Traditional Countryside Flavored Sticky Rice Cake

Sticky rice cake with pork roll.

In Vietnamese tradition, Banh Day symbolizes respect for heaven and earth and solidarity. Banh Day, in the past, often appeared during Tet holidays and village festivals, because the making process was quite elaborate and involved many steps. However, today, as life has become more and more developed, this dish has become a familiar breakfast, snack or appears in family reunions.

Unlike other places, Cao Bang sticky rice cake has a special flavor, especially in the aroma of sticky rice, combined with the toughness and perseverance of the maker. In Cao Bang, vegetarian sticky rice cake is eaten with pork leg, or mixed with other flavors to create colorful cakes, such as wormwood sticky rice cake made with wormwood leaves, gac sticky rice cake or purple sticky rice cake. The cake filling is roasted black sesame, crushed and mixed with sugar or roasted peanuts can be added...

The main ingredient to make sticky rice cake is fragrant sticky rice, a specialty of Cao Bang from Bao Lac and Trung Khanh regions with round, sticky and fragrant grains. The rice is soaked thoroughly, then steamed and pounded in a stone mortar until smooth and sticky. After pounding, the cake is shaped into small, even round pieces. This step also takes a lot of time, so the finished product is a soft, sticky rice cake, which is harder to harden than rice from other regions. For five-color cakes, the rice is soaked in purple leaf or gac water. As for mugwort cake, it is more elaborate, the mugwort leaves are picked and washed, then boiled in lime water to keep the green color. The cooked mugwort leaves are taken out, squeezed to remove all the water, chopped, and stir-fried in a cast iron pan. When the sticky rice is cooked, mix it with the mugwort leaves and pound quickly and evenly so that the cake is fragrant and sticky. The mugwort leaves blend with the sticky rice to create a dark green color. When pounding, the water does not flow out, which is a standard mixture, the sticky starch sticks to the pestle. After pounding, quickly shape into small, pretty cakes.

Wormwood cake

Restaurant owner Le Ngan - Bao Lac town shared: Because of the source of delicious sticky rice, our restaurant has this dish on the menu. Gradually, the number of tourists has increased, including foreign tourists, so this traditional dish has become more and more popular. However, only groups of guests who have made reservations in advance can enjoy this dish.

Banh day is a rustic dish, with a price suitable for everyone. At local markets or stores, banh day is packaged in boxes, which can be transported within one to two days, priced at about 50,000 - 100,000 VND/box. In each cake, people can feel the meticulousness, skill and dedication of the maker. This dish is not only delicious but also brings a vivid slice of the life and culture of Cao Bang people. Whether you are a person far from home or a tourist visiting Cao Bang, just by enjoying a banh day, you will fully feel the flavor of the land, people and culture here.

Source: https://baocaobang.vn/banh-day-huong-vi-que-truyen-thong-3174749.html