Pia cake is the most famous specialty in Soc Trang and is loved by consumers nationwide. With the typical flavor of Southern durian, combined with salted eggs and green beans, Pia cake has captivated many people who have enjoyed it once.
According to many long-standing artisans in the Pia cake craft village of Vung Thom (My Tu district, Soc Trang province), this dish appeared in the 17th century, when it was still a secret food to help people escape from the days of hunger. Later, when life became more stable, the cake was reprocessed according to a special recipe to suit the taste of Vietnamese people.
To produce a Pia cake, it must go through many stages that require the technique and meticulousness of the craftsman. The cake skin has many layers stacked on top of each other, creating the difference and also the unique appeal of Pia cake. The cake filling is pureed green beans (taro) mixed with durian rice. In the middle of the cake is salted egg yolk.
During the period when Vietnam's food production machinery was still rudimentary, it could only complete the crust, then the worker had to divide and roll the crust, after the filling was mixed by machine, the worker had to stuff salted egg yolk in the middle, then take the rolled crust and wrap it around the filling.
Currently, after many efforts to learn and research foreign technology and not to be afraid of the hardships of many production facility owners, Pia cakes have been produced by brands on more advanced and modern production lines when from mixing the dough, rolling the skin, mixing the filling, and then putting the filling into the skin to create a complete cake can all be done by machines. Many facilities with modern machinery, professional production lines have contributed to increasing the productivity of tens of tons of cakes in a day.
However, the more advanced and advanced the technology, the more it will require to preserve the traditional flavor of the cake, so that anyone who enjoys it can feel the unique flavor of Soc Trang. That depends on each stage must be done carefully, cannot just because of high productivity but forget about quality.
For example, in the crust making process, the Pia cake crust is made from all-purpose flour, water, cooking oil and sugar. Put all these ingredients into the machine, mix well, if the dough is dry, add more cooking oil and continue mixing until the dough is sticky. Take the dough out onto a tray, then cover it with a thin cloth, let the dough rest for about 30 minutes before making the filling.
Or the baking stage, after being shaped, the cake will be brought to the oven to bake at a temperature of about 200 degrees Celsius for about 15 minutes. Then take the batches of cake out and brush a layer of egg yolk on the surface of the cake and continue baking for about 5 - 7 more minutes at a temperature of 170 - 180 degrees Celsius.
Besides the traditional flavor, there are many types of cakes with attractive flavors such as pumpkin, black sesame, pandan leaves, or sausage filling to reach more customers, especially those who rarely enjoy specialties of the South.
Photo Collection: Dinh Cong Tam (SOC TRANG)
Exhibition works LHANT Mekong Delta 2023
Article: Dao Anh
Design: Khanh Linh
Source link
Comment (0)