A big, round, shiny cake of the Tay and Nung people in Lang Son offered to their ancestors, praying for a bountiful harvest.

Unique type of banh xi chum on the 15th day of the 7th lunar month of the Tay and Nung ethnic groups in Lang Son.

According to the reporter’s research, “xi chum” is an ethnic word that refers to a plump, round, and shiny cake. This type of cake is often made by the Tay and Nung ethnic groups (especially those in Van Quan and Binh Gia districts) on the 15th day of the 7th lunar month.

Mrs. Linh Thi Hue prepares cake flour.

To learn how to make “Xì Chùm” cakes, we had the opportunity to visit the family of Ms. Linh Thi Hue, Duc Tam Street, Van Quan Town, Van Quan District, who has been involved in the baking profession for many years. Ms. Hue said: “Xì Chùm” cakes are closely associated with my childhood. When I was a child, I saw my grandmothers and mothers making “Xì Chùm” cakes on holidays and Tet and I also learned how to make this unique cake from then on.

The main ingredients to make this cake include: sticky rice, peanuts, salt... These are all familiar ingredients, but to make delicious cakes requires the baker to be skillful, meticulous and have their own recipe.

Previously, I only made “Xì Chùm” cakes on the 15th day of the 7th lunar month, but for the past 10 years, seeing the popularity of this type of cake among customers, I have made cakes to sell on market days. On average, I sell about 450 cakes per market day, at a price of 5,000 VND/2 cakes.

To make delicious, soft cakes, the choice of rice is very important. Accordingly, the rice used to make cakes is Chiem glutinous rice, the rice grains are firm, large, and round. The glutinous rice is soaked in water for 7 to 8 hours, then ground into a liquid powder and put into a muslin bag to be pressed.

After the sticky rice flour has dried, the baker mixes the flour with diluted salt water to create the flavor for the cake. During the mixing process, the baker needs to add a moderate amount of water so that the dough is not too sticky and then kneads to blend the two ingredients together.

“Xi Chum” cake is a savory cake, so the filling can be peanuts, green beans or ground pork, depending on each person’s taste. However, the Tay and Nung ethnic people in Lang Son often make cakes with two types of filling: peanuts and pork.

Accordingly, if the filling is peanuts, the baker will roast the peanuts for 30 to 45 minutes over low heat, until the peanuts give off a fragrant aroma and turn golden brown, then let them cool, pound them and mix in seasoning powder. If the filling is pork, the baker will grind them and stir-fry them with spices such as onions, pepper, etc.

After completing all the steps, the baker uses the dough to shape it into a shell, puts the filling in the middle and rolls it into a ball. Unlike other cakes such as gai cake, banana cake..., "xi chum" cake is not wrapped in banana leaves but only uses a tray or a leaf (banana leaf or dong leaf) placed underneath, smeared with a little lard and placed on top of the cake and steamed.

To make the cake most delicious, the maker steams the cake for 18 to 20 minutes over low heat. If the cake is steamed for too long or over high heat, the cake will puff up and become hard, losing its softness and elasticity. After steaming, a little lard is spread on the top of the cake to create a shiny, attractive look.

Finished "xi chum" cake.

Not only people in Van Quan but also in other districts in the province, on the days close to the full moon of July, many families are also busy preparing ingredients to make "xi chum".

Mrs. Lam Thi Em, Pac Luong village, Thien Thuat commune, Binh Gia district shared: “Xì chùm” is an indispensable cake in my family’s ancestral worshiping tray on the 15th day of the 7th lunar month. Therefore, every year, around the 12th and 13th of the 7th lunar month, my family gathers together to make “Xì chùm” cakes.

According to our people's concept, the "Xì Chùm" cake is white in color, shiny, and round when placed on the ancestral altar, not only expressing the wish for a year of bountiful harvest, a full life, and a peaceful and happy family, but also expressing gratitude to grandparents and ancestors.

Without the need for sophisticated, complicated ingredients, with the most simple, rustic ingredients, people have created a delicious cake, imbued with the flavor of their homeland. And perhaps it is this familiar, simple flavor that has added to the beauty of the traditional culture of the Tay and Nung ethnic groups every full moon of the 7th lunar month, and at the same time partly shows the richness in the culinary culture of the people in the border areas.

Source: https://danviet.vn/loai-banh-to-tron-cang-bong-cua-nguoi-tay-nung-xu-lang-dang-len-gia-tien-cau-mua-mang-boi-thu-20240822142842141.htm