From the early morning, Hanoians are in a rush to get to the markets for fermented sticky rice, fruit, and Gio cakes to prepare for the Killing Insects Festival before starting a new day.

Fermented sticky rice is an indispensable dish on this day. Many people buy both white and black fermented sticky rice.

A cup of fermented sticky rice costs from 44 cents to 2.2 USD depending on the weight.

As usual, the 5th day of the fifth lunar month is one of the hottest days of the year when insects and fungi damage crops. Legend has it that to protect the crops, under the guidance of an old man who introduced himself as Đôi Truân, people prepared the food  made from the crops themselves to destroy the insects. From that time on, to express gratitude to the wise old man, local farmers named the day Killing Insects Day.

There are a variety of names for Gio cake – Ú cake (small pyramidal glutinous rice cake), Tro cake, or Âm cake. Gio cake is made of rice soaked in ash water and wrapped in banana leaves. It is often eaten with sugar or honey.

Lychees and plums are typical summer fruit and included on the tray of specialties offered to the ancestors. 

A tray of offerings on Killing Insects Festival (Photo: Vinh Quyen)