The craft of making banh chung (Vietnamese sticky rice cake) in Binh Dinh province.

The craft of making banh chung (Vietnamese sticky rice cake) in Binh Dinh province.

Although not a specialty of Binh Dinh province like banh it la gai or banh hong, the art of making banh chung (Vietnamese sticky rice cake) has existed in Binh Dinh for hundreds of years. Through many ups and downs, the work of wrapping banh chung has become a livelihood for many families and is inherited and preserved by generations.

Banh chung (Vietnamese sticky rice cake) is a common dish in Vietnamese life, frequently appearing on offering trays, especially as an indispensable offering in the Hung Kings' Commemoration Day. In the Vietnamese psyche, it is not just a food item but also a beautiful tradition, expressing the gratitude of descendants to their ancestors and the heavens. Although Binh Dinh province does not have villages known for banh chung production, it has many renowned banh chung-making establishments, often associated with the image of grandmothers and mothers.

Life changed thanks to sticky rice cakes.

In Binh Dinh province, when people mention banh chung (Vietnamese sticky rice cake), many immediately think of the brand of Mrs. Xe, whose real name is Phan Thi Xe, 67 years old. Thirty-five years ago, Mrs. Xe's family started their business making various types of cakes, including banh chung and banh tet, in a small hamlet near Bau Sen Lake, now part of Tran Phu ward (Quy Nhon city). After decades of building and developing into a large brand, Mrs. Xe passed on her skills and business to her children. Currently, the banh chung segment is handled by Mr. and Mrs. To Phuoc Sanh, with their bakery located at 25 Thoai Ngoc Hau Street (Nhon Binh ward, Quy Nhon city).

As a long-standing brand, Ba Xe's banh chung (Vietnamese sticky rice cake) is favored by many for its beautiful appearance and delicious taste. According to Mr. Sanh, in addition to supplying banh chung to traditional markets, for many years the business has also been making banh chung to order, especially during holidays and Tet (Vietnamese New Year). From a small bakery, Ba Xe's banh chung has become a familiar sight at festivals and celebrations; it's available in supermarkets and stores in Quy Nhon City and has expanded to larger markets such as Ho Chi Minh City.

Ms. Dang Thi Hong Phuc, owner of Hong Phuc sticky rice cake business, has built a solid foundation for herself thanks to her sticky rice cake making profession.

In recent years, Hong Phuc's banh chung (Vietnamese sticky rice cake) from Ms. Dang Thi Hong Phuc (113 Hung Vuong Street, Nhon Phu Ward, Quy Nhon City) has become increasingly well-known, especially in the affordable segment. Born into a family that makes banh chung in An Khe town ( Gia Lai province), Ms. Phuc mastered the craft at the age of 15. At 18, she married and moved to Quy Nhon, establishing her career in banh chung making.

In the early days, Ms. Phuc cooked and sold rice cakes at the market. Five years later, she became a supplier of rice cakes to vendors in markets throughout Quy Nhon City and the surrounding areas. Currently, even during the off-season, her bakery still produces about 300 rice cakes of various sizes daily. In addition to savory rice cakes, she also makes vegetarian rice cakes on the 15th and 1st days of each lunar month. During peak season, especially the Lunar New Year, Hong Phuc's establishment produces about 5,000 rice cakes daily.

Ms. Phuc's business currently employs 2-15 workers depending on the time of year, with an income of 6 million VND per person per month. Having been involved in this "not physically demanding but tiring" profession for 20 years, Ms. Phuc and her husband's business of making and selling banh chung (traditional Vietnamese rice cakes) has not only provided a comfortable living for their family but also allowed them to build a modern and spacious house.

Passing on the craft, continuing the tradition.

Although not as famous as the establishments in Quy Nhon City, hundreds of banh chung (Vietnamese rice cake) making workshops are still burning day and night throughout the province. The makers are not concentrated in one area but are usually distributed with one workshop per region, often near town or village markets. For example, near Dieu Tri Market (Dieu Tri town, Tuy Phuoc district) is the banh chung workshop of Mrs. Bay, also known as Mrs. Tran Thi Thao, 82 years old, famous in the region. She learned the trade from her father and has been making banh chung since 1960. A few years after her husband passed away, she single-handedly raised three children thanks to her banh chung making business.

At the age of 82, Mrs. Tran Thi Thao (Dieu Tri town, Tuy Phuoc district, on the left ) is still dedicated to the craft of wrapping banh chung (Vietnamese rice cakes) and running her banh chung stall at Dieu Tri market.

Even though she's now a grandmother, Mrs. Bay still cooks nearly 100 rice cakes every day, selling both wholesale and retail at Dieu Tri market. In the mid-morning, after selling the last cakes, she strolls around the market, selecting fresh green banana leaves, stopping at the butcher's to pick up pre-ordered fresh pork belly, then returning home to busily prepare the sticky rice, slice the meat, steam the beans, and wipe the banana leaves… “The cakes have to be wrapped before sunset to be ready for cooking. At night, I have to wake up three times to add charcoal and water so that the cakes are ready by 4 a.m. This job is hard, but it's also fun. The happiest thing is that my youngest daughter has followed in my footsteps,” Mrs. Bay confided.

Speaking about passing on the craft, Ms. Dang Thi Hong Phuc shared, "I have a daughter and I don't want her to follow in her parents' footsteps because it's too hard work." Despite saying that, when she saw her daughter attentively listening to her teach how to tie banh chung and banh tet (traditional Vietnamese rice cakes), her eyes lit up with joy.

Living next to Dam Dam Market (An Loc area, Nhon Hoa ward, An Nhon town), Mrs. Tran Thi Thu has kept her banh chung (Vietnamese rice cake) oven burning for the past 20 years.

At the age of 25, Mr. Ha Tran Si (Nhon Hoa ward, An Nhon town) has been involved in the business of making banh chung (Vietnamese sticky rice cakes) for 4 years. Mr. Si is the youngest son of Mrs. Tran Thi Thu, 57 years old, owner of Ba Bon banh chung bakery located next to Dam Dam market (An Loc area, Nhon Hoa ward), one of the large-scale and famous banh chung bakeries in An Nhon town.

In 2021, Mr. Si graduated from Ho Chi Minh City College of Industry and Trade and returned home to help his mother make cakes while waiting for the Covid-19 pandemic to pass. Naturally skillful and diligent, Mr. Si grew to enjoy the craft more and more, eventually becoming passionate about it. Every day, besides delivering cakes to markets, Mr. Si helps his mother with every step, from preparing the lye water for soaking the glutinous rice and washing the beans to making the filling and wrapping the cakes…

“To make a batch of cakes that are fragrant, chewy, and perfectly flavored, especially with an eye-catching jade-green outer layer dyed from banana leaves, everything has to be done meticulously. The work isn't hard, but it requires diligence, a little skill, and a passion for learning. This profession has helped me appreciate money, and the more I'm involved, the more I cherish my mother, my family, and my roots,” Mr. Si shared.

NGUYEN CHON

Source: https://baobinhdinh.vn/viewer.aspx?macm=22&macmp=22&mabb=353880