Making Soc Trang mooncakes -

Pia cake is the most famous specialty of Soc Trang and is loved by consumers nationwide. With its distinctive flavor of Southern durian combined with salted egg yolk and mung bean, Pia cake has surely captivated countless people who have tasted it even once.

According to many long-time artisans in the Vung Thom Pia cake village (My Tu district, Soc Trang province), this dish has existed since the 17th century, when it was a secret food source that helped people escape famine. Later, when life became more stable, the cake was adapted with a unique recipe to suit the Vietnamese palate.

Making a Pia cake involves many stages requiring skill and meticulous attention to detail from the baker. The cake's crust has many layers stacked on top of each other, creating its unique and appealing texture. The filling is made of finely ground mung beans (or taro) mixed with durian pulp. In the center of the cake is a salted egg yolk.
In the early days of Vietnamese food production machinery, only the dough for the pastry shell could be prepared. After that, the baker had to separate and roll the dough. Once the filling was mixed by machine, the baker would stuff salted egg yolks in the middle, and then wrap the rolled pastry shell around the filling.

Currently, after much effort in learning and researching technology from abroad and overcoming difficulties by many production facility owners, Pia cakes are now produced by brands on more advanced and modern production lines. From mixing the dough, rolling the crust, mixing the filling, to filling the crust to create a complete cake, all processes can be done by machines. Many facilities with modern machinery and professional production lines have contributed to increasing productivity, producing tens of tons of cakes per day.

However, the more advanced and sophisticated the technology becomes, the more crucial it is to preserve the traditional flavor of the cake, ensuring that anyone who tastes it can experience the distinctive taste of Soc Trang. This depends on each step being meticulously executed; quality cannot be sacrificed simply for the sake of high production.

For example, the dough for the Pia cake is made from all-purpose flour, water, cooking oil, and sugar. Put all these ingredients into a mixer and mix thoroughly. If the dough is too dry, add more cooking oil and continue mixing until it becomes thick and pliable. Transfer the dough to a tray, cover it with a thin cloth, and let it rest for about 30 minutes before moving on to the filling preparation.

Next, in the baking process, after being shaped, the cakes are placed in the oven and baked at approximately 200°C for about 15 minutes. Then, the cakes are removed from the oven, brushed with a layer of egg yolk, and baked for another 5-7 minutes at 170-180°C.

Besides the traditional flavor, the market offers many varieties of cakes with attractive flavors such as pumpkin, black sesame, pandan leaf, or sausage filling to reach a wider range of customers, especially those who rarely enjoy Southern Vietnamese specialties.

Photo Collection: Dinh Cong Tam (Soc Trang)
Works exhibited at the LHANT KV Mekong Delta 2023 exhibition.

Article by: Dao Anh

Design: Khanh Linh

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