Refreshing sticky rice cake from Dinh Lap

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- Banh gio is a traditional cake often made by people in Dinh Lap district during the Dragon Boat Festival (the 5th day of the 5th lunar month) every year. Due to the increasing demand from customers, in recent years, some households in the district have started producing the cake to sell year-round. Dinh Lap banh gio has a golden-brown color, and when eaten, its refreshing taste blends with the sweet molasses, leaving a lasting impression on many diners.

People in Po Tau village, Dinh Lap commune, wrap traditional rice cakes (photo taken in May 2025).

As one of the households specializing in the traditional production of glutinous rice cakes, Ms. Ninh Thi Dien, from Po Tau village, Dinh Lap commune, said: "In the past, people here only made these cakes to offer to their ancestors on the 5th day of the 5th lunar month. With their delicious and appealing flavor, many customers sought out these cakes to enjoy, so since 2022, my family has started making them daily for sale. On average, my family makes 1,500 to 2,000 glutinous rice cakes each month. During peak months (April and May of the lunar calendar), there are days when my family makes nearly 1,000 cakes, selling them for 20,000 VND each. From this traditional glutinous rice cake making business, my family earns more than 100 million VND per year."

Similar to Ms. Dien's family, recognizing the demand from many diners wanting to enjoy the traditional rice cake of the district, many households in Dinh Lap town and the communes of Dinh Lap, Cuong Loi, and Thai Binh have started producing rice cakes daily for retail and wholesale to customers. Currently, there are about 10 families in the district specializing in producing and selling traditional rice cakes. Customers are mainly people within the province and tourists, as well as wholesale buyers from provinces such as Quang Ninh, Bac Giang, and Bac Ninh …

According to local producers of gio cakes, the most important factor in making delicious, chewy, and visually appealing cakes is selecting the right rice, followed by the ash water used for soaking the rice and the leaves used for wrapping. Specifically, the rice used is upland glutinous rice; the ash used to extract the soaking water must be ash from burning certain forest trees such as: Nuc Nac, Thanh Nganh, May Ma, and Tap Tau. The rice is washed, drained, and soaked in the clear ash water. After 8 to 10 hours of soaking, the rice is removed and the cakes are wrapped. A distinctive feature of Dinh Lap gio cakes is their large size (weighing 4 to 5 ounces each), wrapped in winter leaves (small, cogon grass-like leaves harvested from high hills). The wrapper must skillfully arrange the small leaves diagonally to fit a bowl of rice, then use six strings to tie the two ends and the middle of the cake tightly. The tighter the string is tied, the firmer the cake will be when boiled, preventing it from becoming mushy.

When boiling the rice cakes, people use diluted lye water. The boiling time lasts from 10 to 12 hours. Good lye rice cakes have a golden brown color when unwrapped, and when eaten, the first sensation is a slightly pungent yet refreshing taste, followed by the sweetness of honey blended with the chewy texture of glutinous rice.

Ms. Hoang Thi Thuan, from Gieng Day ward, Ha Long city, Quang Ninh province, said: "In 2023, while visiting a friend's house, I had the opportunity to enjoy the traditional banh gio (rice cake) from Dinh Lap district. My initial impression was that the cakes were large, wrapped in small leaves like thatch leaves, soft and pliable, with a beautiful reddish-brown color. When eaten with the rich, sweet molasses, it created a refreshing and nutritious dish. Since then, I have regularly ordered the cakes for my family to enjoy, to share with friends, and to give as gifts to relatives."

Ms. Vu Thi Huong, Deputy Head of the Agriculture and Environment Department of Dinh Lap District, said: "Rice cake is a traditional product of the local people. In recent years, some households have been making rice cakes year-round to sell, contributing to preserving the traditional craft and increasing family income. In the future, the department will guide and direct people to develop the district's traditional rice cake product into an OCOP (One Commune One Product) product. At the same time, we will support and create conditions for the product to participate in exhibitions and events inside and outside the province. This will contribute to spreading and developing the product, helping people increase their income from this traditional craft."

It can be seen that, through the traditional craft of making gio cakes, the local people not only preserve the traditional cake-making methods of their homeland but also help them increase their income and improve their living standards.

Source: https://baolangson.vn/thanh-mat-huong-vi-banh-gio-dinh-lap-5046154.html