Loving the specialty of Hung Yen's fish cake, customers order it to be shipped 100km to display at parties or as gifts.

Through the skillful hands of local people, rustic ingredients have been processed into famous specialties, delicious and warming, used to treat guests or buy as gifts.

Fish cake is a specialty originating from Nguyen village, Dong Hung commune, Hung Yen province (Nguyen Xa commune, Dong Hung district, old Thai Binh province).

Nowadays, this cake is more widely known and appears commonly in many localities in the province.

According to locals, the reason for this name is because this cake looks like a clam's egg at first glance. However, some people say that in the past, the clam's cake was offered to the king. The king found it to have a rich, sweet and spicy taste, so he asked for the name of the cake.

The mandarin who presented the cake said it was a spicy cake, but later, people misread it as fish cake.

Fish cake was once in the Top 100 Vietnamese specialties 2020-2021. Photo: Uncle Lam's cake factory - Phu Sa

Ms. Nguyen Hang - owner of a fish cake making facility in Dong Hung commune said that this specialty is made from rustic ingredients such as yellow sticky rice, gac fruit, gardenia fruit or leaves, lard, peanuts, sesame, ginger, coconut...

All will be mixed with malt syrup (or molasses) until smooth, then poured into molds, wait for it to dry, then cut into small pieces and packaged.

According to her, although made from familiar ingredients, fish cake requires a sophisticated preparation process.

Specifically, the lard will be cooked, marinated with sugar before making the cake, then diced and stir-fried until the lard is firm, clear and crispy.

Peanuts and sesame are also roasted and lightly rubbed to remove the skin. Fresh ginger and tangerine peel are cleaned, drained and stir-fried with sugar water. In some places, tangerine peel is stir-fried with sugar water and ginger juice.

This rustic cake requires a sophisticated preparation process. Photo: Ha Ngoc

Golden sticky rice is divided into 3 parts: 2 parts to cook sticky rice and 1 part to be roasted into popcorn (also called popped rice, popped seeds).

The sticky rice is also divided into two parts. One half is cooked with gac fruit pulp to create red color, the other half is cooked with water from gardenia fruit or flowers to create yellow color.

When the sticky rice is cooked, it is mashed and spread thinly, left to cool for a few days, then cut into small, long slices like pumpkin jam and dried (locals call it con cay). The con cay is then fried until puffed up and crispy.

Clams are an indispensable ingredient in fish cakes, giving the dish a unique appearance and flavor. Photo: Nhan gio cha

Next, mix the prepared ingredients with hot malt syrup, then pour the mixture into a rectangular wooden mold that has been sprinkled with roasted sesame seeds on the bottom, then spread the cake evenly and press firmly. Then sprinkle a layer of sesame seeds and shredded coconut on top.

When the cake is hard, it is taken out of the mold and cut into slices or pieces of equal size.

“Depending on the location and preference of each family, the mixed rice cake can be molded or shaped into pieces while still hot.

If done correctly according to the traditional process, the fish cake does not need to be dried or exposed to the sun and can still be preserved for many months," said Ms. Hang.

Banh cay is formed into balls while still hot or molded into rectangular shapes. Photo: Hien Deli, Nguyen Mai Huong

Depending on each family, fish cake can have some ingredients added or removed, creating its own unique characteristics while still ensuring all the main ingredients and keeping the traditional flavor.

According to the owner of this establishment, quality fish cake must ensure moderate sweetness, fragrant smell of peanuts, roasted sesame, rich taste of lard, sticky rice, mixed with the light spicy taste of ginger...

Not only a snack, enjoyed with green tea by the elderly or a rustic gift for children, fish cake also appears on the tray of offerings during Tet holidays, death anniversaries and local weddings.

Many families also use fish cake as a gift or to offer on the altar, to show respect to deceased grandparents and ancestors.

Fish cakes are packaged in small packages or boxes, priced at about 80,000 - 120,000 VND/kg. Photo: Nguyen Mai Huong

Ms. Mai Chi ( Hanoi ) has enjoyed the rustic fish cake dish in her hometown since she was a child. In her mind, this dish has a fragrant smell, a slightly spicy and sweet taste.

When living far away from home, she often ordered banh cay to be shipped more than 100km from her hometown to the capital, both to eat and as gifts for friends, partners, and colleagues.

“Occasionally when there is a party at home, I still buy banh cay and display it on a tray as a dessert to treat guests, spreading the rustic specialty of my hometown.

"The fish cake is chewy and fragrant, mixed with a bit of the spongy texture of the rice popcorn, creating a strange feeling for those who try it for the first time," Ms. Chi said.

Thai Nguyen specialties are delicious and nutritious, Hanoi customers order delivery from more than 160km to eat. Not only impressing with its delicious flavor and eye-catching color, the specialty of wormwood cake in Thai Nguyen is also popular because it is made from a precious medicinal herb that has the effect of regulating blood circulation, preventing headaches, flu...

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/me-dac-san-banh-cay-hung-yen-khach-dat-ship-100km-ve-bay-co-lam-qua-2459179.html