No. 13 || It's Tét, So Let's Fête!
Happy Lunar New Year (LNY) or Tét if you're Viet, "Soup You Can Suck On", LNY superstitions around food, & an ETI fundraiser dinner in NY to support LA Fire Relief
Dear Readers & Cake Eaters,
Aaand we’re back! I can’t believe the end of January is already here, sorry it’s taken me so long - your girl spent New Year’s Day in the ER, lolz. I’m all good though, just a quick episode of that pesky Norovirus making its rounds but getting back to real life post holidays has been a struggle nevertheless.
First off, Happy Lunar New Year! I’m Vietnamese so for me, it’s called Tét but I’ve noticed that over the years, what used to only be“Happy Chinese New Year” has slowly evolved into a more general “Happy Lunar New Year” — I think people are finally catching on to the fact that there is (shocker) more than one Asian country that celebrates lolz. Marketing or not, it’s nice how much more prevalent it is these days — so much so that TJ Maxx/Marshall’s now notably has an entire 1-2 aisles dedicated to LNY celebrations. But ultimately, regardless of whether you’re Vietnamese, Chinese, Korean, Malaysian, Singaporean, or any other country that celebrates, the point is, Lunar New Year is about celebrating ancestors and family, good vibes, good energy, good food, and good luck. And if nothing else, it’s a new moon!
I’ve only gotten back to Paris about a week ago and the jet lag is still very real. I spent most of my time in San Francisco battling the Flu and then the Norovirus right afterwards - lucky me! I did however manage to get in some fun cake & pie making while I was home and of course, some good eating whenever I could keep it down, lolz. One of the highlights of my trip was volunteering at City Hope Café with famed pastry chef, Michelle Polzine to help feed those in need of a free coffee & pastry in the Tenderloin community of SF. Anyone interested in volunteering can do so HERE - I’m so glad to have been able to actually interact with and experience a community in a city I adore and still call home in such an authentic way and plan on doing so every time I visit in the future.
As for The Cakewalk, The Caketalk, & The Cake Shoppe - I have so much cooking for 2025 and I can’t wait for you to see! Just a head’s up, I will be experimenting with some different formatting for The Cakewalk in upcoming issues. (Speaking of which, I tried out Substack’s audio voiceover instead of my usual recording method this time - not sure how I feel about it.) Don’t worry, the content you know and love isn’t going anywhere, I’m just going to start playing around with the best way to serve it to you as I know we don’t all have the luxury of perusing through a long-ass NL no matter how much we may want to. Stay tuned!
Now, let’s dig in! xo
THE CAKEWALK - WEEKLY SPECIALS MENU
Wednesday, Jan 29th, 2025
Appetizers
ICYMI - Earlier this month, Progresso launched limited edition Soup Drops - “Soup you can suck on.” Unfortunately I was too late to the game on this one and they’ve already since SOLD OUT but here’s hoping they make an eventual comeback? (They’ve already since restocked once!) MC Comings, VP, Business Unit Director for Progresso at General Mills says, “When you’re sick, nothing is truly more reassuring than Chicken Noodle Soup. So, we thought, why stop at the soup bowl? We took the beloved flavors of our Progresso Chicken Noodle Soup and packed them into a fun, savory candy Soup Drop for a totally new way to enjoy the taste you love whenever and wherever you want.” Hey
, maybe it’s time for a soup flavored Zyn?
2025 seems to be the year of General Mills because so far, they’re killing it with headline making products. The latest, a Totino’s Pizza Flavored Cinnamon Toast Crunch . . . Curiosity may have killed the cat but for those kitties out there willing to test out one of their 9 lives, this limited edition product will only be available to snag on the website on Tuesday, January 28th at 7pm EST. EXCEPT, I was there on said website at said time last night (1AM Paris Time) and unless I missed something - there was absolutely no Totino’s CTC in sight. I refreshed, I changed browsers, I quadruple fact checked, and still, nothing. Disappointing to say the least. BUT, seeing as the Superbowl is just around the corner, this isn’t the wildest “collab” to make headlines. The company literally suggested you “head to your nearest grocery store for Cinnamon Toast Crunch and Totino’s Pizza Rolls to stock up for the Big Game” for those that can’t get their hands on this collab. (And at the moment, I’m convinced that’s everyone.) Subtle, lolz.
Calling all NY Readers & Cake Eaters! My good friend, Chef Nir Sarig of ETI is hosting his first popup since 2023 THIS THURSDAY aka TOMORROW to raise money for LA Fire Relief. Not that you need to be persuaded into donating money for a good cause but a five course tasting menu and an incredible wine selection by Zev Rovine Selections oughta help. To book, email contact@etinyc.com! Go go go!!! (fun fact: Nir is also
of Magasin’s husband so you can imagine how deliciously tasteful it’ll be!)
