PAICARAH CAKES

There are 3 small circles stick together to shape a Paicarah cake. This is a tradition cake of Cham people. They think that the 3 circles are the rings representing the bride, the groom and the matchmaker on the wedding day, showing the harmony among three of them. The cakes are made from rice flour, green beans powder, chicken eggs, and caramel. Rice flour after is soaked in clean water over night, then rinsed, drained, and pounded in a wooden mortar. The flour is dried and sieved again until it is smooth. Then it is roasted and mixed with the other ingredients. A Paicarah cake is considered perfect when it has beautiful brown yellow color, with 3 “rings” tied together. Inside the cake must be soft, spongy, sweet, fatty of eggs and sweet-smelling of green beans. At the party, Cham people enjoy conversation and enjoy Paicarah together with a few sips of tea to feel the full sweetness of the cake with the tea’s rich aftertaste on the tip of the tongue.

Collected by Linh Trang