Spreading traditional flavors

The air is chilly, time is almost approaching the traditional Tet holiday, the time when women work diligently by the charcoal stove to make traditional cakes and jams. They are like the bridge between tradition and modernity.

The air is chilly, time is almost approaching the traditional Tet holiday, the time when women are diligently working by the charcoal stove to make traditional cakes and jams. They are like the bridge between tradition and modernity.

Traditional flavor

Visiting the house of Ms. Huynh Thi Duc, 47 years old, in Nhon Hung ward (An Nhon town), right from the beginning of the alley, there was a strong, warm scent of ginger. She was peeling ginger, on the stove were 2 batches of ginger being dried. She asked: "Do you smell the fragrant scent of ginger from outside the alley? I chose ginger to make jam, so it is very fragrant."

  Ms. Duc makes ginger jam. Photo: TK

According to Ms. Duc, consumers now prefer the small ginger, not the large ginger with a bright white-yellow color like before. Although the small ginger is a bit darker, it has a stronger spicy and aromatic flavor. In addition, she simmers the ginger with rock sugar, so the jam has a sweet taste, not too harsh. Moreover, rock sugar is less sticky, so the amount of sugar remaining on the ginger is not much, suitable for those who like jam but do not like it too sweet.

In addition to ginger jam, Ms. Duc also makes tamarind jam, star gooseberry jam and many other types of jam. Ms. Duc shared: “More and more people love traditional flavors during Tet. The cakes and jams I make are all made from natural flavors, without preservatives or colorants. The saltiness, sweetness or addition of some spices can also be freely added by the user. At the same time, when stewing, I do not stir, but arrange each piece, sprinkle sugar part by part until dry. Therefore, the product will be straight and beautiful.”

Besides jams, Tet would be incomplete without the aroma of banh thuan. While pouring the dough into the mold, Mrs. Tran Thi Tai, 64 years old, in Canh Hien commune (Van Canh district) said: “I have been making banh thuan since I was 20 years old. “A hundred good things are not as good as a single hand”, gradually I did not find it difficult. I also improved, adding a little ginger to the cake to make it more fragrant and to cover the fishy smell of eggs”.

Mrs. Tai has been making banh thuan for over 40 years. Photo: TK

Take the taste of home far away

With about 30 years of experience in the profession, currently, in addition to jams, Ms. Duc also makes fruit-shaped green bean cakes, which are often ordered for death anniversaries and weddings; various types of ham, tre, pickled vegetables... "Since I was a child, I have felt very excited when watching my grandmothers and mothers make traditional cakes and jams. In my neighborhood, there is a very skillful lady, I have learned many things from her. After that, I explored on my own, learned from many sources and created more to satisfy my passion," Ms. Duc shared.

Not only is she hard-working and skillful, Ms. Duc is also quick to seize opportunities from modern means. Ms. Duc said: “Since 2021, I have started to sell more products thanks to online sales channels. At that time, due to the Covid-19 epidemic, people were afraid to go out, so I introduced my products on my personal Facebook page, Zalo, and even livestreamed to let customers know that I made clean products. After reaching a wider customer base, my products were remembered and many people supported them, sending them to many other provinces and cities.”

Not only that, at the end of winter, many people prefer Banh It La Gai for parties and death anniversaries. The Banh It village in Trung Tin 1 neighborhood (Tuy Phuoc town, Tuy Phuoc district) is still bustling every day. Selling about 2,000 Banh It La Gai each day, Ms. Phan Thi Thuy, 40 years old, in Trung Tin 1 neighborhood said: "I am very happy that many people from other localities also prefer Banh It La Gai Binh Dinh. My cakes go as far south as An Giang , and as far north as Ha Giang."

Ms. Thuy wraps the plastic-wrapped banh it in a paper bag. Photo: TK

Not only loving the creation of traditional flavors in modern society, Ms. Tai, Ms. Duc, and Ms. Thuy all hope that more and more women will know the beauty of traditional baking. Although there are many types of cakes and jams on the market, knowing how to make them and being able to make them yourself when you have free time will help relax your mind and make life more interesting.

HERBS

Source: https://baogialai.com.vn/toa-lan-huong-vi-truyen-thong-post357925.html