The southern and central counterpart to bánh chưng: glutinous rice wrapped around mung bean and pork in a long cylinder, boiled and then sliced crosswise.
Sliced into thick rounds and eaten at Tết, plain or pan-fried the next day until crisp at the edges.
Central & South
Central versions are often smaller and denser; Mekong Delta versions include colorful and sweet variants, and some households make patterned bánh tét lá cẩm.
For many southern families, the smell of bánh tét boiling is the smell of the last night before Tết.