Fragrant honey cake from Dao Xa

As the drums of the festival begin to resound in Dao Xa, Thanh Thuy district, the villages become bustling with activity, busily preparing offerings for the ancestral altar. Visiting the cultural center of Zone 4, the fragrant aroma of honey cakes simmering over a blazing fire immediately awakened the senses of us visitors. For a long time, honey cakes have not only been a unique dish but also an indispensable offering in the ancestral altar, expressing the heartfelt devotion of the people of Dao Xa to the revered figures who contributed to the founding and preservation of the nation during the traditional festival in their homeland.

Women are the ones who prepare the ingredients, cook, and wrap the honey cakes.

The Dao Xa Elephant Procession Festival is one of the unique festivals of Thanh Thuy district, held from the 27th to the 29th of the first lunar month. About a week before the festival, people in the residential areas of the commune begin preparing offerings for the altar. According to the elders of the commune, in addition to the five fruits, chicken, and sweet soup, honey cake is a unique offering found only in Dao Xa. Dao Xa honey cake has a reddish-brown color, a smooth and chewy texture, and a sweet taste from sugarcane molasses blended with the spicy flavor of fresh ginger.

Despite being 70 years old, Mrs. Ha Thi Vien (Zone 4) participates in preparing the offerings for the ancestral worship ceremony every year. She is assigned to cook the honey cakes. Mrs. Vien enthusiastically said: “The method of making the cakes is quite simple, but the special thing about this dish is the combination of both men and women in the cake-making process. Women are responsible for preparing the ingredients, cooking, and wrapping the cakes, while men are in charge of pulling the cakes. These steps seem simple but require meticulousness and skill. The cake batter burns easily over high heat, sticking to the bottom, while low heat leaves it undercooked. While cooking, you have to constantly monitor the heat and stir the batter continuously. When the batter is cooked, the mass thickens and becomes very heavy and difficult to stir, so the cook also needs to be very agile.”

Honey cake is not only a unique dish but also an indispensable offering in the ancestral worship feast of the people of Dao Xa.

To make delicious rice flour cakes, the ingredients must be carefully selected, the main ingredients being white rice and molasses. After soaking, the white rice is ground into a fine powder, mixed with water and allowed to settle. The clear water is then strained off, leaving only the fine white powder. This powder is then mixed with water and molasses in a ratio of 8:1 (8 parts rice flour/water / 1 part molasses). A little fresh ginger juice is added, and the mixture is cooked over low heat until it turns golden brown, thick, sticky, and doesn't stick to chopsticks. During cooking, a little banana oil is added to give the cake its characteristic aroma. Once the dough is cooked, it is placed on a transparent plastic sheet. While still hot, the women quickly shape the dough into elongated blocks, wrapping them in clean coarse cloth. Then, the men place the dough blocks into a 10cm diameter iron tube fixed on a table, pulling it back and forth to make the dough round and smooth. This process is called "pulling the dough." When the dough easily slides through the tube, it's a sign that the dough is ready. The dough is then removed, wrapped in fresh green banana leaves, tied securely with string, and steamed for 1-2 hours. Once cooked, the cake is allowed to cool before being cut into pieces and placed on the altar.

Honey cakes are fragrant offerings created with the warmth and affection of the community.

Witnessing the meticulous preparation of offerings by the people of Dao Xa, one can truly feel the warmth and camaraderie of the community as they create these fragrant offerings to express gratitude for the merits of their ancestors who contributed to building and defending the nation. Ms. Ha Thi Vien shared: “In the past, honey cakes were only made during Tet (Lunar New Year) and the Dao Xa communal house festival. Now, with a more prosperous life, many families also make honey cakes to share with relatives and friends. My family is the same; whenever I miss the taste, I make honey cakes to eat and share with neighbors. Whenever we make cakes, the whole neighborhood gathers together, creating a joyful atmosphere.” For the people of Dao Xa, honey cake is more than just an ordinary cake. When the fire for making honey cakes is lit, it's an occasion for generations, young and old, men and women, to sit around the fire, cook, pull the cakes, reminisce about the past, and share stories of the present. The deliciousness and uniqueness of the honey cake stem from this togetherness, sharing, and unity.

Thuy Phuong

Source: https://baophutho.vn/thao-thom-banh-mat-dao-xa-229020.htm