Sticky rice: tradition and celebration (xôi vị)

One of my very first posts about street food was our famous sticky rice, it's also in the list of 10 foods that Vietnamese can't live without, but along with the other sticky rice dishes, we still have another sticky rice speciality that we prepare mostly for celebrations: either death anniversary, wedding ceremony or the newly-born baby party, birthday party...it could be thousand reasons for us to celebrate! Why? Because this dish is not only good, tasty but also beautifully, colorfully presented. We call this special dish - xôi vị (literally means tasty sticky rice, my guess!).

Xôi vị is very rich in taste and beautiful in color. This dish represents the unique mixture of different flavors, colors: rich coconut, aroma from pandan leaves with its special green color, piquant smell from magenta plant which also gives the dish a beautiful purple. the yellow from sweet mung bean paste as filling in the center and slight aroma from star anise!

Xôi vị is also special due to its shape, it's not like the other sticky rice dish, xôi vị should be molded. either in square shape with some characters on the top as "Double Happiness" or "Good Luck", or in round shape and always topped with aromatic roasted sesame.

The preparation requires time and skill, how to make the sticky rice shining, not too wet, not too dry, not too sweet, not over tasty with coconut flavor and the beautiful color also - everything should be in a good portion. That's why no wonder "xôi vị" is one of very few sticky rice dishes in the menu for the important traditional celebrations.

   
The other version of xôi vị - the combination of sweet gourd and magenta sticky rice and sweet mung bean paste in the middle and on the top. This well molded xôi vị could be a good gift to friends, to loved ones in any occasion, eps. during Tết (Lunar New Year) with a wish for The Best of Luck!

Now the question where can you get this beautiful and tasty dish? My simple answer is - right in the heart of Sàigòn - Bến Thành market. Very delicious, very good-looking dish and surprisingly very good price! Please do check my post about the cake of 9 layers of clouds to find out where is the place in that famous market.

    Beautiful xôi vị in sale display in Bến Thành market, together with the other traditional cakes