The real Korean New Year (March 3 of the lunar calendar) is coming, these days, the market for floating cakes, vegetarian cakes and baking ingredients is quite exciting. On this occasion, Vietnamese people always keep the custom of making floating cakes and vegetarian cakes to worship their ancestors. This is an opportunity for children and grandchildren to look to the roots of the tradition of “when drinking water, remember its source”. According to a survey of PV, at markets in Hanoi such as Nhon market, Xanh market, Nghia Tan market, … small businesses have sold a lot of raw materials to serve people. In addition, in the toad markets, the sidewalk stalls also have many points selling flour and drift cake. Fresh glutinous rice flour makes cakes float, vegetarian cakes are being sold quite aggressively. These flour packages include all ingredients such as flour, sugar, green bean filling, sesame seeds, grated coconut, canned five-color cake … Customers just have to mold, shape to their liking and boil it. Floating cakes, vegetarian cakes today are more diverse in colors. Not only is the traditional white color but also purple, green from pineapple, red from Gac, yellow from gardenia. The atmosphere of the real Korean New Year is more exciting when there are households selling floating cakes and vegetarian cakes to set up a “field kitchen” to cook cakes on the sidewalk. Their tools are quite simple, just a mini gas stove or a honeycomb charcoal stove can produce fragrant, hot cakes. Ms. Nguyen Thanh Huong, a longtime vegetarian cake maker at Nghia Tan market shared: “In addition to selling floating cakes, vegetarian cakes, my family also sells five-color cakes and cheesecakes to serve the needs of customers. On the days of close to the Korean New Year, due to the sudden increase in the number of visitors, I had to mobilize my husband, children and brothers to help grind the flour, divide the flour, pack, mold, and boil the cake to deliver it to customers in time “. In general, the market serving the real Korean New Year this year is very diverse. In addition to vegetarian cakes, floating cakes, the market also appears modern drifting cakes such as salted egg cakes, chocolate cakes, funny shaped cakes … is preferred by consumers. New in the market of floating cakes, vegetarian cakes this year are convenient cake sets, cakes are available, frozen, users just need to boil them to use them immediately. As a careful buyer, Ms. Bay (Nghia Tan) shared: “Now the floating cake has many eye-catching colors, it looks very beautiful, but there is a mixture of five-color flour. Personally, I am only afraid of the color powder, so I only like the traditional white color, if I do not know the origin, I do not buy “. Therefore, when buying products, customers should choose reputable suppliers to ensure food safety and hygiene. The real Korean New Year is coming very close, instead of displaying a full platter, each family only needs to respectfully offer floating cakes, vegetarian meals to the family family, pray together for good and peaceful things in life./ .

According to small traders, this year, the price of plums at the beginning of the season is lower than that of the same period last year. At a fruit stall of Ms. Lan at Nga Tu So market (Dong Da, Hanoi) the cheapest plum price ranges from 110,000 to 140,000 VND / kg. Plums are selected carefully, with larger red and more beautiful fruit, the price is 150,000 VND / kg. Some fruit shops, street vendors are selling plums at the beginning of the season with a price ranging from 120,000 to 150,000 VND / kg. Photo: TT “This price is 3-4 times more expensive in the main season, but still cheaper than this time last year. Last year I imported every day to sell out every day, but this year the purchasing power of the people is worse”, She shared and said that the customers who buy plums at the beginning of the season are mainly office sisters. This trader said that it takes about a month to wait for plums to come into the main season. At that time, the price will drop much, the fruit will be red, and eat better. Similarly, Ms. Ha, small trader at Nghia Tan market (Cau Giay, Hanoi), said that the main season of plum season must be from mid-May to early June. This time is the type of plum at the beginning of the season, so the quantity is scarce, the fruit is not yet really delicious and the price is many times higher. Selling plums along Pham Van Bach street (Cau Giay, Hanoi), Ms. Hoa also shared: “Plums are cheaper this year than last year because of the Covid-19 epidemic, people have limited spending. However, despite being cheap but still low, I can only sell about 5 kg a day. Plums are not only sold at local markets, but also at the beginning of the season, many people advertise cheaply on forums on the online market with an average selling price of 70,000-120,000 VND / kg. “This plum I got from an acquaintance in Moc Chau, Son La. Plums at the beginning of the season have a very sour taste, so they are picky ”, Ms. Uyen (Thanh Xuan, Hanoi), who sells this item online, shares. In addition, she also made pickled plum salted and chili to meet the needs of customers. “The plum this season is very sour and acrid, so I make it into different snacks. Women who have any need, just notice, I will do exactly like that “, she said. According to many people, 150,000 VND for a kilogram of plum is still an expensive price, they just “press the belly” to buy a few ounces to eat to reduce cravings. Just bought 3 ounces of plums, Ms. Linh (Dong Da, Hanoi) shared: “Plum prices at the beginning of the season are often very expensive. Although this plum is a bit sour and acrid, even the young fruit is still bitter, but it is suitable for my taste of sour food ”.

