Freshly baked rice cakes. Photo: MOC TRA
Ms. Vo Thi Cam Lai, residing in Hoa Thuan hamlet, Binh An commune, has been skilled in making Thuan cakes by hand since she was 15 years old. As she grew up, Ms. Cam Lai continued and preserved the family's Thuan cake-making tradition. She only makes Thuan cakes for family anniversaries, Tet (Lunar New Year), or when someone orders them. For nearly 30 years, she has consistently made Thuan cakes. Ms. Cam Lai shared: “Thuan cakes have a long history, passed down from previous generations to my grandparents and parents, and then to my daughter and me. Today, my daughter and I still make traditional cakes using manual methods, employing a charcoal oven to cook them.” Each Thuan cake currently costs between 12,000 and 15,000 VND. Typically, Thuan cakes are placed in a wedding tray of 20, either plain or decorated with colored paper and flowers for added visual appeal.
With a passion for making bánh thuẫn (a type of Vietnamese rice cake), Ms. Cẩm Lai learned to make it using both baking and steaming methods. However, she believes that to preserve the authentic traditional flavor, baked bánh thuẫn is the most authentic, so she currently chooses this traditional method. Ms. Trần Thị Kim Dịu, Ms. Cẩm Lai's neighbor, said: "My house is in Rạch Giá ward, but when my parents-in-law got older, we moved here to live with them. When we first moved here, I kept smelling the subtle aroma of baked bánh thuẫn, so I became curious and asked about it, and we became close friends because of this cake." Ms. Kim Dịu said that during a conference party at her workplace, she ordered bánh thuẫn to serve and unintentionally became a sales contact for Ms. Cẩm Lai, a bánh thuẫn vendor, for nearly two years now.
Ms. Nguyen Thi Mai, residing on Mac Cuu Street, Vo Thi Sau neighborhood, Rach Gia ward, said: “Enjoying the familiar taste of baked banh thuan (a type of Vietnamese cake) evokes a lingering nostalgia for my hometown, filled with the affection of my siblings and countless memories. With its distinctive plum blossom shape, my family often chooses banh thuan to include in wedding fruit platters, to give as gifts when visiting relatives, and to serve to guests during Tet (Lunar New Year) and when we have parties at home.” Because of this preference, Ms. Mai has become a loyal customer of two places specializing in banh thuan. It was also thanks to Ms. Mai that banh thuan from Ms. Duong Kim Xuan's shop on Tran Bach Dang Street, Rach Gia ward, and banh thuan from Ms. Cam Lai were included in the fruit platters, as Ms. Mai put it, to bring back to Hanoi for her niece's wedding.
With Ms. Cam Lai's traditional method of making the traditional Vietnamese rice cake (banh thuan), it's quite elaborate. The ingredients include eggs, flour, and milk, whisked together until smooth, with just enough sugar to ensure the cake isn't too sweet or too dry. Next, the oven is heated, a pot with some sand is placed on it, and the cake mold is placed on the oven to heat up. Then, a thin layer of cooking oil is applied to prevent sticking, and the mixture is poured into the mold with a spoon, and the lid is closed. According to Ms. Lai, while in the past molds had charcoal on both the top and bottom surfaces, nowadays she uses sand in the pot to transfer heat, only burning charcoal in the oven and not on the surface of the cake. With this method, Ms. Lai puts a lot of sand in the pot and places the cake mold so that the sand occupies 1/3 of the mold, helping to transfer heat and maintain the cake's beautiful color. When the cake expands evenly, doubles in height, and turns golden yellow, it's done. After being removed from the oven, the cakes are arranged individually on large trays, and then left to cool before being placed in baskets, boxes, or containers.
Although the steps in making the cakes are simple, achieving batches of golden, fluffy cakes resembling plum blossoms is not easy. The secret lies in the ingredients, the precise mixing ratio, and the thorough stirring. Controlling the heat and cooking time to prevent burning are crucial factors in the success of the finished product. According to Ms. Kim Xuan and Ms. Cam Lai, although many types of mass-produced cakes exist today, the Thuan cake still holds a special place in the hearts of many. That's why Ms. Kim Xuan often packages Thuan cakes for shipment via freight forwarding to Ha Tien and other locations. Ms. Cam Lai also noted that in recent years, she has received more orders for Thuan cakes for fruit platters than before, as they represent the taste of home.
Source: https://baoangiang.com.vn/thom-ngon-vi-xua-banh-thuan-a427951.html
