A Tet meal like no other

Thuy Duong, a 29-year-old from Tuyen Quang Province, shared photos of her "Vi Xua" (Taste of the Past) Tet meal in a popular online group, garnering 5,500 likes and nearly 1,000 comments.

The surprise? Every element of the meal - bowls, chopsticks, and traditional Tet dishes such as bánh chưng (square sticky rice cake), nem rán (fried spring rolls), giò (Vietnamese sausage), and pickled onions - was meticulously crafted using cake-making materials like sugar paste and chocolate.

"I want to share with you a bit of nostalgia about Tet meals in the North," Duong wrote. "Everything in this meal, from the utensils to the food, is edible and made with great attention to detail, with all patterns hand-painted."

Nostalgia and craftsmanship

The post resonated deeply with viewers, who admired the artistic craftsmanship and were struck by the meal’s vivid depiction of Tet traditions.

“I can’t believe this is all made from cake ingredients. It’s incredible!” one user commented. Another added, “Without being told, no one would know this isn’t a real meal. Such incredible skill!”

Duong revealed that the project was a labor of love inspired by childhood memories.

“This idea had been on my mind for 4-5 years. I had tried creating a similar Tet meal before but failed because my skills weren’t refined enough,” she shared. “After such a long time, I’m thrilled to finally complete this piece.”

Duong, who has been making cakes for several years, draws heavily on traditional Vietnamese culture for inspiration. For this project, she spent five days with the help of seven colleagues, who assisted with crafting smaller details.

“The main ingredients were powdered sugar and chocolate mixed together, with some additional elements to make the paste easier to mold,” Duong explained. “I simply observed real-life images or photos online and sculpted everything by hand, painting all the intricate patterns manually.”

Memories of Tet

The finished meal, titled "Vi Xua," brought Duong immense satisfaction and emotional reflection.

“Looking at the completed meal, I felt a rush of nostalgia. It reminded me of my childhood,” she said.

Growing up away from home since grade six, Duong cherished Tet as the rare time she could enjoy her mother’s cooking. For her, Tet was defined by fried spring rolls filled with pork, mushrooms, and fragrant herbs, bánh chưng paired with pickled onions, and steaming bowls of bamboo shoot soup.

"The simple tableware, with its patched-together designs, holds so many memories of my childhood. Life gets busy, and only during Tet did I get to taste these flavors,” Duong recalled. “Even now, eating cilantro makes me feel like Tet is here again.”

Duong’s "Vi Xua" creation is now preserved and set to be displayed for others to enjoy.