The West attracts tourists from near and far with many delicious traditional cakes made from ingredients available in home gardens such as banana cakes, it cakes, pork skin cakes, pancakes, cassava cakes...

Some types of cakes are very familiar to people in the West but strange to tourists from far away, including the stinky cake (or stinky ass cake). Ms. Tran Viet Huong, a tour guide at a tourist area in Ben Tre said: "Many tourists from the North come here, when they hear the name of the cake, they frown, asking why it has such a strange and ugly name. Some people ask, does this cake smell bad, that's why it has such a name?"

"We will explain to visitors the name of this cake, share how to make it and invite them to enjoy it. Most people are very satisfied with the delicious taste," Ms. Huong added.

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Banh thui dich is a childhood dish associated with many people in the West. Photo: Ngoai Ti

According to research, the rotten leaf is another name for the dream leaf. The leaf has a pointed tip and a raised vein in the middle. When crushed, this type of leaf can give off a foul odor. That is why many places call it the rotten leaf.

"In some regions, the stinking leaves are also called hairy dream leaves. Both the dream vine leaves and the hairy dream leaves are climbing plants, but the hairy dream leaves have a purple underside and a layer of fine hairs. When crushed, they have a foul smell. Some families use the dream vine leaves, some use the hairy dream leaves to make cakes," said Ms. Huong.

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The leaves of the Western region have pointed tips. Photo: Pham Kieu Ni

The main ingredients to make this cake are rice flour, tapioca flour, perilla leaves, sugar, and coconut milk.

Depending on each family, the way to make the cake is slightly different. Many TikTokers from the West such as Le Tuan Khang, An "den", Huyen Phi, Khoi Lam Chieu... have shared videos on how to make this rustic cake and received attention from the online community.

The leaves of the stinking wormwood (neither too old nor too young) are picked, washed, crushed, and filtered to get the juice. Then, people slowly pour in the rice flour, tapioca starch, and some places add cornstarch to the stinking wormwood leaf juice. The ratio of rice flour and tapioca starch is usually 2:1. Use a spoon to stir until the mixture thickens, is not lumpy, and does not stick to your hands. Depending on your preference, the family can make the mixture thin or thick.

Regarding the way to make the dough, some families will boil the water from the leaves of the stinking gourd first, then knead it with rice flour and tapioca flour. Some people will slice the leaves, mix them with rice, and then grind them in a stone mortar. After grinding the rice flour, filter it through a cloth bag, and wait about 1 hour for the water to drain to get a smooth, elastic dough. At this point, they add tapioca flour and salt to knead.

An "den" uses hairy dream leaves to make cakes, chopping them up and mixing them with rice, then grinding them in a stone mortar. Source: An "den"

Westerners often pick jackfruit leaves (with stems intact) to make dough from the leaves. The dough mixture is scooped onto jackfruit leaves (veined side), spread evenly with moderate thinness. Some families will take the leaf stems and thread them through the ends to form a round roll to put in the steamer. If jackfruit leaves are not available, pandan leaves, sugarcane leaves, or banana leaves can be used.

The cakes are steamed for 10-15 minutes. When cooked, the cakes will turn black and give off a distinctive aroma. People have to wait for the cakes to cool before removing them from the jackfruit leaves and placing them on a plate. This cake is usually eaten with thick coconut milk.

The cake dough is skillfully kneaded into each jackfruit leaf. Photo: Huynh Chao Hung/Trang Trang

People in the West often make their own coconut milk using coconuts available in their gardens.

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The soft, chewy cake combines harmoniously with the rich flavor of coconut milk, becoming a delicious dish. Photo: Hoang Em Nguyen
A silver-haired old lady in Ho Chi Minh City sells cakes with strange names, customers who want to eat them have to come early and wait. Selling cakes with strange names, a silver-haired old lady makes customers crazy, if they want to eat them, they have to order in advance or wait patiently.