I checked out the article on Tết in Vietnam and found some incorrect information.

Firstly, “banh tet” can be commonly found in the south, whereas “banh chung” and “banh day” originated from the north and made their way down to the south when the country expanded over the centuries.

About the legend and symbolic meaning of banh chung and banh da`y (correct spelling), you can check out this article from an online portal of a credible newspaper in Vietnam: http://www.thanhniennews.com/travellermate/culture2.html

Secondly, about the oranges, even though the skin is green, the flesh is still orange. This is a fact. I’ve never seen any oranges with green flesh in Vietnam. To emphasise, I’m talking about oranges, not grapefruits. A thought crossed my mind that the interviewee might have meant grapefruits/ pomelos, which have either pink or green flesh. But how could he have possibly mistaken oranges for grapefruits/ pomelos?

Thirdly, there are also some points which I found scientifically problematic. The first is about the tradition of drinking the wine through a two-metre straw. Who on earth is strong enough to suck the wine over such a long distance? This might be a traditional practice but I just wonder how the people in that area do that.

The article mentioned “dry sweetened lamb” as one of the Tết’s delicacies. Scientifically speaking, it’s hard to raise lambs in a tropical country like Vietnam. The common cattle found in Vietnam include cows and buffalos. Well, perhaps lambs might be raised in the highland regions but they are really rare. In this sense, where do people find enough lambs to make that “dry sweetened lamb” delicacy? Also, to be considered as a traditional delicacy, the food must have been in existence for many years, which seems not to be the case as I’ve never heard of it. Indeed, lamb is not a common food in the daily diet of Vietnamese people.

To be honest, all these may be beyond my knowledge and I just wonder if the Observer could do some clarifications. This may help create a more accurate representation of Vietnamese culture.

Sincerely,
Jodie Luu (Ms)

See related stories:
▪ Tết - not just a Chinese New Year spin-off (Mar. 03, 2007)