The aroma of the pastries wafted along with me.
The rustic charm still captivates the heart.
Cakes made from glutinous rice grown in rice paddies.
The outer shell is soft and sweet, while the inside is rich and creamy.
The verses above evoke memories of a traditional Vietnamese cake – bánh ít. Bánh ít has long been a familiar treat, a staple at ancestral commemorations and Tet (Lunar New Year) celebrations in the Mekong Delta. It's typically made from glutinous rice, a common and readily available ingredient, combined with various fillings such as bean paste and coconut. The process of preparing banana leaves for wrapping, kneading the dough, and making the filling showcases the skill and finesse of the baker. Bánh ít is not just a simple cake; it embodies the spirit of the countryside.
The glutinous rice cakes are ready to be steamed until cooked.
Currently, the market offers many types of industrially produced cakes with diverse and attractive designs, giving consumers more choices. Therefore, preserving the traditional flavors of traditional cakes like banh it and banh tet has become more difficult. Ms. Huynh Thi Hien (61 years old, Tan An City), one of the long-time banh it makers, said: “Since I was 10 years old, I have helped my mother make cakes to sell, so I gradually became attached to the craft of making banh it.”
Making these cakes requires skill from kneading the dough and preparing the filling to wrapping and steaming them. The current price of these cakes ranges from 6,000 VND per piece for traditional fillings to around 7,000 VND per piece for durian filling. Because my family's cakes are a traditional recipe with a unique flavor, many regular customers choose to buy them during holidays, Tet (Lunar New Year), and ancestral commemorations. Thanks to this, my family has a stable income from making these cakes.”
The rice cakes are skillfully wrapped.
With skillful hands and a love for traditional Vietnamese cakes, not only Ms. Huynh Thi Hien but also many others are contributing to preserving the "soul" of these rustic pastries. This is what creates the unique character of Vietnamese cuisine .
Thao Mi - Hoang Tuan
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