As noted by PV, on streets and markets in Hanoi, small merchants sold a lot of floating cakes, vegetarian cakes as well as baking ingredients very early to serve the people.

This year, the real Korean New Year falls on Wednesday, so the housewives also get up early to buy floating cakes, and offer them to the family altar.

From the big street to the small street, from the big market to the toad market, people are always busy with buyers and sellers.

There are also a number of people who are not in the profession, but take advantage of the large facade and available cooking space to make vegetarian cakes for profit.

Ms. Hoa, who sells floating cakes at Nghia Tan market, shared: “The Korean New Year is really a special holiday of the year. Knowing I make cakes for sale, the sisters in the two paternal and maternal families also joined in to help. I love this traditional cultural beauty, so I just like the white cake to serve visitors and the people around “.

To prepare for the main holiday, Ms. Hang (Hanoi) and everyone in her family decided to make cakes overnight. “My sisters and I stayed up all night making cakes. Because this year Korean New Year really does not fall on a weekend, we have to take advantage of making it so that customers order cakes early, then they even take advantage of work to make it in time. “, Ms. Hang shared.

As noted, the shopping atmosphere at the local markets is much more bustling than this day.

Every row of floating cakes must have up to 2-3 people to serve.

Everyone hurriedly took advantage of buying ceremonies early in the morning so that they could work on time.

Carrying armpit bags carrying large and small bags of floating cakes, vegetarian food.

The set of floating cakes, vegetarian cakes have been cooked, customers just need to buy and arrange them to the altar.

According to research, the price of floating cakes, vegetarian cakes today are still the same price compared to normal days. A plate of floating cake costs 10,000-15,000 VND depending on the size of the plate. Vegetarian cakes cost 15,000 VND / plate.

With five colors drift cake will cost 20,000 VND / plate.

In addition to buying floating cakes and boiled vegetarian cakes, many housewives also buy ready-made cake dough to go home to cook for themselves.

The batches of cakes are continuously made evenly by the small trader to provide for customers.

Every Korean New Year is the same, despite the hard work, everyone, everyone in the family is always trying to make this holiday special, gather with family, join in the direction of the roots and express their sincerity. respect to the deceased./.

The Vietnamese custom of offering floating cakes and vegetarian cakes reminds the story of “wrapping a hundred eggs of Au Co’s mother”. Floating cake represents 50 eggs hatched into 50 children to the forest following their mother. Vegetarian cake represents 50 eggs that hatch into 50 children following their father into the sea. Therefore, the real Korean New Year of the Vietnamese people mainly means towards the origin, commemorating the merits of the dead.

However, with a rather busy, hustle and bustle life due to the current work reel, many families choose to buy drifting cakes, ready-made vegetarian cakes to worship their ancestors. Recorded by PV on the morning of April 14 (March 3 of lunar calendar), on the streets and markets in Hanoi, small merchants sold a lot of floating cakes, vegetarian cakes as well as baking ingredients. to serve the people.

Sharing with PV, a baker at the Nghia Tan market area said: “These days, the demand of people coming to buy ready-made cakes is relatively high, so most small businesses trading this item have to Prepare ingredients such as sugar, green beans from early and carefully, after being bought, rice for baking, after being bought, must soak enough time, then grind and then go through many other stages to make cake dough. In actual welding, the baker has to get up at about 4:00 am to make it to have the cake for customers to buy … “.

Floating cakes, vegetarian cakes are all made from fragrant glutinous rice flour. Floating cakes made small balls of longan fruit, in addition to white, in red sugar filling, while vegetarian cakes are round and flat, filled with cooked green beans and pureed with sugar.

A cake floats after it is finished with the filling by the baker.

After the kneading is finished, the cake is placed in a pot of boiling water. The freshly boiled cake will sink on the bottom of the pot. When cooked, it will float and be picked up and put into a plate.

Vietnamese people in the past have created floating cakes, vegetarian cakes which are cool and cool dishes. This dish is sweet, very suitable for hot days.

People wait in line to buy floating cakes, vegetarian cakes at Nghia Tan market area (Cau Giay, Hanoi). This year, the average price of vegetarian cakes is 20,000 VND / bowl, floating cakes cost 15,000 VND / plate.