The 3rd generation of cake makers "breathes the scent of heaven, breathes the sea air", wrapping without stopping

The third generation is currently the couple Tran Van Ngan (44 years old) and Tran Thi Loc (42 years old) living in Bai Lang village, Tan Hiep commune (Cu Lao Cham island).

According to Mr. Ngan, his grandfather has been making banh it la gai in Cu Lao Cham since his grandfather's time. He is the third generation to continue this profession.

The nimble hands of bakery owner Tran Thi Loc wrap the cakes, completing a cake in just over 10 seconds.

Making banh it does not require much physical strength, is not hard work but is laborious. In Cu Lao Cham, there are currently several establishments making banh it la gai, but the establishment owned by Mr. Ngan and his wife is the largest and most famous on the island, although the establishment does not have its own sign or brand.

According to Ms. Tran Thi Loc, after buying or picking the ramie leaves, wash them thoroughly, then boil them for 7 hours. Let them cool, squeeze out the water, put them in a blender with sugar water, then add sticky rice flour and mix well until they become a soft dough.

The 3-generation banh it la gai bakery in Cu Lao Cham is bustling with tourists on summer days (Video: Cong Binh).

After the dough becomes soft and has a dark green color, divide it into small pieces and wrap the mung bean filling inside. The final step is to wrap the outside in banana leaves to look like a pyramid and the cake is done.

After completing the cake, the owner arranges it in layers and puts it in a steamer for 45 minutes to 1 hour and then takes it out and delivers it to the customer.

Mr. Ngan's family's banh it la gai bakery only has him, his wife and two family members helping out. During the summer months, they can make up to 2,000 cakes a day. The cakes are mainly sold to tourists at a surprisingly cheap wholesale price at the bakery, only 2,000 VND/cake.

According to Ms. Loc, whenever there are guests coming to Cu Lao Cham, her kitchen fire is red hot. During the rainy and stormy months, when there are no guests coming to the island, she switches to sewing.

Ingredients to make Banh It La Gai. The outside is dark green, the inside is covered with green bean filling.

"We can only make it 5-6 months a year in the summer. During the other months, when the sea is rough and there are no tourists, we stop," said Ms. Loc while wrapping the cake. In just over 10 seconds, she finished wrapping a sticky rice cake with gai leaves.

Mr. Tran Van Ngan is not only the owner of the bakery, but also a baker, a guide for tourists to experience making banh it at the bakery, and also a shipper. Customers order dozens of cakes at any location on Cu Lao Cham Island, and he drives his motorbike to deliver them to their doorstep.

The wrapped banh it la gai cakes are placed in the pot and ready to be steamed.

According to Mr. Ngan, 1kg of ramie leaves costs 20,000 VND, mixed with powdered sugar, it can make 170-180 banh it cakes. The family makes a profit from the work and also to preserve the family's traditional profession from decades ago.

Mr. Ngan affirmed that the flavor of Banh It La Gai in Cu Lao Cham is different from Banh It La Gai on the mainland. His oven also does not buy Gai leaves from the mainland but only uses Gai leaves picked in Cu Lao Cham.

Tourists experience wrapping gai leaf cake.

He shared: "My oven does not buy ramie leaves from the mainland. The ramie leaves from the mainland are very normal, but the ramie leaves from Cu Lao Cham grow on special land, breathing fresh natural air and seawater, so their medicinal properties are 10 times higher than those from the mainland."

Mr. Ngan also shared that this job does not require much physical strength, but he has to stay up late and wake up early to wrap cakes to serve tourists. Sometimes he can only rest until 11pm, and in the morning he has to wake up early to steam the cakes to deliver them to customers in time for the canoe to reach the mainland.

Source link: https://dantri.com.vn/lao-dong-viec-lam/the-he-thu-3-lam-banh-tho-huong-troi-hit-khi-bien-goi-khong-kip-nghi-20230815150236291.htm