Lotus-shaped offering trays popular for the first full moon festival

The first full moon festival often calls for simpler offerings compared to larger holidays. This year, vibrant lotus flower-shaped trays filled with cakes, sticky rice, and sweet soup are a popular trend. Hanh Nguyen from Tan Binh District, for example, ordered five trays of lotus-shaped steamed buns and jelly for 500,000 VND, finding it a more economical and healthy alternative. Many businesses are capitalizing on this trend, crafting elaborate lotus flower arrangements instead of selling individual cakes. Thao in Thu Duc District sold out of her 500 lotus-shaped trays, each including steamed buns, sticky rice, and three-color floating rice balls priced from 70,000 to 160,000 VND. She noted that the unique design doubled her orders compared to last year. Similarly, Le Thi Ngoc Tran in Phu Nhuan District saw a threefold increase in orders. She offers lotus flower jelly and baked cakes in various colors, priced from 100,000 to 140,000 VND per tray. Creating these intricate trays requires skill and carefully selected ingredients to ensure the cakes are soft and chewy. The most challenging are the steamed buns, often filled with mung beans or red beans, which can take hours to shape. Beyond lotus trays, affordable five-color sticky rice baskets and lotus platforms, priced from 50,000 to 90,000 VND, are also readily available. Fruit and flower prices remain stable leading up to the festival, with only a slight expected increase of 5,000-15,000 VND per kilogram or bunch.