Traditional culinary customs of the Dragon Boat Festival.

BBK - Ash cake (Bánh gio/Bánh tro) is a unique and delicious dish of the Tay people of Bac Kan. It is made most often during the Dragon Boat Festival (5th day of the 5th lunar month) with the belief that eating ash cake and certain fruits can ward off insects and diseases.

In the early days of the fifth lunar month, a visit to Bac Kan will allow you to experience the warm and joyful atmosphere of women busily preparing for the Dragon Boat Festival. Some are washing leaves, others are wrapping cakes, inhaling the fragrant aroma of herbs and sticky rice... all creating a unique flavor.

Ms. Nong Thi Hoa, residing in Phuc Hoa village, Tan Tu commune, Bach Thong district, shared: "Every year, around the 5th day of the 5th lunar month (Tet Gio), I prepare bamboo leaves, sticky rice, and ash water to make gio cakes. I don't know when this custom originated; I learned it from my mother when I was a child, and now I teach it to my children and grandchildren, hoping they will always preserve this culinary tradition. Besides making them for my family, I also make cakes to give to distant relatives and friends... because for them, Bac Kan gio cakes have a unique flavor that can't be found anywhere else."

Banh gio has a refreshing, subtly sweet taste of glutinous rice blended with the aroma of dong leaves and bông chít leaves. When you peel back the layers of leaves, a translucent, amber-colored gem is revealed. Cut into small pieces, gently dip them into a bowl of golden, fragrant molasses, and savor them slowly to fully appreciate the sweet and refreshing blend...

Besides wrapping it in chít leaves, Bắc Kạn gio cake is also wrapped in dong leaves and cà muồng leaves.

Rice cakes (Bánh gio) are not just a food item, but also represent the long-standing beliefs and culture associated with the Dragon Boat Festival – the day for "exterminating insects." Preserving the craft of making rice cakes contributes to the preservation of traditional values ​​and creates livelihoods for local people. Today, in Bac Kan province, there are many establishments specializing in making rice cakes in districts such as Bach Thong, Bac Kan City, and Cho Moi... A prime example is the Bac Kan Rice Cake Cooperative, whose product has received OCOP 3-star certification and is widely known.

This is a 3-star OCOP product from the Bac Kan Rice Cake Cooperative.

Since the end of April and beginning of May in the lunar calendar, the Bac Kan Rice Cake Cooperative has been busy fulfilling orders from outside the province. Besides selling within Bac Kan, the cooperative has expanded its market through online sales channels such as Facebook, Zalo, and TikTok. Ms. Loc Thi Chanh, Director of the cooperative, said: "For the past week, the cooperative has been working at full capacity. In addition to the cooperative members, we have had to hire six more workers to work continuously. To date, the cooperative has produced over 60,000 rice cakes, and we expect orders to increase further. Compared to last year, production has increased by one-third, with most orders coming from outside the province."

In the hustle and bustle of modern life, banh gio (rice cake) is both a traditional dish and a unique culinary cultural feature of Bac Kan province, being preserved and promoted. It is evident that, with investment and widespread promotion, the banh gio making villages in Bac Kan could become a community tourism destination, offering culinary experiences and contributing to the rural economy .

Trieu Hien

Source: https://baobackan.vn/net-van-hoa-am-thuc-tet-doan-ngo-post71124.html