Sa Nam rice cake

(Baonghean) - Sa Nam Market (Nam Dan Town) on a rainy afternoon, the stalls seemed to have fewer customers, but the banh duc stall was still very busy. The clear white color of the cake and the green color of banana leaves combined together looked very eye-catching. The laughter and greetings echoed in a corner of the afternoon market. Suddenly remembered the song: "Sa Nam on the market under the ferry/ Two rows of banh duc, delicious beef"...

Mother and daughter Lieu arranged leaves in the cake mold.

Following your instructions, we went to Mr. Tam's house, the oldest and most popular cake maker in Bac Son hamlet, Van Dien commune, about 200m from Sa Nam market. Mr. Tam is over 70 years old, has a thin figure, and has lost one leg. He still helps his daughter-in-law cut banana leaves, grind flour, and arrange molds... I asked him how long he has been doing this job. Mr. Tam quickly folded the banana leaves he had just cut, looked into the distance, and said: "I don't know, I've only known about it since I was very young."

In the past, when we were still eating rice mixed with corn and cassava, banh duc was a luxury. He grew up thanks to his grandmother and mother's street stall selling banh duc. During the war years, following the unit to many battlefields, every time he thought about his family, the sweet taste of banh duc dipped in soy sauce came back to him, making him crave it. Mr. Tam said that in the past, most people cooked banh duc with red rice, a very delicious type of rice. Even if the mortar was completely worn out, the red rice grains still had a pink color, rich and mellow. To cook a really delicious pot of banh duc with red rice, you must have a pair of strong bamboo chopsticks to stir vigorously and for a long time, until the whole rice grains are smooth and become a thick paste in the pot. After stirring the pot of paste to your liking, pour it into a bamboo basket lined with fresh banana leaves. Wait for the basket of banh duc to cool completely, then use a knife to cut the cake into desired sizes.

The street stalls of his grandmother, mother and wife no longer exist, but his family's rice cake making business is still maintained. Since becoming a daughter-in-law, Ho Thi Lieu has been taught the trade by her mother-in-law. Now, the process of making rice cakes is much simpler, the basic ingredients for making rice cakes such as rice, lime water, etc. are always carefully selected by her, ensuring that the traditional flavor is preserved. To prevent the cake from burning and to cook evenly, while cooking, it is necessary to stir quickly and closely to the pot. Ms. Lieu said: "To know if the cake is done, just lift the stick to stir the cake and see if there is no flour dripping down." It is simple to say, but to have a pot of rice cakes that are cooked to perfection and retain the flavor, it requires the experience of a long-time cook. The cakes are poured into small molds. Just use a plate with a small piece of plastic to scoop the cake quickly and avoid sticking.

Although she has not made cakes since she was a child, Ms. Lieu was taught by her mother-in-law the secret to making delicious cakes that are unmatched anywhere else. In addition to two acres of contracted rice fields, her family's economy depends on the pot of banh duc. Every day, she cooks about 10 kg of rice, making about 200 bowls of cakes, each bowl of cake costs 2,000 VND. After deducting the cost of buying ingredients, she still makes a profit of more than 200,000 VND. Thanks to the secret to making delicious cakes, small traders often come to buy them in bulk and bring them to Sa Nam market and neighboring markets to sell. Ms. Lieu shared: "Making banh duc does not require exposure to rain or sun, does not require heavy lifting, but it is elaborate and requires meticulousness. A little carelessness can easily ruin a pot of cakes. From grinding flour, cutting leaves, arranging molds... it takes all day long, with no time for a lunch break. Luckily, my grandfather helps, otherwise I would not be able to keep up with the customers' orders if I did it alone."

On full moon and Tet days, not only Mr. Tam's family but almost every family in Nam Dan cooks a pot of banh duc to worship their ancestors. This is a rustic, easy-to-make dish, imbued with the culture of the people here. People often eat banh duc with shrimp paste, or fish sauce mixed with chili vinegar or with crab soup. In particular, Nam Dan people have the habit of eating banh duc with soy sauce. The transparent banh duc, dipped in a bowl of sweet soy sauce, can be eaten until full without getting bored. In the summer, banh duc is often eaten with mussels or crab soup. Eating a bowl of fragrant, sweet banh duc with mussels or banh duc with crab soup makes the heat and fatigue seem to disappear. The products of the river, the fields and the love of the people here are imbued into the cake, the bowl of soup, so that the children here far from home eagerly look forward to the day of returning.

Until now, amidst the hustle and bustle of the colorful confectionery market, with competing labels and high-end brands, Sa Nam market's rice cakes still quietly remain and Nam Dan people still cherish that simple, rustic product of their ancestors with a secret pride!

Article and photos:Nguyen Le