Interestingly, Southern Vietnam has sticky rice cakes that are quite similar to those from other countries.
In Vietnamese culture, sticky rice cakes are very familiar. Among them, banh chung and banh tet stand out, but there are many other diverse varieties. However, not many people know that sticky rice cakes are actually a common cultural feature in East Asia, with many similar types of cakes.
Coconut leaf cake.
All three types of glutinous rice cakes popular in Vietnam – banh chung, banh tet, and banh u – are also found in China. In Chinese culture, glutinous rice cakes are generally called "tong" (粽) or "tong zi" (粽). However, the most common meaning of this name refers to banh u. Additionally, each type of cake has its own name, depending on its shape, to distinguish them.
Banh chung is called 方粽 (fāng tōng), where "fāng" means square, so "fāng tōng" means square-shaped sticky rice cake. This type of cake is believed to originate from the ancient Baiyue culture. Today in China, banh chung only appears in certain regions or ethnic groups that were influenced by Baiyue culture in the past. Furthermore, because banh chung is a characteristic cake of Vietnamese culture, the Chinese also call it Vietnamese 方粽 (fāng tōng).
The glutinous rice dumpling is called "jiao tong" (角粽), where "jiao" means corner, because the dumpling has a sharp corner shape. It also has another name, "jiao shu" (角黍), but the explanation is somewhat different. In this name, "jiao" means horn, and "shu" means glutinous rice, so "jiao shu" means a glutinous rice dumpling shaped like a horn. Legend has it that in Chinese folklore, there is a creature that has attained divinity and is called a one-horned goat (duk zhai) that lives underwater. It's possible that because glutinous rice dumplings are often offered to the god Jie Zhai during the Dragon Boat Festival, people made them to resemble a horn and called them "jiao shu."
Bánh tét is called trường tống (長粽), with "trường" meaning long, or đồng tống (筒粽), with "đồng" meaning tube, because this type of cake has a long body and resembles a tube. Many Vietnamese researchers explain that bánh tét in the South is a variation of bánh chưng in the North. Some even suggest that, due to Vietnamese contact with Champa culture and the worship of Shiva, bánh chưng transformed into a round shape symbolizing the linga – a symbol of Shiva. However, since bánh tét is not unique to Vietnam, these theories are less convincing.
Taste test cake.
Unlike Vietnamese people who eat sticky rice cakes during the Lunar New Year, the Chinese mainly eat them during the Dragon Boat Festival, also known as the Dragon Boat Festival.
Khao tom mat or khao tom is a popular type of cake in Thailand and Laos. Its distinguishing feature is the thick layer of glutinous rice wrapped in banana leaves. The glutinous rice can be mixed with a little black bean. The filling is usually banana, but sometimes it's changed to mung bean, taro, pork, etc. When wrapped, two cakes are tied together as a pair.
Therefore, khao tom mat is a symbolic cake for couples in the land of temples. Thai people believe that when monks begin their three-month rainy season retreat, if a couple offers khao tom mat to the monks, their love will last.
Khao tom mat cake is also associated with the Mahachat festival on the 15th day of the 12th lunar month in Thailand. According to Buddhist legend, this is the birthday of Prince Vessantara, a previous incarnation of Buddha Shakyamuni. He possessed great compassion and was willing to give away everything he had. Therefore, this festival is considered a festival of giving in countries following the Theravada Buddhist tradition, including Thailand.
Ketupat is a very popular type of rice cake in island Southeast Asian countries such as Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Brunei, and the Philippines. The main ingredient is rice or glutinous rice that has been soaked in water boiled with horse chestnuts. The cake is wrapped in woven leaves arranged in a diamond shape. Additionally, a small amount of black beans or mung beans may be added to the glutinous rice.
There are many interesting interpretations surrounding the shape of the cake. Some believe that the interwoven leaves on the outside symbolize human mistakes, while the white sticky rice inside represents a purified soul. Others explain that the outer wrapping of leaves wards off bad luck, and the sticky rice inside symbolizes abundance and happiness, so hanging ketupat cakes in front of the house can ward off evil spirits.
Every year, at the beginning of October in the Islamic calendar, Muslims around the world celebrate Eid al-Fitr, marking the completion of the Ramadan fasting month. In the island nations of Southeast Asia, large quantities of ketupat bread are prepared by Muslims for this important festival.
Interestingly, Southern Vietnam has sticky rice cakes that are quite similar to those from other countries. Banh cap is a type of cake similar to banh tet, but flatter and shorter, usually filled with banana or bean paste. Each cake has two sides, one flat and one curved. After wrapping, the two cakes are tied together, with the flat sides pressed against each other and the curved sides facing outwards. The word "cap" means to join together as a pair. Banh cap is similar to khao tom mat in Thailand.
Coconut leaf cake is made from glutinous rice mixed with a little bean, but usually banana. The cake is rectangular, flattened at both ends, and wrapped in coconut leaves. It is quite similar to ketupat, a type of cake found in island Southeast Asian countries.
The Khmer people in Southern Vietnam have a type of cake called ka tum or ka tom, popular in An Giang province, which is quite similar to ketupat. Ka tum cake is made from glutinous rice mixed with a little bean. The outside is wrapped in interwoven palm leaves, topped with flower petals. Overall, the cake resembles a pomegranate, but in a square shape.
"Bánh bá trạng" is the Vietnamese term for the Chinese-style glutinous rice dumpling with mixed fillings. Its original name was "nhục tống," meaning glutinous rice dumpling with meat, where "nhục" means meat and "tống" means glutinous rice. The Chinese in southwestern Vietnam, mainly speaking the Teochew dialect, pronounced "nhục tống" as "bah tsàng," which the Vietnamese then mispronounced as "bá trạng."
Ka tum cake.
Tra Vinh province has a specialty called Tra Cuon sticky rice cake, characterized by its three-colored glutinous rice. Previously, most researchers believed this dish originated from Khmer culture. However, it is quite possible that it originated from Chinese culture, as China also has a very similar type of cake. Furthermore, it's important to note that this type of sticky rice cake uses salted egg yolks. This ingredient is less common in Vietnamese and Khmer cuisine , but very prevalent in Chinese cuisine. Salted egg yolks are present in many Chinese dishes, most notably in steamed buns, mooncakes, and other traditional pastries. Tra Vinh, Soc Trang, and Bac Lieu are three provinces with large Teochew Chinese populations; it's possible they brought this three-colored sticky rice cake from China to Vietnam, where it was then adopted by the Khmer and Vietnamese people.
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