"Keeping the fire" of traditional baking

Ms. Dang Thi Diep (Xuan Dong quarter, Tan Thien ward, Dong Xoai city, Binh Phuoc ) chose to stick with the traditional cake making profession. She always hopes that the gifts bearing the identity of her hometown will be preserved and developed.

Ms. Dang Thi Diep has a family bakery. At first, she only made small batches, selling on Tet and full moon days. After receiving support from the local Women's Union, Ms. Diep boldly expanded the scale of production, working with the women members of the Women's Association of the neighborhood.

After 5 years of implementation, the traditional rice cake making startup model has not only brought income to Ms. Diep's family but also supported 10 members to have additional income and develop the family economy .

Ms. Diep's model can currently make thousands of cakes in a month, with types of cakes such as: Banh it la gai, banh chung, banh tet, banh bo, banh nep than, banh ú tro...

Ms. Diep said that all products in her cake making model are handmade. The leaves used to wrap banh chung and banh tet are dong leaves, while banh it la gai leaves are used for fresh gai leaves. This helps the cake have a delicious flavor.

"The sisters participating in the model all know the steps, and I am the one who coordinates the work. Each sister is assigned a step so that the cake wrapping work is quick and scientific . The ingredients and materials used to make the cake are always prepared in advance, the steps from mixing the filling, wrapping the cake to cooking the cake are specifically assigned to each person.

“Giữ lửa” nghề làm bánh truyền thống- Ảnh 1. — Ms. Dang Thi Diep successfully started a business with a traditional leaf cake making model.

Our busiest time is during holidays and Tet, when we make orders from customers. On normal days, every month, I collect orders online and through women's association members and organize the packaging of cakes in batches. Currently, most of the buyers are regular customers who like the taste of the cakes we make," Ms. Diep shared.

Sharing more about the reason for sticking with the craft of making handmade cakes in the current era of industrialization, Ms. Diep confided: "When choosing the traditional cake making model to start a business, I was no longer young. In addition to the income issue, I also cherished the desire to keep the traditional cake making profession alive so that it would not be lost.

What makes me happy is that my daughter and daughter-in-law have learned the craft and secrets to making delicious cakes. The members of the Women's Association also have an additional source of income."

Ms. Diep's start-up process has always been accompanied and supported by the Women's Union of Tan Thien Ward. Recently, the Women's Union of Dong Xoai City supported the model with a loan of 10 million VND, helping the model equip more tools to make delicious and quality cakes.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Tham, President of the Women's Union of Dong Xoai City , said: "From start-up ideas or small-scale models, seeing the potential for development, we have accompanied and supported members to start businesses.

Many women members with their dynamism and creativity have developed their own start-up models. Ms. Diep’s traditional leaf cake making model is very meaningful to the community. The model has helped many members have jobs right in the locality.

The Covid-19 pandemic has passed but the economic and employment situation is still difficult, so Ms. Diep has created more jobs for the women around her. The model also has meaning in preserving the rustic and delicious cake."

Readers who want to order cakes can contact Ms. Dang Thi Diep at the address: Xuan Dong Quarter, Tan Thien Ward, Dong Xoai City, Binh Phuoc Province. Phone number: 091.667.6510

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