Dao Xa honey cake

Among the fragrant hometown gifts of the land along the Da River, Banh Te Mat is a type of cake that has existed for a long time, indispensable on the trays of offerings at village festivals as well as being imprinted in the childhood memories of many children of Thanh Thuy homeland.

Flour and molasses are mixed together in a ratio of 1 pound of flour to 8 ounces of molasses.

Dao Xa Commune is not only famous for its traditional elephant procession festival with a history of over 400 years, but also famous for a rare specialty dish, Banh Te Mat. This is a traditional dish, familiar and close to the people of Dao Xa village and is also a cake that leaves many strange and deep impressions on visitors to this land rich in cultural traditions.

Two women stir the flour mixture evenly over the stove.

As simple as its name, banh te mat is made from two main ingredients: rice flour and molasses. Finely ground delicious rice combined with thick, brown molasses will create a special delicious flavor. Fresh banana leaves are washed and heated over a fire until slightly wrinkled, a cylindrical mold with a diameter of 10 cm is used to pull the cake.

The process of pouring flour and wrapping the cake in banana leaves

Under the skillful hands of Dao Xa women, rice flour is put into a cast iron pot, molasses is sprinkled in a ratio of one kilogram of rice to eight ounces of molasses, and the mixture is stirred with chopsticks first until it is well blended. Then, the pot is placed on a medium heat and stirred evenly until the dough thickens. Usually, two people stir together because when the dough gradually thickens, it becomes very heavy. The women of Dao Xa village take turns stirring the pot of cakes so that the mixture blends together, without clumping or being undercooked.

Watching the fire is also extremely important. If the fire is too big, the dough will easily burn. If the fire is too small, the desired elasticity will not be achieved. When the mixture turns golden brown and gives off a sweet aroma, the cake is done. Two women hold the pot handle and pour it into a tray lined with banana leaves. While the cake is still hot and soft, the strong-armed men will wrap the banana leaves and then pull the cake back and forth in a round cylindrical tool to shape it. The offering cake must be round, about 10cm in diameter, straight, not beveled or crooked. Only then will it meet the standards of a sticky rice cake displayed on the offering tray to the village's tutelary god.

In addition to the above method, Banh Te Mat is also wrapped into small cakes like we often eat. Each cake is only a little bigger than a fist, wrapped in dried banana leaves. Then, the maker will steam the cake again until it is fully cooked. No matter how it is made, the traditional Banh Te Mat in Thanh Thuy does not have any filling.

The brown sticky rice cake on the altar tray is cylindrical in shape and has a diameter of 10 cm.

Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Thanh (Zone 4, Dao Xa Commune) said: “This is a traditional cake of Dao Xa villagers that has existed for hundreds of years. This is also an indispensable dish when villagers prepare offerings to worship the village’s tutelary god during the annual elephant procession festival.”

Banh te mat goi is a small sized dried banana used in daily life.

Banh te mat must be eaten cold to fully enjoy its delicious taste. Banh te mat has a golden color like honey, giving off a gentle aroma. The cake has the characteristic aroma of delicious rice, the sweet taste of molasses. Cut the cake into small pieces, pick up a piece of cake and take a bite, you will feel the sweetness lingering on the tip of your tongue, sip some hot tea to fully enjoy the poetic taste of this rustic dish.

For generations, people in Dao Xa village, Thanh Thuy have often made Banh Te Mat to entertain guests from afar or during village festivals. Modern life today easily makes people temporarily forget the simple, familiar things. Enjoying Banh Te Mat reminds people of their childhood, although difficult but happy, with the murmuring memories of the days when they herded buffaloes and cut grass, and when their grandmothers and mothers brought them cakes wrapped in dried banana leaves. Along with traditional festivals, rural cuisine makes all Thanh Thuy people love and feel proud of their homeland, which is rich in traditional cultural identity.

Thuy Trang

Source: https://baophutho.vn/banh-te-mat-dao-xa-216477.htm