Pounding rice flour for making bánh giầy (Vietnamese rice cake). Photo: VNA (Vietnam News Agency).

This type of cake is not simply a traditional dish, but also a ceremonial cake, an indispensable item on the altar of Hmong families during festivals and holidays.

Like the Kinh people, the Hmong use glutinous rice to make cakes. Fragrant, sticky upland glutinous rice is washed, soaked in water for about 3-4 hours, drained, and then steamed. When the sticky rice is cooked and still steaming, it is immediately put into a mortar and pounded until very smooth.

The mortar is made from a hollowed-out tree trunk, giving it a trough-like shape. The mallet used for pounding is also made of good quality wood, making it very hard and heavy.

Although it doesn't require many skills, the process of pounding sticky rice for making bánh giầy is quite strenuous, demanding strength and endurance. Usually, this task is undertaken by young men. They will try to pound as quickly as possible until the rice, while still warm, is sufficiently sticky, smooth, and finely ground.

After the boys finish their work, it's the girls' turn to show their skills. First, they shape the dough into round cakes and wrap them in banana leaves that have been briefly heated over a fire. Then, they gently press the cakes with their hands to create a round shape resembling the moon or the sun. Because they are pounded thoroughly, the rice cakes are very chewy, delicious, and keep well.

The Hmong people only make sticky rice cakes during festivals and holidays. The place where the cakes are made is always a meeting point for men and women in the village. It's where the young men show off their strength, the young women demonstrate their skills, and many couples have found love and gotten married through this activity.

Today, major cultural festivals in Moc Chau district still feature demonstrations of Mong people making sticky rice cakes. Tourists can participate in the cake-making experience and enjoy the fragrant cakes.

Source: phunuvietnam.vn