Dong leaves during Tet season

On the eve of Tet, from peaceful rural markets to bustling urban ones, the lush green color of dong leaf bundles can be seen everywhere. Dong leaves are an indispensable ingredient for wrapping banh chung – a traditional cake made during Tet.

Dong leaves have long, wide blades that are thin yet durable. Banh chung wrapped in dong leaves, when boiled, takes on a natural green color, which is not only beautiful but also retains its characteristic aroma.

Dong leaves are sold at Lai Dong market in Tan Son district, from the beginning of December.

In the middle of December, when apricot and peach trees begin to bud, this is when the dong leaf season for Tet really begins. Dong leaves are transported by vehicles back and forth everywhere. They often grow in humid places, especially along water streams and under the forest canopy. The more humid the environment, the greener and larger the dong leaves become. In mountainous districts such as Thanh Son, Tan Son, and Yen Lap, people often harvest dong leaves from the forest or hills. Once cut, the leaves are sorted into different sizes, from large to small, and are then purchased by traders or sold to retail buyers.

At the markets, a stall filled with green dong leaves adds to the fragrance and color of spring. At Lai Dong market, Tan Son district, from the beginning of December, people have started selling dong leaves. With her hands deftly untying a bundle of dong leaves to advise customers, Ms. Dinh Thi Ha, from the Chieng 1 area, Lai Dong commune, said, “Dong leaves grow a lot in humid areas, under the forest canopy, especially along small streams. My main job is farming. Near Tet, I take the opportunity to go to the forest, following the streams to find dong leaves. Around December 20th, small leaves are sold for about 35,000 VND per 100 leaves; large leaves are about 50,000 VND per 100 leaves, and the price usually is higher near Tet.”

Dong leaves are used to wrap Chung cake—wrapping Chung cake at the Chinh Anh facility, Hung Viet commune, Cam Khe district.

Along with harvesting naturally growing Dong, people also take advantage of areas near ponds, riverbanks, and gardens to cultivate it. On normal days, Dong leaves are mainly sold to facilities specializing in wrapping Chung cake. However, during Tet, the demand for Dong leaves increases significantly when many families wrap Chung cake by themselves to worship their ancestors. Dong leaves are harvested all year round, but during Tet, the price is high and the market demand is high, so around September, people will stop cutting and take care of the trees to make the leaves big and beautiful to serve the needs of people during the Lunar New Year.

People in Cao Xa commune, Lam Thao district, harvest dong leaves to serve the Tet market.

Beside the tall dong bushes that tower over people, hastily harvesting the leaves to deliver to the banh chung wrapping facility, Ms. Kieu Thi Tu, from Zone 11, Cao Xa commune, Lam Thao district, said, "Knowing that dong trees prefer high humidity, I planted about 1 sao of dong leaves near the pond bank, in the corner of the garden. The tree has strong branching; each year it can produce dozens of branches, and each branch yields 5-6 leaves. After cutting, tying, and placing them in a cool place, the dong leaves can last for a whole month, so from the 15th of the 12th lunar month, I started cutting and selling them."

To produce a beautiful, square cake is quite a feat, going through many stages, starting with the selection of dong leaves. The aroma of the leaves blends with sticky rice, green beans, and pork when the banh chung is boiled, awakening the whole kitchen and bringing a feeling of warmth and closeness when Tet comes. In modern society, there are many types of packaging materials, but none can replace this special leaf in wrapping banh chung.

Nguyen Hue