The taste of Lieu Pass sticky rice cake

*Delicious Lieu Pass sticky rice cake. PHOTO: MEN NGUYEN*

Not only a stopover for passersby, this place is famous far and wide for the rustic and rich brand of Lieu Pass sticky rice cake associated with Ms. Doan Thi Ngo, who has kept the profession for the past 35 years.

Small kitchen corner by the pass

During a volunteer trip to Nam Tra My commune, following the recommendation of many people, we had the opportunity to visit Mrs. Ngo’s small banh u shop at the foot of Lieu Pass. No signboard, no loud advertising, that rustic shop is just a small kitchen corner by the pass.

It was only 5am but customers were coming and going busily, some waiting to buy cakes, some sitting and enjoying them right there, there were even customers from far away cities waiting to receive cakes to give as gifts.

Mrs. Ngo started wrapping banh u when she was a young woman of 25 years old. Even now, at over 60 years old, her hands are still nimble and flexible, wrapping each banh u with a dexterity and proficiency that not everyone can possess.

Mrs. Ngo learned the art of wrapping banh u from her mother. Every time she wraps a cake, Mrs. Ngo feels like she is reliving her childhood memories, where her mother taught her how to choose sticky rice, marinate the meat, and tear the leaves...

Without any machinery, every step from wrapping to cooking is done by hand. For over 35 years, Ngo and her husband have woken up at 2am to light a fire, wrap and cook the cakes in time to deliver them to customers at dawn.

Hearing that the charity group came to buy cakes, Mr. Le Cuong (68 years old, Mrs. Ngo's husband) happily gave 20 more cakes to the group without taking any money. "Whenever a charity group comes here, my wife and I want to contribute our little effort to give the group more warmth", Mr. Cuong said.

Take work as profit, take love as capital

What makes the Lieu Pass Banh U brand is the ingredients carefully selected from the most rustic and quintessential things of the mountains and forests. The sticky rice used to wrap the cake is the fragrant sticky rice grown by the people on the hillsides around the area, retaining its unique flavor.

The pork filling is not industrially raised but free-range pork, so the fat is fatty and fragrant, very tasty. When combined with a layer of green wild banana leaves, the Lieu Pass sticky rice cake is not only delicious but also carries the soul of the midland land.

The fire used to cook the cake is made from acacia, a type of tree grown abundantly in the Tien Phuoc hills. It burns for a long time and radiates heat evenly, helping the cake to cook thoroughly, remaining soft and supple, retaining its characteristic natural flavor.

Although not widely advertised, Mrs. Ngo's Lieu Pass cakes are still ordered by many people from the city. However, due to her limited health, she only sells directly to the locals and visitors stopping in the middle of the pass, and a small portion is supplied to boarding schools in the area.

Mainly for labor profit, each cake sold for only about 2,500 VND.

Saying goodbye to Mrs. Ngo and her husband in the warm atmosphere, amidst the sweet aroma spreading from the sticky rice cakes just taken out from the wood stove, people's hearts still linger with the simple, sincere taste of their homeland.

Source: https://baodanang.vn/vi-que-banh-u-deo-lieu-3308318.html