Connecting generations through a love of traditional Vietnamese cakes.

Under the roof of her small house in Van Duc B hamlet, An Trach commune, Mrs. Le Thi Ray (86 years old) diligently passes on her love of traditional Vietnamese cakes to generations of her children and grandchildren.

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At 86 years old, Mrs. Le Thi Ray remains sharp-minded and meticulous, working carefully with each basin of flour and pan of oil. She remembers every recipe, ingredient, and step in making delicious cakes.

Having spent her entire life in the kitchen, she mastered the art of making many traditional Southern Vietnamese cakes such as bánh tét, bánh ít, bánh bò, bánh nhúng, bánh bông lan… as well as simple country cakes like bánh tai yến, bánh cam, and bánh còng. For her, baking was a way to preserve family traditions and maintain family togetherness during holidays, festivals, and ancestral commemorations.

Truong Phuong Nha (right) and her friends are being guided by her great-grandmother Le Thi Ray (left) and grandmother Do Thi Kha (middle) on how to wrap banh it (Vietnamese sticky rice cake).

Fearing that the old recipes would fade away over time, Mrs. Ray passed them down to her children and grandchildren. From selecting the glutinous rice, grinding the flour, stir-frying the filling, to controlling the heat to ensure the cakes are evenly cooked, soft, and fragrant, she taught them everything based on her lifelong experience.

The love for traditional Vietnamese cakes has been preserved in this small house, passed down from Mrs. Ray to her daughter (Mrs. Do Thi Kha), then to her granddaughter (Ms. Lu Tuyet Nhu), and now to her great-granddaughter (Ms. Truong Phuong Nha). Four generations, four different life rhythms, but all sharing a common love for traditional cakes.

Ms. Do Thi Kha shared: "My granddaughter also loves baking, so on holidays, I often teach her how to bake, and then let her bake directly so she remembers it better."

The finished bánh ít (Vietnamese sticky rice cake) made by Truong Phuong Nha (right) and her friends.

In the kitchen at the back of the house, generations gather, working and learning together. Each cake that comes out of the oven is not only delicious but also embodies family bonding.

Despite growing up in modern life, Truong Phuong Nha still loves and diligently learns to make traditional cakes from her mother and grandmother, learning how to preserve the cultural value in each cake.

Ms. Lu Tuyet Nhu said: "My mother learned from my grandmother, I learned from my mother, and now I teach my child. Although busy with school, my child is very conscientious; when she sees me doing something, she observes, learns from it, and is able to do it herself."

My great-grandmother and maternal grandmother passed down the recipe for making dipped cakes to Truong Phuong Nha.

As the April 30th holiday approaches, and the festive atmosphere of traditional cakes fills the air everywhere, the cakes from Mrs. Le Thi Ray's small family kitchen hold a special joy. It's a source of pride in the mothers and grandmothers who silently "keep the flame alive," ensuring the flavors of their homeland continue to be passed down through generations.

Le Thai - Hoang Vu

Source: https://baocamau.vn/ket-noi-the-he-qua-tinh-yeu-banh-dan-gian-a128108.html