Warm cake in the late autumn sky

In the northern highland villages of Thai Nguyen province, when the weather is chilly, many kitchens are bustling with laughter around a pot of hot banh troi. Banh troi here is not eaten with sugar but has a meat filling. The big, round balls are a warm gift, recalling many old memories of the Tay and Dao people here.

Dao ethnic woman in Yen Thinh commune skillfully scoops up batches of just-cooked banh troi.

In the small kitchen of Mrs. Hoang Thi Dien, in Phuc Loc commune, the fire is burning brightly, spreading warmth throughout the house. On the wooden table, smooth white rice balls are born one by one, round and pure like the simple joys of the Tay ethnic people here.

With her hands deftly scooping up the cakes, Mrs. Dien smiled happily as she recalled memories from her childhood. Ever since she was little, she knew that she looked forward to the rice harvest season, because at that time the young mustard greens would start to grow, and her mother would make meat-filled dumplings. Back then, they were poor, so there were times when there was no meat, the filling was just chopped mustard greens, shaped into balls, boiled and eaten instead of rice.

Nowadays, life is different. The house is solid, the kitchen is still red hot, the ingredients for making cakes are more complete: minced meat, green onions, fresh young green vegetables. Glutinous rice is mixed with a little regular rice, soaked thoroughly, then ground, kneaded until smooth. The filling is seasoned to taste, shaped into round balls, wrapped in a layer of soft white dough. When dropped into a pot of boiling water, the cake gradually floats up, the shell is clear and shiny. When the cake is cooked, just scoop it out, put it in a bowl of salty soup and you can enjoy it.

Tay people's meat-filled banh troi has a chewy, light taste, mixed with the faint aroma of young mustard greens. Take a bite, the sweetness of the rice, the fat of the meat and the smell of green onions blend together, creating a unique, light and rustic flavor.

From Ba Be, I went to Yen Thinh commune, where the Dao people still maintain the habit of making meat-filled banh troi on the 9th day of the 9th lunar month every year, during the Double Ninth Festival.

Ms. Hoang Thi Dang, over 60 years old, Dao ethnic in Ban Thi, shared: I have to do it every year, if I don't do it I feel like it's missing something. I do it to remember my childhood, so that my children and grandchildren can come back to reunite, not forgetting my ethnic identity.

According to custom, the Double Ninth Festival is the occasion for the Dao people to thank the Thunder God, the god who brought rain to the fields throughout the crop season. It is also the day to send the Thunder God back to heaven, praying for a favorable dry season and a prosperous village. On that occasion, everyone wants to return home, wrap cakes with their relatives, burn incense to their ancestors, and gather for a family meal.

Unlike the Tay people's cakes, the Dao people's banh troi has a special filling made from minced meat, red banana flowers and chives. The banana flowers are chopped, stir-fried with meat and chives and then used as the filling. When the cake is cooked, the aroma of sticky rice and banana flowers creates a very unique fatty taste. Usually, the cake is eaten with chicken soup cooked with ginger and turmeric, this is a dish that is both warm for the stomach and rich in the flavor of the mountains and forests.

Mrs. Dang said that in those days, children were very excited. Adults made the cakes, and the children stood around the kitchen waiting to eat them. Some families wrapped a few dozen cakes in banana leaves for people who worked far away to take with them. The banh troi dish was not only food but also a bond that brought the Dao people closer together every autumn.

Through the story, I seemed to see the image of a smoky kitchen, bustling with laughter. Mrs. Dang's family gathered around the fire, the white rice balls gradually floating on the water surface. The scent of sticky rice, meat, and banana flowers mixed together and spread throughout the house. Meat-filled rice balls, a rustic cake in the hands of the highlanders, became a gift of memories, of affection, of gratitude. It reminded children and grandchildren of the land and sky, of their parents, of the seasons of favorable weather and rain...

Source: https://baothainguyen.vn/van-hoa/202511/thuc-banh-am-giua-troi-cuoi-thu-8320bcd/