Bánh chưng is the square Vietnamese sticky rice cake filled with mung beans and pork, traditionally eaten during Lunar New Year.
The cake is made from glutinous rice, mung bean paste and pork, traditionally wrapped in lá dong leaves. It is pressed into a square shape and boiled for many hours, producing a dense, cohesive cake that can be stored and shared during Tết.
Vietnamese tradition links bánh chưng with the legendary prince Lang Liêu, who offered the king a square cake representing the earth. The story appears in accounts of the Hùng Kings and explains the food’s ceremonial importance, although it is a traditional legend rather than a modern historical record.
Bánh chưng is often compared with bánh tét, another Tết sticky rice cake. Bánh tét is generally cylindrical and is especially associated with southern and central Vietnam, while bánh chưng is square and strongly associated with northern Vietnamese tradition. Both may contain mung beans and pork.