The green blades remain intact and tear-free after a long journey, their earthy, slightly pungent scent spreading through the year-end cold. At the Mường Thanh travel market, starting from the early morning, people from the highland areas bring down large bundles of leaves for sale. Some bundles are temporarily covered with thin burlap sacks, while others are propped against motorbikes with their stems facing the ground to prevent breakage. Most are forest dong leaves, brought from highland communes like Mường Chà and Mường Nhé to the city to serve the tradition of wrapping chưng cakes (square sticky rice cakes) for the holiday.

Thùng Thị Phang, from Mới 2 village in Mường Chà commune, arrives at the market when the sky is still dim. On her old motorbike, bundles of leaves are tied neatly at the back, having been cut from the forest with a perfect balance of being neither too young nor too old. She explains that only “bánh tẻ” (medium-aged) leaves can wrap a beautiful cake, her hands moving quickly to adjust the ties. Each bundle contains 50 leaves, neatly arranged so the veins do not break. From Mường Chà to the center of Điện Biên Phủ ward is a journey of over a dozen kilometers, but some bundles have traveled more than 200km to reach the city, carrying with them the spring colors of the forest. Forest dong leaves are not as large as garden-grown ones, but they have flat surfaces and soft veins, and when used to wrap cakes, they produce a deep green hue that remains vibrant for days after the cake is cooked.

Ngân Đức Dần, a resident of Điện Biên Phủ ward, stops his bike by a leaf stall to select the best bundles. Tying the leaves tightly to the back of his seat, he mentions that his family wraps chưng cakes every year, primarily for ancestral offerings and to share with his children and grandchildren. His family keeps the tradition of wrapping on the 26th day of lunar December, making just enough for the household and for gifting a few to each descendant’s family for good luck. For him, wrapping chưng cakes represents the fulfillment and prosperity of a household ahead of the New Year.

In Điện Biên Phủ ward, Nguyễn Thị Mận has been accustomed to wrapping Tết cakes for decades. This year, she is making 30 cakes to offer on the altar and distribute among five families of her children. Her family organizes the wrapping on the 25th of of lunar December, and from early morning, the whole family spreads a mat on the porch, assigning tasks such as washing the rice, cleaning the beans, slicing the meat, and washing the leaves. Washing dong leaves is the most meticulous stage, where leaves are placed on large trays or flat boards, rinsed gently under a faucet, and then dried with a clean towel. Leaning over the tray, Nguyễn Thị Mận smiles kindly, noting that while her back aches, the work is joyful.

On a nearby porch, Lê Thị Tỵ from Núa Ngam commune quietly watches her grandchildren wash the leaves and recounts stories of past Tết seasons. She shares that to choose beautiful, even leaves, one used to have to go deep into the forest at dawn. She explains that the work is not finished once the cakes are boiled; they must be taken out, washed to remove the outer resin, and then neatly arranged between two wooden boards with a heavy weight on top. This “pressing” process pushes out excess water, helping the sticky rice and beans inside bond tightly together, ensuring the cake’s surface is flat and its corners are sharp. When cut, the piece remains firm and does not crumble, with the leaf layer hugging the rice closely while maintaining a deep green color.

On the first morning of the New Year, when lighting the first incense stick, seeing the green pairs of cakes sitting solemnly at the foot of the incense burner brings a sense of peace to the heart. To keep the leaves fresh after purchase, they must be stood upright in a basin with only the stems submerged in water, as soaking the entire leaf is strictly avoided. This method allows the leaves to draw water from the stems, keeping them crisp and green so they do not soften or fade during wrapping. These experiences have been passed down through generations without being written in books, yet they are followed as a strict tradition.

In the past, chưng cakes was mainly wrapped for the holiday to be eaten at home or given as gifts, and bringing a pair of green cakes to a neighbor’s house was a way to deliver wishes for peace. Today, while these cakes are available year-round from professional makers, for many families, wrapping them remains a task reserved specifically for Tết. It is not because the cakes are rare, but because the act of wrapping is a way to preserve the atmosphere of reunion. During the days leading up to the holiday, the trade of dong leaves becomes bustling at markets like Center 1, Noong Bua, and most notably, the Mường Thanh travel market.

When the pot begins to boil, Tết truly arrives as the sound of bubbling water and the scent of leaves blending with sticky rice and kitchen smoke spread through the cold night. For many Vietnamese people, no matter how many years pass or how far they travel, they can never forget the smell of dong leaves, sticky rice, and the smoke from a pot of chưng cakes. This deep green color seems to soothe the soul, reminding people that simple things still sustain the present and providing a moment of peace to begin the new year amidst the changing rhythm of life.