Lang Liêu rice cakes - an OCOP product from the ancestral land region.

Every year on the 10th day of the third lunar month, sticky rice cakes are an indispensable part of the offerings presented to commemorate the Hung Kings. This simple offering not only expresses reverence for ancestors and filial piety towards parents, but also embodies love for the homeland and country.

Delicious sticky rice cakes are served to visitors at the Hung Temple historical site.

As Vietnamese people, whenever sticky rice cakes (bánh chưng and bánh giầy) are mentioned, everyone knows the legend of "Bánh Chưng and Bánh Giầy," associated with Lang Liêu offering the fragrant cakes to King Hùng as a token of filial piety and gratitude, which resulted in King Hùng Vương VI passing the throne to him. Legend says that bánh giầy originated during the reign of King Hùng Vương VI. After defeating the Yin invaders, the king intended to pass the throne to his son. "...Whichever son finds the most delicious food to prepare the most meaningful feast, I will pass the throne to him..."

The eighteenth son of King Hung, named Lang Lieu, was kind-hearted and filial to his parents. He dreamt that a deity appeared and instructed him to make round and square cakes from sticky rice to symbolize the round sky and the square earth. Because in heaven and earth, nothing is more precious than rice... From then on, sticky rice cakes became an integral part of Vietnamese culture, not just a food item but also a part of history. To this day, sticky rice cakes are still offered by people on the Hung King's Commemoration Day to express their gratitude to their ancestors.

Sticky rice is steamed over a wood-fired stove.

Sticky rice is pounded using a machine, and the glutinous rice flour is blended together.

Visiting the Hung Temple historical site, tourists can enjoy Lang Liêu sticky rice cakes made by the people of the ancestral land. Mr. Dao Van Long, owner of the Lang Liêu sticky rice cake production facility at Hung Temple in Hy Cuong commune, Viet Tri city, who has a shop selling sticky rice cakes near the Gieng Temple area, said: “This is a delicious, chewy, white, and smooth cake with profound meaning. To this day, sticky rice cakes are still offered to King Hung on the Hung King's death anniversary to show respect and remembrance of King Hung – the founder of our nation.”

The process of making the cake is quite elaborate, requiring the skill of the baker. The smooth, non-sticky crust is soft and fragrant with the aroma of glutinous rice, subtly infused with the scent of banana leaves, creating a gift that truly embodies the countryside. Lang Liêu sticky rice cakes come in three flavors: savory bean filling, sweet bean filling, and plain. In 2024, Lang Liêu sticky rice cakes were recognized as a 3-star OCOP product.

This is the key element that defines the Lang Liêu sticky rice cake brand. To achieve this, the Lang Liêu sticky rice cake production facility in Den Hung places great importance on the rice selection process. The rice used is usually glutinous rice of the "golden flower" variety. The rice is thoroughly washed, soaked, and then steamed over a wood fire to make the sticky rice soft and chewy. The filling is made from carefully selected yellow-hearted mung beans.

The cakes come in three flavors for visitors to choose from.

Lang Liêu's traditional Vietnamese rice cakes have been recognized as a 3-star OCOP product.

Mr. Long shared that his family used to pound the rice by hand, but now they use machines, without compromising the flavor of the cakes. On a normal day, the production facility uses about 10kg of rice. During the Lunar New Year, especially during the Hung Kings' Commemoration Day and Hung Temple Festival, the facility produces 300kg to 500kg of glutinous rice per day.

The delicious sticky rice cakes sold to tourists each day all bear labels from the production facility with complete information about the address, ingredients, contact phone number, production date, and expiration date. Ms. Hoang Thi Lan from Viet Tri city shared: "Every year during the Ancestor Commemoration Day, I usually come here to buy a few pairs of sticky rice cakes to offer to my ancestors. The cakes are freshly pounded, so they are still hot, chewy, fragrant, and have a distinctive flavor. I chose to buy these sticky rice cakes to take home as gifts for relatives and friends."

Visiting the Hung Temple historical site, tourists are not only captivated by the beautiful scenery but also get to enjoy the simple yet delicious specialties of the people of the ancestral land. The Lang Liêu rice cakes are not just a fragrant treat; they are the embodiment of solidarity, gratitude, and respect of the Vietnamese people for their ancestors who, over thousands of years, diligently built and defended the nation.

Phuong Uyen

Source: https://baophutho.vn/banh-giay-lang-lieu-san-pham-ocop-vung-dat-to-230288.htm