Meanings of Dishes in Traditional Vietnamese Wedding Feasts

What do the dishes in a traditional Vietnamese wedding feast mean?

What is the meaning of a traditional Vietnamese wedding feast?

In Vietnamese culture, a wedding is not only a momentous event for the couple themselves but also an occasion for two families and two lineages to bond. For this reason, the traditional wedding feast is prepared with great care and full devotion. People in the past believed that each dish offered on this momentous happy day was not simply meant to entertain guests, but was also a blessing, a symbol carrying the best wishes for the happiness of the bride and groom.

What does xôi gấc mean in a wedding feast?

Xôi gấc (red sticky rice with gac fruit) is almost an indispensable dish, usually placed in the most honoured position on the feast tray. The natural bright red of the gac fruit is regarded as the colour of good fortune, of heaven and earth, symbolising passionate love and complete, fulfilled happiness. The sticky fragrance of yellow-flower glutinous rice, the rich creaminess of gac, blended with the nutty taste of mung bean, create a harmonious whole that evokes harmony and accord in married life. Because of that fine meaning, xôi gấc appears not only in wedding feasts but also on occasions such as festivals and Tet, longevity celebrations, and offerings at the New Year's Eve ceremony. In modern feast trays, xôi gấc may be replaced by xôi xéo, xôi dừa or xôi lá dứa, but the meaning of a sweet and auspicious beginning remains unchanged.

What does boiled chicken symbolise in a wedding feast tray?

According to folk belief, boiled chicken symbolises warmth, plenty and happiness. The image of a strong, stately rooster also represents good fortune, vitality and a fresh beginning. Boiled chicken is usually presented whole or cut into attractive pieces on a plate, creating a focal point for the feast tray. The presence of this dish is a wish for the young couple to have a family life that is always warm and free from worries about material things. Today, to add richness and creativity, many families may replace boiled chicken with roast chicken, grilled chicken or stewed chicken, but the meaning of a peaceful life is still preserved.

What does giò chả mean in a wedding feast?

Giò and chả (Vietnamese pork sausage and pork roll) are an inseparable pair on a wedding feast tray. A skilled cook will slice the giò into even rounds and arrange them on a shallow plate, while chả quế is usually cut into diamond shapes and arranged into an 8-pointed or 10-pointed star in the hope of invoking good fortune and favourable outcomes. Placing the two plates of giò and chả close together is a reminder of the loyalty, closeness and unbreakable bond between husband and wife. Moreover, giò wrapped in green banana leaves also carries the meaning of togetherness, protection and the nurturing of family happiness. The combination of the outer layer of banana leaf and the giò filling inside also evokes the image of a warm home sheltering the couple's love.

What does nem rán symbolise in a wedding feast?

Nem rán (fried spring rolls, also called chả giò) is a rustic, familiar dish in every region. The main ingredients of nem include minced meat, glass noodles, shiitake mushrooms, eggs, spring onion, bean sprouts and so on, mixed together, seasoned, then wrapped in each round rice paper sheet and fried until golden and crisp. The blending of different ingredients in one roll symbolises accord and sharing sweet and bitter alike in married life. Beyond that, nem being fried at high heat while still keeping its fragrance and crispness is a metaphor for the couple's unity of heart in overcoming every hardship and challenge of life, becoming more firmly bonded the harder things get. In modern feast trays, traditional nem rán may be replaced by, or combined with, seafood rolls or mushroom rolls to add variety.

What do thịt đông and thịt kho mean in a wedding feast?

In the chilly weather of the North, thịt đông (meat in aspic) is a speciality that cannot be missing from a winter wedding feast. The meat, clear as jelly and binding together naturally, represents the peace and clarity of the couple's love. The natural blending and bonding of the dish's components, without forcing, is a blessing for a fine, pure and lasting union.

Meanwhile, thịt kho tàu (braised pork with eggs) is a familiar dish, bound up with the meals of many Vietnamese families. To make a good braised pork dish, the cook usually chooses pork with a balanced ratio of lean to fat. The blending of the rich, meltingly soft pieces of meat with the deeply savoury braising liquid symbolises closeness and "harmony above and below" within the family. In particular, the duck eggs in this dish are never cut open during cooking but must be left whole, with the implication of complete, full happiness that is never divided. Today, thịt kho may be replaced by roast meat or stewed pork trotters, but its fine meaning is still handed down.

A summary table of the meanings and possible substitutes for the dishes in a traditional Vietnamese wedding feast.