The food closely associated with the Vietnamese Tết festival is bánh chưng, a traditional rice cake made with glutinous rice, mung beans, and pork, wrapped in banana leaves. This dish symbolizes earth and is often prepared during family gatherings to honor ancestors. Its square shape represents the earth, while the round version, bánh tét, symbolizes the sky. Preparing bánh chưng is an important cultural practice that emphasizes familial unity and the significance of sharing meals during the Tết celebrations, which marks the lunar new year in Vietnam.