The only PFW Men’s Week activity I got up to besides drinking endless natty wine with friends in town was popping into the Dear Progress Showroom to check out Leeann Huang’s FW25 collection in person. The inclusion of food graphics in her collections never disappoints and I’m a big fan of the tomato hoodie as well as the checkered mini dress with graphics of things like a green apple, a fried egg, and more but that crushed silk/Pleats Please looking strawberry ensemble in the middle might have been the cherry on top.
Coors Light introduces “The Chill Face Roller. Simply insert an ice cold Coors Light and roll directly onto your face until your Monday feels more like a second Sunday.” Lolz. Is this how far we’ve come as a society? Couldn’t you just do the same thing by holding the can and rolling it? I mean I have enough things leading me towards carpal tunnel in my daily life as it is. . . FYI though, they sold out. Twice (there was a restock yesterday at noon).
À La Carte
Acrylic Multi-Colored Chopsticks - I got these for XMas and I couldn’t be more thrilled to have these in my kitchen!
Tomato Chopstick Rest - 2 PC | Click HERE for the 5 PC Set that’s actually cheaper!
Snake Handled Silver Serving Tray (lolz at the rose arrangement I can’t remove from the photo)
Glass SOOP Spoons - Set of 2 by Bomshbee (saw these at the MOMA Gift Shop and wished they came in a different color other than smoke!)
Main Course
Lunar New Year Food Superstitions - First things first, know that pretty much every LNY food has some sort of symbolic meaning or lore around it whether it’s Chinese New Year or Tét. While Vietnamese New Year and Chinese New Year are different, they certainly have an abundance of similarities like the red envelopes, a heavy focus on food, shared symbols of wealth and good fortune with things like mandarins and the color red, shared if not similar superstitions, and so much more. One of the notable differences however, would be the zodiac calendar. For example, in 2023 - Vietnamese New Year celebrated the Cat while most everyone else celebrated the Year of the Rabbit. It’s also important to note that Tét traditions in Vietnam also vary depending on region so the North might not exactly be eating and practicing the exact same thing as the South although there are definitely some country-wide staples. Anyways with all that said, let’s get to the fun stuff - the superstitions around food for this holiday.
The Fruits - tangerines, oranges, and pomelos. While there are other fruits that are celebrated and welcomed during LNY, none are as iconic as the holy trinity of tangerines, oranges, and pomelos as they symbolize good luck, good fortune, and wealth.
Durian - an absolute no-no for LNY. “Durian, known for its delightful taste and nutritional value, is discouraged from being consumed on the first day of the year. Many people fear that consuming durian during this time will bring about sadness and sorrow throughout the year. The pungent odor of durian, although loved by many, may be seen as an unpleasant scent that symbolically represents negative emotions. Thus, avoiding durian on the first day of the year is believed to ensure a more joyful and prosperous year ahead.”
Meat - Depending on who you ask, a LNY tradition is to not eat meat on the first day of the Lunar Year. According to an article I was looking at, “Buddhism decrees that we eat vegetarian on the first and fifteenth days of the lunar month, it being taboo to kill animals on these days. A vegetarian meal also suggests cleansing and purification for the year ahead.” I can tell you firsthand that this is not something practiced by EVERYONE especially considering how many iconic LNY meat-involved dishes there are. It is important to note however that LNY celebrations generally span over several days and so at least one of these days being meatless makes sense.
Seafood - The beliefs on this vary by culture but sea critters like lobsters and shrimp tend to be avoided by both the Chinese and Vietnamese because they walk backwards and that’s the opposite message you want to be sending when starting a new and prosperous year with a bright future.
In regards to fish, in Chinese culture “many who dine on fish on Lunar New Year’s eve traditionally leave the head and tail untouched, to be saved for the next day. This represents the idea that they will always have enough on their plates for the coming year.” I’m not entirely sure if the same belief applies to Vietnamese culture but it sounds about right.
I’ll leave you here because I’m not about to write you a thesis on this topic either but I hope those were fun for you.
image via https://kateng.co/abolishiceshirt I may have only just stumbled across these incredible shirts but artist Kat Eng has been making these “Abolish I.C.E.” shirts since 2019 and in 2021, she partnered up with another artist I adore (see below in Digestif), Stephanie Shih. At the moment, there hasn’t been a new drop of shirts just yet but you can sign up HERE to be notified of the next run - I just signed up myself! To better understand this project I’ll quote it straight from Eng’s website below as to not skip over any important deets:
“This shirt reimagines the iconic Three Ladies (from the popular jasmine rice brand) as freedom fighters, and features translations of the words "Free Them All" in Burmese, Hmong, Khmer, Lao, and Vietnamese."
