Tet holiday cake

Banh thuan production facility of Ms. Le Thi Kim Lien in Nghia Chanh ward, Quang Ngai city

Banh thuan (also known as banh thung) is a cake used to entertain guests during Tet holidays of the people of the Central region in general and the people of Quang in particular. The soft, sweet, delicious taste of the cake evokes the warm taste of home, soothing the throbbing hearts of many children living far away who have the opportunity to return home for Tet.

These days, traditional bakeries are busy working day and night to meet orders. For more than 15 years, the bakeries of Mrs. Le Thi Kim Lien's family (60 years old), group 5, Nghia Chanh ward, Quang Ngai city (Quang Ngai) have been burning brightly every day. Customers visiting the bakeries always praise the delicious, fatty flavor imbued with the soul of the countryside. The soft, sweet, fragrant, and delicious taste of the cakes evokes the warm taste of home, soothing the hearts of many children living far away who have the opportunity to return home for Tet.

Pour the batter into the mold

Ms. Lien shared that the cake is made from simple ingredients such as flour, eggs and sugar, but it is delicious in a rustic way. Her cake is made entirely from chicken eggs. A cake mold usually has 6 small cakes inside. The cake mold is usually made of cast iron or copper.
The ingredients and the way to make the cake seem very simple, but to make the cakes rise properly, evenly golden, soft and fluffy like apricot blossoms is not easy. The baker has to sit and watch the fire the entire time the cake is made. Because if the fire is not even, the cake will be white on one side and yellow on the other; if it is too hot, the cake will burn black, or lightly brown, not achieving the eye-catching golden color.

The cake rises just right, is evenly golden, soft and smooth, and blooms like apricot blossom petals.

Add the eggs to the sugar and beat until smooth. Add the sifted flour and beat until the mixture is combined and fluffy. After beating, add a little vanilla for fragrance. After preparing the ingredients, it is time to bake the cake. When the charcoal oven is red hot, place a covered roasting tray on the oven.

The cake is put in the oven to dry, making it hard and durable.

Half of the pot is filled with fine sand, then the molds are placed in the shape of a shield (oval) by the tinsmith, so people call them "banh thuan". All the molds are coated with peanut oil inside. When the sand pot is hot, the molds are hot, the baker starts to use a ladle to pour the batter into the molds, enough and evenly, then close the lid. Put a lot of charcoal on the lid, wait 5-7 minutes, remove the lid, when the cake has risen twice as high as the mold and turned yellow, the cake is done, use a long stick to poke the cake and take it out. After taking the cake out, the most important step is to dry the cake.

Banh thuan is a special hometown gift in Quang Ngai.

According to Ms. Lien, this is a specialty cake of her hometown. Her bakery makes it regularly but is busiest during Tet. On average, each day the bakery produces about 700-800 cakes to supply the market. This profession also helps solve employment problems, bringing a significant source of income for rural workers.
Banh thuan is increasingly facing fierce competition with more luxurious and delicious cakes, but the characteristic aroma, simplicity and meaning of Banh thuan on Tet holiday in the subconscious of every Quang people will remain forever, when many people still love this small, simple and sweet cake in their memories.

AS BRONZE

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