Local snacks and treats become specialties in Do Luong.

The family of Mr. Nguyen Sy Lam in Hamlet 3, Dong Son Commune, Do Luong District, has been making thorn cakes for nearly 40 years, with him being the third generation. “I don’t remember exactly where the thorn cake making profession started. I only remember that since I was a child, when I was five years old, I saw my grandparents making thorn cakes for engagement ceremonies, festivals, and Tet (Lunar New Year). In my parents’ time, they made thorn cakes not only for themselves but also to sell at the market. They had five market days a month, each selling about fifty to seventy cakes, providing some extra income to support the family. Now, the thorn cake making profession has been passed down to seven sons, daughters, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren in the family.”

Following a family recipe, Dong Son thorn leaf cake has a distinctive flavor compared to thorn leaf cakes from other regions such as Lang Dua (Tuong Son, Anh Son); Tu Tru (Thanh Hoa), and Lang Khong (Ha Tinh)... The cake-making process, from selecting ingredients to shaping the cake, is very elaborate, requiring patience, meticulousness, and the skilled experience of the baker. The thorn leaves are grown in home gardens or on the alluvial plains along the Lam River, where the soil is fertile, resulting in large, vibrant green leaves. After harvesting, the leaves are cleaned, any damaged leaves are removed, washed, the veins are stripped, and they are dried until they turn black before being boiled thoroughly. Then, the water is squeezed out, and the remaining leaves are ground into a fine powder.

Select firm, round, and plump glutinous rice grains and grind them into flour. Mix the powdered pandan leaves with the glutinous rice and molasses, then beat the mixture until smooth and pliable. The filling consists of molasses, mung beans, and grated coconut. The mung beans are crushed, rinsed to remove the husks, cooked, and then mixed with molasses. The coconut flesh is grated thinly into strands. Take this dough, shape it into small balls, flatten them on the palm of your hand, place the filling in the center, and roll it up so that the filling is neatly contained within the cake. Finally, steam the cakes.

Experienced bakers can tell if a cake is cooked just by smelling it. After removing the cakes from the pot, they are allowed to cool and drain thoroughly. Then, using red-dyed string, each cake is tied tightly, and five are bundled together neatly. A perfect cake should be soft and smooth, with the distinctive aroma of banana leaves, blended with the refreshing taste of thorny leaves, sticky rice, and molasses, the sweet flavor of the bean filling, and the nutty taste of coconut pulp...

To create a stable supply of raw materials for cake production, in addition to the 2 hectares of land that households in the cooperative dedicate to growing thorny leaves, the cooperative also collaborates with other households in the commune to grow mung beans (1 hectare), glutinous rice (2 hectares), and banana trees for their leaves. Furthermore, they pool capital to purchase machinery to gradually shift from manual to automated processes in some stages: grinding flour, kneading dough, packaging, etc. This saves labor while increasing productivity and cake output.

"Previously, when everything was done manually, 5-7 workers could only produce a few hundred finished cakes a day. Now, with the help of machinery, during peak periods, we can produce about 1,000 sticky rice cakes a day to supply the market," said Mr. Nguyen Sy Lam.

In particular, instead of selling through traditional channels, the team members are now assigned clear tasks: some bring the products to e-commerce platforms, others directly produce them... As a result, Dong Son sticky rice cakes are now available at local and provincial distributors, as well as on the shelves of some supermarkets and modern retail systems.

Besides creating jobs and stable income for dozens of local workers and developing the traditional craft of their ancestors, the making of thorn leaf cakes also helps consume local ingredients such as glutinous rice, molasses, mung beans, banana leaves, and thorn leaves. In 2022, Dong Son thorn leaf cakes were recognized with 3 OCOP stars, opening up a new opportunity for the thorn leaf cake making craft to develop and create sustainable livelihoods for local people.

Mr. Dau Tiep, an agricultural official in Dong Son commune, said: “Beyond a traditional ‘hereditary’ craft, the households producing sticky rice cakes have formed a cooperative, invested in packaging and design; and learned how to build business strategies and access the market. In the near future, the members of the cooperative plan to expand the workshop and production scale to include experiential tourism; creating jobs and stable income for 50 local workers.”