quality time with the family. For busy people, they can just take a stroll to buy all they need from food to fruit for Tet. (Photo: Vietnam+)

Hang Be market has become a favourite destination for city dwellers when Tet comes. Most people come here to buy food for use during the Tet holiday. All necessary dishes for a Tet banquet such as boiled chicken, spring rolls, bamboo shoot soup, Vietnamese sausage, square glutinous rice cake, glutinous rice, salad and pig skin soup can be found in this small but busy market. They can be cooked and ready-to-use or pre-seasoned for those who want to cook by themselves to suit their tastes. Many others come to enjoy the bustling atmosphere of Tet, talking to sellers and buyers, and taking photos. (Photo: Vietnam+)

When Tet comes, not only city dwellers but visitors come here to enjoy the bustling atmosphere of Tet. Coming here, besides buying food, they can also chit-chat with sellers and buyers, eat some distinctive Hanoi dishes, and take photos. Food sellers at Hang Be market can meet customers' demands for food such as different shapes and sizes, pre-ordered or pre-seasoned. Although the food is not cheap in Hang Be market, customers still choose to buy here because of the food’s high quality. That’s the reason why Hang Be street is often busy and crowded several days before the traditional Lunar New Year festival. (Photo: Vietnam+)

The best local markets in Hanoi are always bustling with hundreds of stalls selling fresh produce as early as 06:00 AM everyday, making them popular spots for tourists looking to experience the daily lives of the city’s local population. Conveniently set within prominent districts such as Hoan Kiem and Tay Ho, these markets are easily accessible on foot, cyclos, and taxis. In Hang Be market, traders from Hanoi and neighbouring cities and provinces come to sell their food of all kinds: vegetable, meat, seafood, rice... (Photo: Vietnam+)

The market is even busier since this is the last day of the lunar year. Many Vietnamese prepare for Tet by cooking special holiday foods and cleaning their house. Tet is also an occasion for pilgrims and family reunions. During Tet, Vietnamese visits their relatives and temples, forgetting the troubles of the past year and hoping for a better upcoming year. In recent days, many people do not want to spend to much time on preparing food but enjoy quality time with the family. Therefore, they buy all the necessary food in the last day of the lunar new year to have more relaxing time during Tet. (Photo: Vietnam+)

The market is dubbed “market for the rich” since food here are sold at higher prices than in other ones. In order the sell their food well, sellers try to cater all the different demands of customers in shapes and sizes of food. They can provide ready-to-use food or pre-seasoned food for customers to cook by themselves at home. They also sell famous food from different regions of the country for those who like to have fresh tastes for the Tet banquet. (Photo: Vietnam+)

Various kinds of root vegetables and leeks can be fermented to create the pickles – the delicious item to eat with the braised pork and eggs in light fish sauce. In particular, the pickled small leeks are often prepared by the housewives in even weeks before the Tet holiday. Also, some families prefer to buy the plastic jars of the pickled onions in the markets such as Hang Be market. In any way, the pickles are so common that almost every family wants at least one jar available in their kitchens. This kind of traditional food for Vietnamese Lunar New Year is good for digestion of the other meat-rich dishes. (Photo: Vietnam+)

Tet (Lunar New Year) festival is for family reunion, making offerings to ancestors, decorating streets, homes, visiting relatives, friends, and gathering around Tet meals. Vietnamese people always take this chance to sit together around, enjoy traditional dishes and drink some wine to celebrate the most important event of the year. Vietnamese dishes for Tet holiday are abundant, far more protein-rich and sophisticatedly made than daily meal. Therefore, buying high quality food in markets like Hang Be is a favourite choice of many Vietnamese people. That’s the reason why Hang Be street is often busy and crowded several days before the traditional Lunar New Year festival. (Photo: Vietnam+)