Xoi gac has long been an indispensable dish during the traditional Tet holiday of Vietnamese people. With its bright red color symbolizing luck and prosperity, xoi gac always appears on the Tet tray as a wish for a new year of peace and prosperity. Not only does it have spiritual meaning, xoi gac is also a delicious dish with the sweet, soft taste of sticky rice and the natural color of gac fruit.

History and Meaning of Xoi Gac

Xoi gac has long been a part of Vietnamese cuisine and is often used during Tet holidays, weddings, and important events. According to folk beliefs, the red color of the gac fruit symbolizes luck and happiness. Therefore, xoi gac often appears on the Tet tray as a symbol of a bright start to the new year. In addition, the delicious taste and rich nutrition of gac fruit are also the reasons why this sticky rice dish has become a traditional dish, loved on special occasions.

Main Ingredients To Make Gac Sticky Rice

Xoi gac is made from simple but nutritious ingredients, creating a dish that is both beautiful and delicious. Below are the main ingredients commonly used to make xoi gac.

Glutinous Rice – Basic Ingredients

Sticky rice is the main ingredient for making sticky rice. Good sticky rice has round, sticky grains, and when cooked, it is soft and smooth, creating a sticky and rich taste for the dish. Before cooking, sticky rice is usually soaked overnight to soften the grains, make it easy to cook, and absorb the gac fruit color evenly.

Gac Fruit – Lucky Red

Gac is a fruit with a natural bright red color, containing many nutrients such as vitamin A and antioxidants. The gac pulp is taken from the flesh surrounding the seed, then mixed with a little white wine to help the bright red color of the gac permeate the sticky rice, creating a beautiful color for the sticky rice dish.

Coconut Milk and Sugar – Sweet Taste

To make sticky rice with gac fruit more fatty and sweet, people often add coconut milk and sugar. Coconut milk gives the sticky rice a fragrant and fatty taste, while sugar creates a light sweetness, in harmony with the fatty taste of sticky rice and the characteristic red color of gac fruit.

How to Make Sticky Rice with Gac Fruit for Tet

Xoi gac is an easy dish to make but requires skill and meticulousness in each step of preparation to achieve beautiful color and delicious flavor. Below are the basic steps to make xoi gac at home.

Materials Needed

• Glutinous rice: 500g
• Ripe gac fruit: 1 fruit
• Coconut milk: 200ml
• Sugar: 100g
• Salt: 1/4 teaspoon
• White wine: 2 teaspoons

Steps to Take

Step 1: Prepare sticky rice and gac fruit

Soak the sticky rice overnight to soften it. Cut the gac fruit in half, take the gac pulp and mix it with a little white wine to keep the bright red color. Mix the gac pulp with the sticky rice and a little salt.

Step 2: Steam sticky rice

Put the glutinous rice and gac mixture into the steamer, steam for about 30-40 minutes until the glutinous rice is soft. During the steaming process, occasionally open the lid and stir to cook the sticky rice evenly.

Step 3: Add coconut milk and sugar

When the sticky rice is almost cooked, drizzle coconut milk and sprinkle sugar over the sticky rice, then mix well. Steam for about 10 more minutes so that the sticky rice absorbs the coconut milk and sugar, creating a rich and slightly sweet taste.

Step 4: Finish and enjoy

After being steamed, sticky rice with gac fruit has a beautiful red color, the fatty aroma of coconut milk and a light sweetness. Sticky rice can be eaten with pork roll or left as is to enjoy.

Xoi Gac – Symbol of Luck on Tet Holiday

Xoi gac is not only a delicious dish but also has many special meanings in Vietnamese culture. The red color of the fruit symbolizes luck and prosperity, so xoi gac often appears in the trays of food on Tet holiday, weddings, and festivals. This is a dish that conveys the hope for a good new year, with lots of fortune and peace. In addition, xoi gac is also a meaningful gift to give to family and friends in the first days of the new year.

Gac sticky rice

Xoi gac (sticky rice with gac fruit) is not only a traditional dish but also a symbol of luck and reunion in every Vietnamese family. With its vibrant colors, sweet taste, and profound meaning, xoi gac (sticky rice with gac fruit) has become an indispensable delicacy on the Tet tray, bringing joy and warmth to everyone. If you have the chance, try making xoi gac (sticky rice with gac fruit) to fully experience the flavor and meaning of this special dish.