Every year in spring, vacationers make a beeline for Kinh Bac (the Red River Delta region) to take part in village festivals that come soon after Tết. Here, youths sing Quan Ho, a northern music style, play folk games, participate in cooking competitions, and make cakes.

A popular saying goes, “If you wish to eat banh it la gai, get married to a Binh Dinh man to increase your life experience.”

Banh khuc is a traditional cake of Northen Vietnam. It’s a rice ball made from glutinous rice, green bean, pork, spices and, most importantly, cudweed (khuc).

To many families in southern Vietnam, enjoying pia during the mid-autumn holidays has been a tradition since the early 19th century.

Banh xeo, a Vietnamese-style crepe, is prepared differently throughout the country. Tourists traveling about in Vietnam are sure to encounter a different recipe, and sometimes even a different name, for banh xeo depending on which region and province they are visiting.