For a long time, cong chao - the perfect side dish with pho, vermicelli, and glass noodles - has been a favorite dish of many generations of Lang Son people. Cong chao has the same shape as banh ap chao but is a vegetarian cake without meat filling, the dough is mixed with chives and then spread.
Through research and introductions from some people in Lang Son city, we came to the family of Mr. Hoang Van Trong, Luong Van Tri street, Hoang Van Thu ward, Lang Son city. After nearly 20 years of making cong chao cakes, Mr. Trong's small shop has become a long-term supplier of cakes to vermicelli, glass noodles, and pho shops in the city. On average, his family sells over 1,000 cakes a day, with prices ranging from 2,000 to 2,500 VND/cake.
Sharing with us, Mr. Trong said: Every day, my wife and I wake up before 4am to set up the stall and start making cong chao in time for the restaurants to pick up the cakes. My family usually mixes sticky rice with regular rice in a certain ratio, then soaks it from 5pm to 9pm, then grinds the rice, filters it to make flour. Cong chao cakes have very simple ingredients, including only rice flour, chives, and a few basic spices. But to make the cake delicious and attractive, and not easily boring, depends largely on the skill of the maker.
Process of making gate chao cake
We enjoyed watching Mr. Trong and his wife coordinate smoothly in each step of the cake making process. Every step in making the cake requires speed and precision. The baker needs to scoop and spread the dough evenly on the ladle, then quickly drop the ladle into the pot of oil so that the dough can be shaped without running. Each time the ladle of dough is dropped, a sizzling sound is heard. After about a minute, the dough will separate from the ladle, making it easier to flip it over to cook evenly until it has a beautiful golden brown coating. Quickly stirring the cake also helps the cake not absorb too much oil and the crust is crispy while the dough inside is still soft and supple.
Mr. Trong added: In the past, making rice cakes was very difficult because we had to use a charcoal stove, each pot needed 6 pieces of charcoal to heat the oil. Now, my family uses an electric stove, so the time to make rice cakes is shortened, and the number of finished cakes has also increased. Not only popular in the cold season, cong chao is also a popular cake all year round.
It is not difficult to find Cong Chao cakes at restaurants in Lang Son province. Hai Xom Roasted Duck Pho Restaurant, Ba Trieu Street, Lang Son City is one of the famous and long-standing roasted duck pho restaurants in Lang Son. Mr. Nguyen Xuan Hai, the restaurant owner, said: I have been selling roasted duck and roasted duck pho for nearly 50 years. I have observed that Cong Chao cakes are one of the side dishes that many customers who come to my restaurant love, including both locals and tourists . On average, my family sells over 100 Cong Chao cakes a day.
Not only is it popular with locals, Banh Cong Chao is also loved by tourists when they come to Lang Son. Mr. Cao Xuan Thanh, Thanh Xuan District, Hanoi said: I am currently living and working in Hanoi. Every time I come to Lang Son, I enjoy Pho in the morning. And, every time I eat Pho, I also order a plate of Banh Cong Chao to make the dish more flavorful and delicious. This cake is a side dish that cannot be found anywhere else.
It can be said that, although it is just a simple cake, the cong chao cakes contribute significantly to enriching the flavor of dishes with typical culinary characteristics of Lang Son.
Source: https://baolangson.vn/cong-chao-mon-an-kem-dac-biet-cua-nguoi-dan-xu-lang-5033330.html
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