Delicious cakes for the Mid-Autumn Festival in July.

The 15th day of the seventh lunar month – the Vu Lan Festival, a time for filial piety and atonement for the deceased – is an occasion for descendants to remember their ancestors, grandparents, and parents. On the offering trays of the ethnic groups in Tuyen Quang, alongside fruits, sticky rice, and meat, traditional cakes with the flavors of the mountains and forests, embodying the beauty of the community's culture, are indispensable.

The "chim gau" cake and "lang" cake are traditional cakes of the Tay people.

Tay people's sticky rice cake

Gai cake is a signature dish of the Tay ethnic group in many localities of the province. Gai leaves are cooked, pounded into a paste, and then mixed with glutinous rice flour to create a sticky, glossy black outer layer. The filling is usually made from mung beans, grated coconut, peanuts, and sometimes pork fat to enhance the richness. The cake is wrapped in dried banana leaves and tied with simple string. On the full moon day, gai cake is not only a delicious treat but also represents the Tay people's reverence for their ancestors.

The Banh Lang cake of the San Diu people

For the San Diu people, "banh lang" is an indispensable traditional dish during the full moon of the seventh lunar month. Glutinous rice flour is rolled into balls, wrapped in wild banana leaves, and tied into pairs to hang "dangling"—hence the name "banh lang." The cooked cakes are chewy and fragrant, often eaten with molasses or wild honey. For the San Diu people, "banh lang" symbolizes unity, abundance, and family reunion.

Cao Lan people's bird-shaped cake

The Cao Lan people have a special type of cake called "chim gau cake." To make an authentic chim gau cake, the Cao Lan people usually go into the forest to find fresh pandan leaves. Only wrapping chim gau cakes in wild pandan leaves can create the cake's characteristic aroma. The cake is made from glutinous rice, with fillings usually consisting of mung beans, sesame seeds, roasted peanuts, or minced meat, skillfully wrapped in fresh banana leaves. After steaming, the cake has a delicate aroma and a chewy, sweet, and nutty taste. For the Cao Lan people, chim gau cake is a dish associated with the full moon of the seventh lunar month, expressing their reverence for their ancestors and their wish for a bountiful harvest and a peaceful family life.

These simple yet exquisite cakes not only nourish the taste buds but also preserve long-standing cultural memories. Each cake is a reminder for future generations to remember their roots, cherish traditions, and safeguard the identity of their homeland , Tuyen Quang .

Source: https://baotuyenquang.com.vn/van-hoa/am-thuc/202509/banh-ngon-ram-thang-bay-48d20a6/