Dao Xa honey rice cake

Among the fragrant local delicacies of the land along the Da Giang River, honey-glazed rice cake is a long-standing tradition, an indispensable part of village festival feasts, and deeply ingrained in the childhood memories of many people from Thanh Thuy.

The flour and molasses are mixed together in a ratio of 1 kg of flour to 800 grams of molasses.

Dao Xa commune is not only famous for its traditional elephant procession festival with a history of over 400 years, but also for a rare local specialty: honey-glazed rice cake. This traditional dish is familiar and close to the people of Dao Xa village, and it is also a cake that leaves a unique and profound impression on tourists visiting this land rich in cultural traditions.

The two women stirred the flour mixture evenly over the fire.

As simple as its name suggests, bánh tẻ mật (rice flour cake with molasses) is made from two main ingredients: rice flour and molasses. Finely ground, high-quality rice flour combined with thick, amber-brown molasses creates a uniquely delicious flavor. Fresh banana leaves are washed and slightly curled over a fire, and a cylindrical mold with a diameter of 10 cm is used to pull the cake out.

The process of pouring the batter and wrapping the cakes in banana leaves.

In the skillful hands of the women of Dao Xa village, rice flour is placed in a cast-iron pot, topped with molasses at a ratio of one kilogram of rice to eight ounces of molasses. The mixture is stirred with chopsticks until well combined. Then, the pot is placed on the stove and stirred continuously over medium heat until the batter thickens. Usually, two people stir at a time because the batter becomes quite heavy as it thickens. The women of Dao Xa village take turns stirring the batter to ensure it is well combined, neither lumpy nor undercooked.

Controlling the heat is also extremely important. If the fire is too strong, the dough will easily burn. If the fire is too weak, the desired consistency might not be achieved. When the mixture turns golden brown and emits a sweet, gentle aroma, the cake is cooked. Two women hold the pot handles and pour the mixture into a tray lined with banana leaves. While the cake is still hot and soft, strong men wrap it in banana leaves and pull the cake back and forth in a cylindrical tool to shape it. The cake offered as a sacrifice must be cylindrical, about 10cm in diameter, upright, and not be slanted or crooked. Only then will it meet the standard for a traditional Vietnamese rice cake displayed on the offering tray to the village's tutelary deity.

Besides the method described above, honey-glazed rice cakes are also made into small cakes, similar to those we commonly eat. Each cake is only slightly larger than a fist and wrapped in dried banana leaves. Afterward, the cakes are steamed again until fully cooked. Regardless of the method, traditional honey-glazed rice cakes in Thanh Thuy always have no filling.

The rice cake with honey glaze on the altar is brown, cylindrical, and 10 cm in diameter.

Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Thanh (Zone 4, Dao Xa commune) said: "This is a traditional cake of the people of Dao Xa village that has existed for hundreds of years. It is also an indispensable dish when the villagers prepare the offerings to the village's tutelary deity during the annual elephant procession festival."

Banh te mat (a type of Vietnamese rice cake wrapped in banana leaves) is a small, everyday food item.

Honey-glazed rice cakes are best enjoyed cold to fully appreciate their deliciousness. They have a golden color like honey and emit a delicate aroma. The cake combines the characteristic fragrant flavor of high-quality rice with the sweet, refreshing taste of molasses. Cut the cake into small pieces, take a bite, and you'll experience the sweet taste lingering on your tongue. Sipping a cup of hot tea will allow you to fully enjoy the charm of this rustic dish.

For generations, the people of Dao Xa village, Thanh Thuy district, have made honey-glazed rice cakes to treat guests from afar or during village festivals. Modern life can easily make people forget these simple, familiar things. Enjoying honey-glazed rice cakes evokes memories of a childhood that, though difficult, was joyful, filled with the gentle murmur of days spent tending buffalo and cutting grass, receiving cakes wrapped in dried banana leaves from grandmothers and mothers. Along with traditional festivals, rural cuisine makes the people of Thanh Thuy even more fond of and proud of their homeland, rich in traditional cultural identity.

Thuy Trang

Source: https://baophutho.vn/banh-te-mat-dao-xa-216477.htm