There are many sweet foods in Việt Nam! At Lunar New Year, called Tết, families eat special candy called mứt Tết.
In the United States, jam is made from fruit, and you spread it on toast. In Việt Nam, “jam” or "mứt" means dried fruit and nuts covered in sugar. The fruit is cooked in sweet syrup, then dried. It becomes shiny, chewy and sweet.
Mứt is one of the most loved foods at Tết. Many people say mứt is the soul of Tết. Families believe eating sweet food will bring luck, happiness and success in the new year.
I visited a small candy shop, called Hương Xuân, in Hồ Chí Minh City. The shop makes mứt by hand using traditional methods. They do not use preservatives.
I ate many kinds of mứt:
The mứt dừa was white as well as bright pink, green and yellow. The mứt me was darker and a little sticky. It tasted sweet and a little sour at the same time.
