Pounding rice cake. Photo: VNA

This type of cake is not only an ancient dish but also a ritual cake, indispensable on the altar of Mong families during holidays and Tet.

Like the Kinh people, the Mong people use sticky rice to make cakes. Sticky, fragrant upland sticky rice is washed, soaked in water for about 3-4 hours, drained and put into a steamer. When the sticky rice is cooked and still steaming, it is immediately put into a mortar and pounded until smooth.

The mortar is made from a hollowed-out tree trunk, so it has the shape of a trough. The mallet is also made of good wood, so it is very hard and heavy.

Although it does not require much skill, the process of pounding rice cakes is quite hard, requiring the pounder to have good health and endurance. Usually, the pounding is done by young men. The boys will try to pound very quickly until the sticky rice is still warm but has enough stickiness, smoothness and softness to complete.

After the boys stop, it is time for the girls to show off their dexterity. First, they will shape the cakes into circles and wrap them in banana leaves that have been heated over a fire. Then, they use their hands to gently press the cakes to create round shapes like the Moon or the Sun. Because they are pounded carefully, the cakes are very chewy, delicious and can be kept for a long time.

The Mong people only make banh giay during holidays and Tet. The place where they make banh giay is always a meeting place for men and women in the village. It is where the boys show off their strength, the girls show off their dexterity and many couples have become husband and wife from this activity.

Nowadays, in the big cultural festivals in Moc Chau district, there is still a performance of making sticky rice cake of the Mong people. Tourists will participate in the experience of making the cake, and enjoy the cakes that still have the fragrant smell of sticky rice.

According to: phunuvietnam.vn