New rice season sticky rice cake

Every year in October and November of the lunar calendar, when the fields have just finished harvesting and still have the scent of new straw, many mountain villages are bustling to enter the season of making rice cakes to celebrate the new rice.

Pounding rice cake at promotional activities and introducing OCOP products attracts many tourists to visit and enjoy.

The cold, frosty winter days in Na Rao village, Phong Quang commune, become warmed by the cheerful laughter around the red fire. In the kitchen, mothers and grandmothers gather to cook new sticky rice, roast peanuts, roast sesame… creating a rustic yet poetic picture of life.

The seemingly simple working atmosphere is imbued with the unique cultural features of the people, both everyday and imbued with the crystallization of generations-old traditions combined with the warm reunion of the highland people.

Ms. Hoang Thi Tan, a respected person in Na Rao village, Phong Quang commune, said: This season's rice cakes are very sticky because the new sticky rice is fragrant. With rice grains from our own fields, eating a piece of cake feels happier.

Banh giay is usually made right after the harvest, the time when people end a year of hard work and send their gratitude to the new rice grains. Making the cake is both simple and sacred, showing gratitude to heaven and earth, ancestors and one’s own efforts. Banh giay is not only a dish but also a symbol of reunion, fullness and new hope.

In this atmosphere of celebrating the new rice harvest, there will be no shortage of highland children. Children are running around the stilt houses, while the elderly sit around the fire telling stories about the harvest and life. Since ancient times, the villagers have known how to make sticky rice cakes after the harvest to offer to their ancestors and share the new fortune.

Over the years, banh giay has been sold, becoming a stable source of income for many families, while preserving tradition in the midst of changing life. According to many elderly people in the highlands, one of the secrets to creating the unique flavor of the cake is wrapping it in banana leaves. The layer of green leaves helps the cake stay soft, chewy for a long time and absorb the natural aroma.

Not only in the family, banh giay also appears in conferences, festivals, product displays, becoming a "cultural ambassador" of the mountainous region, promoting the beauty of labor, creativity and community spirit of the people. In early spring, many localities organize banh giay pounding competitions, where teams compete to pound sticky rice, shape beautiful round cakes, creating a bustling, joyful atmosphere at the beginning of the year.

Ms. Ma Thi Hac, who often participates in the Long Tong festival, shared: The contest not only shows off skillful crafts but also preserves cultural values, sending wishes for a peaceful and prosperous new year. I always put my feelings into each cake to give to visitors from near and far, thereby contributing to preserving and promoting the unique cultural features of the locality.

Glutinous rice combined with many natural ingredients such as gac fruit, mugwort leaves, purple pandan leaves... have created delicious, colorful banh giay.

New rice cake is not only a traditional dish but also a symbol of reunion and joy after a year of hard work. From fragrant sticky rice, through the skillful hands of grandmothers and mothers, the cake becomes a spiritual gift, connecting generations and preserving long-standing cultural values.

In the bustling atmosphere of the harvest season, the sound of pestles, children's laughter and the stories of the elderly blend together to create a vivid picture of the life of the highland people, conveying a message of gratitude, hope and aspiration for a new year of bountiful harvest and prosperity...

Source: https://baothainguyen.vn/van-hoa/202512/banh-giay-mua-lua-moi-4c27f49/