Stories about traditional cakes today show the journey of preserving and spreading culinary heritage in many new ways.
Good food is remembered long.
Early in the morning in Binh Thuy ward ( Can Tho city), Tu Dep banh tet oven of Mrs. Huynh Thi Dep and Mr. Nguyen Van Ben was already red hot. Every year, from November to the traditional Lunar New Year is the busy season for cake making workshops and villages.
Amidst the fragrant scent of purple leaves and new sticky rice, Mrs. Tu Dep happily explained to the young couple who had just come from Hanoi to visit about the name "Banh Tet" - an ancient cake associated with Tet customs, which has now become a year-round gift of the Western Capital.
In another corner, her daughter-in-law wrapped the cake while livestreaming on her phone, gently telling stories about how to choose good rice, how to boil to keep the purple leaves' color, or the secret to keeping the bean filling from drying out. Up to now, not only the stall at Ninh Kieu wharf, Tu Dep Tet cake is also sold wholesale to agents in Can Tho, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, and Hanoi.
In Vinh Long, artisan Huynh Ngoc Lan has spent many years diligently collecting and restoring traditional cakes that have gradually disappeared from traditional feasts. In her small kitchen, she meticulously makes a new batch of Soc Trang gourd cakes, a Chinese-origin cake that was once very popular in the local community.
“Young people don’t know much about it, but once you try it, you’ll remember its sweet, soft taste. The banh bau dish is made from ingredients available in the garden such as rice flour, young gourds, and coconut milk; families with better conditions make the savory cake, adding dried shrimp and some other spices,” said artisan Ngoc Lan.
She has brought dozens of unique traditional cakes to introduce in many places, continuously winning high prizes in culinary competitions.
Small stories in the family kitchen have shown the unique cultural flow originating from the sticky rice, the sticky rice that has been passed down for generations. Sticky rice, potatoes, cassava, corn, green beans, banana leaves, coconut leaves… all ingredients are associated with the richness of the river delta and the creativity of farmers.
Southern folk songs once mentioned: Whoever goes straight to Nam Can/Stop by to eat Soc Trang and Bai Xau rice vermicelli. Traditional cakes are also indispensable offerings in spiritual ceremonies and community activities such as: banh tet during the Lunar New Year of the Kinh people; rice leaf cakes and flattened green rice in the Khmer people's Moon worship ceremony; radish cakes to take the Kitchen God to heaven of the Chinese people... They are not only food, but also symbols of sincerity and attachment to the land, crops, ancestors and village.
For visitors from afar, southern cuisine, including traditional cakes, brings new emotions and urges to experience and explore.
At the Autumn Fair held in Hanoi last November, Ms. Tran Kim Phung (Tay Ho ward) was surprised when she tasted An Giang palm cake for the first time: "Southern cakes are colorful, although the flavor is different from familiar cakes, I find every cake stall delicious. We are planning a trip next spring to enjoy more specialties of our country."
More than 100 types of traditional Southern cakes, from banh xeo, banh da heo, to banh gan, banh khot... are made from the rich products of the fields and fruit trees around the house. Each type is a cultural practice, the intelligence of the agricultural residents in using simple ingredients to create delicious dishes.
The way of making rice paper also carries valuable folk knowledge. These experiences are passed down from generation to generation, imprinted in lullabies: The crow perched on the pigsty/It called out to Mom, is the rice cake cooked yet?, or contributed to the simple yet crisp folk songs with precious sentiments: You make rice paper, I make rice paper/Sympathize with your rosy cheeks...
To keep the old scent forever
In An Giang, artisan Rofiah has been persistently introducing the Cham people’s handmade grilled rice cakes for the past 20 years. In Can Tho, artisan Truong Thi Chieu and her husband, often called “Miss Chin Banh Que”, have been making banh tam, banh it, banh chuoi, etc. by hand for more than 40 years. Recently, they have also opened classes to guide groups of students and tourists who want to learn more.
If culinary culture is considered an asset, then traditional cake festivals are where that asset is brilliantly displayed. Can Tho, Ca Mau, Dong Nai, An Giang… hold festivals every year, gathering hundreds of artisans, attracting tens of thousands of tourists. From there, local agricultural products are increased in value, promoting tourism.
Cultural researcher Nham Hung, after many years as a judge in baking competitions, commented: “The festival is not only fun but also has a conservation meaning. It creates livelihoods, pride and inspiration for young people.” Many artisans, thanks to participating in the festival, have been able to connect with large hotels and restaurant chains, bringing their products into the value chain in a more professional and stable direction.
The festival is not only fun but also has conservation significance. It creates livelihoods, creates pride and inspires young people.
Cultural researcher Nham Hung
Not only in the countryside, traditional cakes have also entered contemporary cultural life in new ways. An interesting exhibition that just took place at the Southern Women's Museum (Ho Chi Minh City) is "Miệt Củ Lao" by designer Nguyen Minh Cong (born in 1994).
Inspired by traditional cakes, he created fashion designs that attracted millions of likes on social networks, then transformed them into impressive high-end outfits. “Banh xeo”, “Banh lot”, “Banh trang re”, “Mut dua”… were transformed into dresses, both sophisticated and recognizable, imbued with Vietnamese craftsmanship while still keeping up with international trends. These designs followed the young artist to perform at home and abroad, as a way to tell the story of his homeland through the language of fashion.
In recent years, experiential tourism has flourished. Many garden tours combine “a day as an artisan”: visitors get to make banh khot, make banh xeo, wrap banh tet, listen to life stories and stories of the profession… International groups are very excited to be able to unwrap the cakes themselves, cut them and enjoy them. Through these experiences, visitors learn more about agricultural products, farming habits, and how Southern people cherish their hometown’s products.
However, traditional cakes still face many challenges when most of the production scale is still small, packaging is not up to standard, long-term preservation is difficult, and brand and geographical indications are limited. In order for this heritage not to be lost in modern life, it needs the support of the community and the tourism industry, and the support of local authorities in developing brands and quality standards. For example, increasing support for artisans, expanding communication on digital platforms, professionalizing the cake-making profession, and encouraging young people to participate not only as successors but also as creative subjects...
Towards the end of the year, many traditional bakeries are increasingly busy preparing for the festival season. My Long rice paper village, Son Doc rice paper, Tra Cuon sticky rice cake, Vung Thom pia cake, Ca Mau sticky rice cake… are warm day and night. The scent of sticky rice and coconut wafts in the wind, the hands quickly wrapping, rolling, baking, drying… build an invisible bridge connecting traditional culture and contemporary life.
Source: https://nhandan.vn/huong-vi-dat-phuong-nam-post926670.html
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