Mr. Nguyen Can, residing in Ward 5, Phuoc Hoi Commune, La Gi Town, has been involved in the traditional rice cake making craft for over 50 years.
For Vietnamese people, candies and sweets are indispensable during the traditional Lunar New Year. In the cool weather of the year-end, the fragrant aroma of ginger candy, chewy candies, rice cakes, and sticky rice cakes blends perfectly, making the joyful and exciting atmosphere of welcoming the new year even warmer and more memorable.
While the market is increasingly offering a wide variety of cakes and sweets, traditional sticky rice cakes still hold a special place in the hearts of the people of La Gi town in particular and the whole country in general, especially for those who are far from home and living abroad. Sticky rice cakes are a dish that leaves an indelible mark on those who have tasted them; therefore, only with sticky rice cakes can one fully appreciate the rich flavor of the traditional Tet holiday.
Mr. Nguyen Can happily shared: "Every December, my family of five is busy from morning till night making sticky rice cakes. In a month, we make about 5,000 boxes of sticky rice cakes. Not only do we serve the domestic market, but our sticky rice cakes are also sent abroad in large quantities so that those far from home can enjoy the rich traditional flavor of our hometown's sticky rice cake."
Sticky rice cakes (Bánh cốm) are always present and indispensable during Tet (Vietnamese New Year). This is clearly demonstrated by the fact that, regardless of the era, traditional sticky rice cakes remain essential for offering to ancestors or for entertaining friends and guests during the Tet holiday. And making sticky rice cakes entirely by hand, as Mr. Nguyen Can's family does, makes the spring festival even more meaningful. Witnessing the making of sticky rice cakes firsthand, one feels the Tet atmosphere gradually permeating every home and street, stirring up a strange sense of nostalgia!
Making delicious sticky rice cakes entirely by hand is not easy; it requires the baker to strictly adhere to and ensure the timing of many steps... From selecting ingredients and simmering the sugar to shaping and wrapping the cakes…
According to Mr. Nguyen Can, the first step to making delicious sticky rice cakes is to carefully select the ingredients. The first step is choosing high-quality glutinous rice. The second secret lies in the sugar simmering process. White granulated sugar is boiled over low heat, then simmered with pineapple and ginger for a considerable amount of time, creating an irresistible, sweet aroma that anyone standing nearby can sense. The course for making small sticky rice cakes costs 10,000 VND, medium-sized cakes cost 25,000 VND, and large sticky rice cakes cost 30,000 VND.
Traditional sticky rice cakes (bánh cốm) can be described as a simple, rustic treat, yet imbued with the rich flavors of spring. Without sticky rice cakes, the spring season would lose its traditional "soul." Looking at the blazing fires, the nimble hands wrapping the cakes, and hearing the cheerful laughter and chatter of those making them, one truly feels that spring is drawing near. And above all, it's the dedication of those who tirelessly create these delicious, fragrant sticky rice cakes, so that everyone can enjoy them.
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