“This shirt was originally created in a black and teal colorway in 2019 for the Free Them All campaign. This was a collaboration by the FANG Collective, the AMOR Network, and others to shut down county and state collaborations with ICE. Since the campaign began, they have successfully pressured Bristol, Suffolk, and Plymouth counties into ending contracts with ICE.”
“In 2021, I ran a pop-up sale with fellow artist Stephanie Shih. Then I began partnering with Eagle Screen Print to do limited edition runs, and to date we have raised and distributed more the $80,000 for Southeast Asian community members that are impacted by ICE, whether they have removal orders, are in detention, or separated from their families and fighting to come home. We plan to continue these limited runs for as long as we have capacity. The funds we raise make a big difference. Thank you so much to everyone that has contributed!”
Desserts
DESSERT-ings - Finally, some actual desserts in the desserts section of this NL! Lolz. Some of you may already be familiar with the desserts eaten for Chinese New Year or at the very least, you may have come across them through social media, friends, restaurants, etc. I’m talking desserts like Tangyuan (the little mochi ball with various fillings like black sesame paste and served in a sweet liquid), Fried Sesame Balls, and Nin Gao (a sticky rice cake). Tbh, in regards to Viet and Chinese New Years, it’s a same same but different but same situation as there is more or less a Vietnamese counterpart for almost every Chinese New Year dessert mentioned lolz. Enter, the candied fruit trays.
image via Oi Vietnam Walk into any asian grocery store around Lunar New Year and you’ll be sure to find trays, boxes, and pouches full of colorful candied treats. This is one of the similarities that Vietnamese and Chinese New Years share although perhaps the exact science of what goes into the tray varies depending on culture. In Vietnamese, these goodies are called “mứt” which are essentially candied fruits and include everything from colorful strands of candied coconut, ginger, wintermelon, lotus seeds, lotus roots, persimmons, kumquat, and so much more. There are also a variety of candied nuts, seeds, and veggies in the mix as well.Talk about some serious eye candy. For me, nothing screams Lunar New Year time more than the large red trays of these treats as well as the colorful strands of candied coconut on display everywhere. For more on the various types of mứt you can check out this “Lunar Candy Tray Guide” that does a way better job explaining than me.
Next up - for Tét, one of the most common things you’ll see is our variation of a sticky rice cake that’s wrapped in banana leaf - Bánh chưng (the square version) & Bánh tét (the log version). There is a savory one that generally has pork and mung bean in it, and the sweet one which usually has banana and black bean. More notably about the sweet one is how the banana is always a reddish pink color which is apparently a natural process that occurs when the cake is being steamed. Now from my experience, it would appear that the savory one can come in both shapes and therefore both names can be used interchangeably however the sweet one is pretty much always in the log form aka Bánh tét. Upon further research via the Google, I guess the savory one being the same thing just in different shapes depends on what region you’re in. I recognize that I mostly went on about the savory rice cake in this desserts section but well, it had to be done!
RECIPE-INGS - Ok, this is more of a lifehack rather than a recipe but I digress. Perhaps one of the only things I’m grateful of TikTok for is an occasional cooking hack but I’m the millennial that gets it secondhand through Reels anyway so dunno if it even counts lol. Anyways, if you’re Vietnamese, you’ll know that the aforementioned Bánh chưng /Bánh tét is best eaten fried although sometimes the messy oil clean up hardly makes it worth it. Well, cue the waffle maker my friend. Pop a slice in and you’ll have the crispiest, no-mess, no-fuss slice of bánh chưng /bánh tét you’ve ever had. This literally changed my life, lolz.
Digestif
This Shrimp Chips photo series by Mischelle Moy aka @studiomisch was such a lovely thing to stumble across on IG and it makes me so happy
images via @stephaniehshih Stephanie H. Shih is Taiwanese-American is a Brooklyn based ceramic artist that previously collaborated with Kat Eng on the Abolish I.C.E. shirts that I talked about above. I’ve been following her for a while now and her ceramic work focuses on Asian-American household pantry staples. She should be on your radar if she isn’t already.
It may be Year of the Snake but I can guarantee you won’t be finding the above dish on the table at any Lunar New Year celebrating Asian household. But, if you love a theme and are so inclined, check out this hilarious list of “Snake Shaped Food, Fun Design Ideas for Lunar New Year Celebration” from 2013, undoubtedly written by a well, non-Asian person lolz.
FIN.
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I was lucky enough to be in Hanoi for Tét, it was an absolute blast!! Chúc Mừng Năm Mới 🤩