Discover 5 dishes to help you get rid of post-Tet food fatigue.

Bun rieu

One of the top dishes for relieving post-Tet food fatigue is probably bun rieu (crab noodle soup). Scoring points with its mild, tangy flavor, bun rieu is the perfect choice to help diners reduce feelings of satiety. In addition, the combination of various green vegetables makes the bowl of bun rieu even more delicious. At this time, green vegetables and bun rieu are considered a dish that "reduces protein and fat" and "balances" the body's nutrients.

After the Lunar New Year holidays, everyone craves the mild sourness of a bowl of vermicelli soup with crab and the refreshing coolness of fresh vegetables to balance their palates after the "familiar yet tiresome" dishes typical of the traditional feast. Therefore, it's not uncommon to see vendors and diners at vermicelli soup stalls on the streets, much busier than usual.

Snail noodle soup

Along with bun rieu (crab noodle soup), bun oc (snail noodle soup) is also on the list of popular dishes to combat post-Tet holiday food fatigue. This dish isn't overly complicated; it simply consists of plump, crunchy snails, a clear, flavorful broth, and a touch of fragrant fermented vinegar. When you're tired of fried foods, the chewy, crunchy texture and rich, fatty flavor of the snails make it even more appealing to diners.

When eating, diners can add chili paste, shrimp paste, and eat it with various fresh vegetables. Nowadays, a bowl of snail noodle soup is also "modified" with many toppings such as fried tofu, pork ear rolls, pork sausage, etc.

Fish noodle soup

To refresh your palate after the Lunar New Year, fish noodle soup is a wonderful culinary experience that diners definitely shouldn't miss. Appealing from the first glance, from the crispy fried fish pieces to the fragrant broth, with its rich blend of sweet and sour flavors, it creates a unique dish that leaves a lasting impression on diners.

The fish is typically deep-fried until crispy, creating a wonderful combination of crispiness and tenderness. When enjoying it, diners dip the fish into a tangy, spicy broth, resulting in a delicious and appealing flavor. The broth of the fish noodle soup has a unique taste, sweet from the bone stock, sour from the tomatoes, and subtly fragrant from the pineapple, all combining to create a uniquely delicious blend.

Rice paper rolls with pork

Pork spring rolls are considered "light on the stomach" and easy to digest because vegetables are the main ingredient in each roll. Combined with the savory and rich flavor of fermented fish sauce, spring rolls don't leave you feeling full or greasy even after eating a lot.

Pork spring rolls are typically made into small, long, and thin rolls with a thin, translucent rice paper wrapper. Inside are layers of grilled or boiled pork, along with fresh rice noodles and raw vegetables. When eaten, diners will experience the harmonious blend of the softness of the rice paper, the crispness of the pork, and the freshness of the raw vegetables...

Pork wrapped in rice paper is usually served with sweet and sour fish sauce or various types of fermented fish sauce. It's a suitable dish to enjoy as a light meal or as a delicious way to counteract the richness of the traditional Lunar New Year.

Salads

Salads are a familiar dish to counteract the richness of other dishes during Tet (Vietnamese New Year) celebrations in many families. This dish offers a variety of ingredients to suit different tastes, making it a suitable choice for many family members.

Beef jerky salad, jellyfish salad, boneless chicken feet salad… become perfect choices for the first day of spring. These dishes are a harmonious blend of familiar ingredients such as boneless chicken feet, beef jerky, jellyfish… along with green papaya, kohlrabi, carrots, and various aromatic herbs. The perfectly balanced sweet, sour, and spicy flavors of the salad help many people effectively relieve the feeling of satiety after the Lunar New Year.

Phuong Mai is a reporter for Travellive Magazine in Hanoi.

Phuong Mai