CEREMONIAL CAKES

It is called rolled cakes in some other places because of its round shape and adult’s hand size. It is made of rice flour, coconut milk, and pandan leaves (old leaves give beautiful color). It’s commonly used to worship ancestors and death anniversary in the Mekong Delta along with cấp cake, tét cake, ít cake… Flour is mixed with coconut milk and pandan juice to create a moderate stickiness, not too dilute, and added salt and sugar. The cake is elaborately wrapped. Fresh banana leaves (of any kind) are cut, dry, torn into appropriate sizes, carefully cleaned, folded into a mold, and tied at one end. Folding the edge requires skillful hands in order to tie it tightly yet not tear the leave apart. After folding the edge, tie the other end, and bring the cakes to steam for about 20 minutes. In the end, we will have long, fragrant, sticky and tasty cakes to offer to our ancestors.

Collected by Linh Trang