STO - Besides staple foods for daily meals, people in Soc Trang also prepare many types of traditional cakes for snacking, as gifts, for entertaining guests, or during holidays and Tet (Lunar New Year).
Having lived, worked, and interacted together for a long time, the three ethnic groups of Kinh, Khmer, and Hoa in Soc Trang, with their open-mindedness, free-spirited nature, and diligence, have transformed traditional cakes into a diverse range of designs, recipes, and preparation methods.
Hundreds of types of cakes in today's home kitchens regularly appear at festivals, fairs, and regional, national, and international food festivals. Notable examples include the gold medal for the tube-shaped cake at the 2017 Southern Vietnam Traditional Cake Festival by artisans Thach Thi Thanh Sang and Trieu Sa Da; the silver medal for flattened rice cakes and the gold medal for gourd-shaped cakes in 2018, and the silver medal for radish cakes in 2019 by artisan Huynh Ngoc Lan.
Soc Trang rice cake - Silver medal at the 9th Southern Vietnam Traditional Cake Festival in Can Tho in 2022.
In 2022, at the 9th Southern Vietnam Traditional Cake Competition held in Can Tho, the rice cake made by artisan Ly My Khanh (Soc Trang) was honored with a silver medal by the organizing committee.
Soc Trang's rice cakes are typically made during the Ha Nguyen festival, also known as the New Rice Festival, held annually on the 15th day of the 10th lunar month to offer to the God of Agriculture. At that time, farming work temporarily ceases, the fields are full of straw, the granaries are full of rice, and farmers joyfully thank Buddha, the heavens, and their ancestors for blessing them with favorable weather for a bountiful harvest. They also pray for peace in their families and for the souls of the deceased.
Rice flour cakes are typically made from ground rice flour, shaped into long, soft, smooth, and white rolls that are subtly dotted with glossy mung bean seeds inside. They are served alongside a bowl of coconut milk and fragrant scallion oil, inviting diners to savor them.
Rice flour, tapioca flour, sugar, salt, and coconut milk are mixed in appropriate proportions and dissolved in water. Let it sit for 30 minutes to allow the flour to rise. After steaming the mung beans until cooked, mix them into the risen flour mixture. Heat a pan over high heat, stirring constantly until the mixture begins to thicken. Then reduce the heat and continue stirring. When the mixture forms a solid mass and no longer sticks to the pan, turn off the heat and let it cool.
Grease your hands with a little oil. Then, take a sufficient amount of dough and shape it into long strips of your desired length. Continue shaping until all the dough is used up. Place a pot on the stove and lightly grease the steaming tray with oil. Arrange all the shaped rice cake strips in the steamer and steam for 12-15 minutes over medium heat. Then, remove the cakes and place them on a plate. Serve with a mixture of coconut milk and rice flour, thickened and seasoned with a little salt, sugar, and vanilla. Serve with the rice cake in a scallion oil mixture (salt, scallions, and sesame oil).
Although it's a vegetarian cake, it's delicious. When you taste it, you'll be captivated by the aroma of sesame oil and onion oil, the sweet and nutty flavor of mung beans, the rich taste of salt and sugar, and the creamy richness of coconut milk.
Rice flour cakes are made with a blend of traditional, rustic characteristics suited to the geographical region and the gifts of nature, while also showcasing the creativity, effort, and heartfelt dedication of the bakers.
In some places, people have variations of rice cake with different flavors and names, such as taro rice cake, peanut rice cake, corn rice cake, coconut rice cake, or mung bean rice cake, which is also known as rice cake, rice leaf cake, or rice leaf cake. "A hint of rustic flavor / Rice cake drizzled with coconut milk, unforgettable."
Rice flour cakes have all the elements of color, aroma, and taste, adding more color to the lives of working people. It can be said that Soc Trang's traditional cakes are increasingly appearing in more refined and elegant forms, standing alongside many delicious cakes from neighboring provinces in a completely new environment, leaving a unique and interesting impression on diners near and far.
NGOC NHAN
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