Palm cake - a famous delicacy in the Bay Nui area.
Among the traditional cakes of the Khmer people, ka tum is considered the most famous cake thanks to its lovely appearance. As one of the few people who are attached to and preserve the way of making ka tum cake, artisan Neang Phuong, residing in O Lam commune, said: “The ingredients to make ka tum cake include: soft soaked sticky rice, white beans, grated coconut, Siamese banana and a little sugar and salt. The special feature of the cake is that the crust is woven from palm leaves into the shape of a pomegranate, the stem above has a characteristic four-petal flower. Just the process of making a cake crust alone takes about 15 minutes”. When boiled, the cake has a light yellow color from the leaves, the sticky filling has the fragrant smell of coconut mixed with the fatty taste of beans, and is slightly sweet, so it is very popular. Usually, ka tum cake is made by the Khmer people during Tet and festivals such as Chol Chnam Thmay, Sene Dolta.
Another type of cake of the Khmer people is Num Khnhay. The cake is made from washed, pounded and dried sticky rice, mixed with beaten egg whites to shape into ginger, then deep-fried until it is puffy and golden brown. The final step is to coat the cake in sugar water. The secret to success lies in the mixing of flour and eggs in the right proportions and the frying technique so that the cake is crispy, puffy and evenly coated with sugar. On the wedding day, the Khmer people often use gingerbread to form a beautiful "cake tower", placed in a solemn position, symbolizing fertility and community unity. However, this type of cake is not popular in daily life, the Khmer people only make it on festivals because the cake making technique is quite elaborate.
Ka tum cake attracts diners by its cute appearance.
In the religious life of the Khmer people, banh tet is an important offering. To make banh tet, the baker must carefully prepare the preliminary processing. Grated coconut is squeezed to get the juice to make the juice; sticky rice is soaked overnight, mixed with coconut milk, salt, sugar to enhance the flavor; ripe bananas are used as the filling. Usually, the cake is wrapped in banana leaves, when cooked, it has the aroma of sticky rice, the fatty taste of coconut milk, and the sweet taste of the filling. In the traditional wedding ceremony of the Khmer people, banh tet is displayed in the most solemn place, with the wish for happiness to flourish. When banh tet is used in the festival, it will have the meaning of showing respect and gratitude to the ancestors who gave birth, raised, and looking back to the origin.
Palm sugar cake is also a popular cake of the Khmer people, favored by diners in many places. This type of cake uses palm sugar, rice flour and rice wine to create a spongy texture. When steamed, it has a bright yellow color, the aroma of palm sugar blends with the characteristic fermented aroma of rice wine. If you want to enjoy other types of cakes of the Khmer people, you have to order in advance or wait for them to be sold during festivals. Palm sugar cake is easier to buy. Along the roads in the Bay Nui area, there are many stalls selling specialties, including palm sugar cake with its fragrant aroma.
Num Khnhay cake is elaborately prepared.
Ms. Neang Chanh, a resident of Tinh Bien Ward, said: “Every day I open a small stall selling palm cakes with palm fruit and palm juice to passersby. The cakes sell very quickly, as soon as I meet a group of guests, they will share and buy them all.” In the past, palm cakes were prepared by the Khmer people to offer in ceremonies or as a family dish. Later, seeing that many diners liked them, the cakes were made for sale and became a famous delicacy far and wide.
The common feature of traditional cakes of the Khmer people is that the ingredients are easy to find in the places where they live, closely connected to the local ecological environment and have manual processing techniques passed down through many generations. From pounding flour with a stone mortar, weaving the cake crust by hand, frying or steaming the cake skillfully to achieve the appropriate crispy or soft texture... All reflect the meticulousness and unique culinary culture that has been passed down to this day.
Over time, some steps of the cake making technique such as pounding flour and scraping coconut have been assisted by machines. However, traditional values are still respected and preserved in each cake. Each cake is a unique cultural feature in the typical cuisine of the Khmer people, spreading in the local life.
Source: https://baoangiang.com.vn/doc-dao-banh-dan-gian-cua-dong-bao-khmer-a425694.html
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