Hung Yen specialties are delicious, nutritious, and cheap. Customers can order them and they will ship them 120km away to eat.

Through the skillful hands of the locals, rustic ingredients are transformed into famous Hung Yen specialties thanks to their delicious, easy-to-eat flavor.

Banh nghe is a rustic specialty in Tien Hai, Hung Yen (former Thai Binh province), and was listed in the Top 100 Vietnamese specialties 2021-2022 announced by the Vietnam Record Organization (Vietkings) and Top Vietnam Organization (VietTop).

For many years, turmeric cake has been considered a favorite gift of people when going to the rural markets in communes such as Nam Hong, Nam Thang, Nam Chinh, Nam Trung...

Turmeric cake is made from two main ingredients: rice flour and turmeric, so it doesn't make you feel full or upset when you eat it. Photo: Hoa Bui

Ms. Do Thi Theu - a long-time turmeric cake maker in Hung Thang commune ( Hung Yen province) said that this cake is made from rice, pork fat, onions, pepper and turmeric...

Although the ingredients are familiar and simple, the process of making turmeric cake requires meticulousness and effort.

According to Mrs. Theu, to make delicious cakes, the ingredients must be standard and of good quality. The turmeric used to make cakes must be fresh, large, and not damaged.

Wash the turmeric, pound it, filter the juice and collect the remaining powder.

Mix rice with turmeric powder and grind. Photo: Hoa Bui

Choose good quality rice, soak for about 3-5 hours, then drain, then put in a mortar and grind into dry powder. Knead the resulting rice powder with the filtered turmeric powder above, add a little salt for flavor.

“After grinding the rice flour, sprinkle a little water on it to prevent it from drying out, then steam it. Then knead the dough until it comes together, either by hand or by machine. Keep some of the dry rice flour so that when you are done shaping it, you can roll it over the cake to prevent it from sticking,” she revealed.

To make the filling, people will grind onions, pork rinds and wood ear mushrooms, add a little cinnamon powder or five-spice powder, and fish sauce to taste. Locals usually do not use minced pork as the filling because they find the rich taste of the meat does not match the smell of turmeric cake.

The process of making turmeric cake requires meticulousness. Photo: Hanoi Street

After kneading the dough and filling, it is time to shape the cake. The process of shaping the cake and stuffing the filling must be done skillfully so that when steamed, the cake does not crack or break the crust and the filling does not fall out.

The cake is rolled into a round shape, about 3 finger tips, then steamed until it smells fragrant.

The best time to eat turmeric cake is when it is hot. At that time, the cake has the aroma of rice, turmeric, and dried onions, combined with the rich taste of pork fat, enough to attract even the most demanding customers.

“Not only do we need to carefully select ingredients and meticulously prepare them, but delicious batches of turmeric cakes also depend on the weather. On dry days, we have to add a little water to keep the cakes from drying out and to keep them soft and supple,” Ms. Theu added.

This woman also said that because it is made from fresh turmeric, turmeric cake is also considered an anti-inflammatory, detoxifying, digestive stimulant and immune-boosting medicine.

Banh nghe is often sold at rural markets or appears on local death anniversary trays. Photo: Hanoi Street

Ms. Ha Phuong (Hanoi) has left her hometown to live in the city for many years, but sometimes she still asks acquaintances to buy and send her turmeric cakes because she misses the taste of traditional gifts.

Previously, in her hometown (old Tien Hai district), people believed that this cake also helped beautify the skin, good for women after giving birth. Therefore, when visiting a “postpartum woman”, people often bought an extra bag of turmeric cake as a gift.

“Chuna cakes are usually only sold at rural markets, so if you want to buy them, you have to go there. Whenever I can’t go back to my hometown, I ask my family to buy them for me, pack them in boxes, and transport them more than a hundred kilometers to Hanoi,” Ms. Phuong said.

Tien Hai turmeric cakes have become a gift that diners far from home miss and seek to buy to enjoy. Photo: Hoa Bui

This woman also revealed that the turmeric cake was carefully preserved so that when shipped 120km, it was still hot, soft and delicious, and not dry, hard or boring to eat.

If the cake cools down, you can steam it again and it will still taste good. The cake can also be kept in the refrigerator for a few days.

“At first, my children were hesitant and did not dare to eat the cake because they were afraid of the pungent and bitter taste of turmeric. But after tasting it, they liked it and said it was delicious.

“The turmeric cake is easy to eat, good for health, clean, safe and secure. Not to mention the cake is very cheap, each one only costs a few thousand dong, so it deserves to be known and enjoyed by more people,” she added.

Exhausted from not being able to find a restaurant after cycling 50km from Hue city center to the hotel, a Swiss couple stopped their car in front of a funeral and were moved when the host invited them to a vegetarian meal to regain their strength.

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/dac-san-hung-yen-ngon-bo-re-khach-dat-ship-120km-ve-an-2455717.html