Like every year, many businessmen and companies are busy sending local Tet specialties abroad to the Vietnamese communities in foreign countries.

Chung cake is among Vietnamese Tet specialties for exports

Returning Vietnam two months ahead of the Tet holiday, now Nguyen Van Huyen from Hai Duong Province is speeding up the preparation for a return journey to the Czech Republic.

Three members of his family have prepared luggage of up to 60-70 kilos, most of which is traditional Vietnamese foods.

Huyen said, "In countries with large Vietnamese populations such as the Czech Republic and Germany foods like sticky rice, morning glory and bamboo shoots are much sought after and often traded around Tet."

In Russia, anywhere with Vietnamese inhibitants has markets of Vietnamese goods to serve the demand on Tet. Vietnamese overseas in Russia often have a full traditional Tet with chung cake, pork, salted onion as well as parallel sentences.

Most Vietnamese families in Russia set up an altar to to make worship to their ancestors.

Boosting exports

In order to serve increasing demand for Vietnamese Tet specialities, several companies have begun exporting these goods.

Previously major exports included lemon leaves and banana leaves. However, recently several types of Vietnamese traditional special cakes have been exported as well, including banh hoi, a traditional cake made of rice powder; banh it, a type of cake made from sticky rice powder, green peas, lean meat, mushroom, dry shrimp and onion.

One HCM City based company exports five to six containers of such goods every month to the Europe, the US and Australia in the months close to Tet.

Another company, famous for exporting processed fruits, said they have packaged more than ten tonnes for export during the Tet season.