Editor's note: The famous delicious Banh Te of Son Tay is considered to have originated from Phu Nhi village. Banh Te Phu Nhi is not only a product of Son Tay, Hanoi but has become a famous brand in Vietnam, known to tourists from all over the world. In 2007, Phu Nhi was recognized as a traditional Banh Te craft village.
To make delicious banh te, Phu Nhi people have to be very meticulous and elaborate from the steps of choosing rice, soaking rice, grinding flour, making filling to wrapping and steaming the cake. Not only is it a rustic gift from the countryside, banh te also carries humane stories and concerns of the people who make it. The series: Banh te Phu Nhi, untold stories will introduce readers to this dish.
Lesson 1: Specialty originated from a sad love story, everyone who comes to Xu Doai praises it
Lesson 2: A day of harvesting millions, the worker reveals the secret of a hundred-year-old specialty of the Doai region without additives
Lesson 3: Marrying a girl from the Doai region with a unique profession, the man built a massive foundation after 10 years
In the past, people in Phu Nhi village (Phu Thinh ward, Son Tay town, Hanoi) mainly made banh te to serve the needs of relatives and families on holidays and Tet. Only a few households made and sold banh te to serve the breakfast needs of people in the surrounding area. Nowadays, with convenient transportation, Phu Nhi banh te has spread to neighboring areas, becoming a specialty loved by many people.
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In Phu Nhi village, there are families that have been making banh te for generations. The traditional profession has brought the main income for them and the people in the area.
The bakery of Ms. Pham Thi Binh (born in 1956) is one of the families with 3 generations of making banh te and achieved 4-star OCOP certification in 2020. Ms. Binh said that in the early days of "starting up", the cakes were mainly made to sell for breakfast to students at the school near her house and to bring to the market to serve the people.
She still remembers the days when she and her mother went to Nghe market to sell goods, struggling to earn every thousand. She always tried to make delicious, quality cakes, true to the Phu Nhi banh te brand known to many people.
Later, because the cakes were delicious and of good quality, the orders increased day by day. She started hiring more workers and asking her children to help. Thanks to that, Mrs. Binh's cake shop became famous in the village, and many people stopped by to buy.
“Now, my family is recognized as a delicious, high-quality traditional bakery, certified with 4-star OCOP, and welcomed by many customers. I feel very proud. Thinking back to how hard my grandparents and parents worked, I feel like I have not let them down,” Ms. Binh shared.
The people working at Mrs. Binh's facility are used to the job, earning about 6-7 million VND/month. Most of them are from the village, quite old. By working at Mrs. Binh's house, these people also have extra income, without having to rely on their children.
Ms. Phan Thi Toan (born in 1964) has worked at Ms. Binh's house for more than 10 years and can do everything well, from stirring flour, making dough, making filling, wrapping cakes...
“My house is close by, so I arrive at Mrs. Binh’s house at around 6am. On days when there are many orders or holidays, we start working from 4-5am, and on weekends we work more than usual because customers place orders. My mother used to do this job, but now they have returned to their hometown and don’t do it anymore. There are few people in my house, so I can’t open my own business. I work at Mrs. Binh’s house to earn more income, and also because I love it and want to preserve the traditional job of my hometown,” said Mrs. Toan.
Making banh te is hard work. The artisans have to stay up late and wake up early to make and steam the cakes. Before dawn, they have to deliver the cakes so that the vendors can sell them to customers in time.
Many middle-aged and elderly women in Mrs. Binh’s house suffer from occupational diseases. Because when baking, the bakers are constantly in a hunched position, with their hands constantly moving.
Like Ms. Toan, Ms. Dam Thi Xuyen (born in 1954) has worked at Ms. Binh's house for more than 10 years. According to her, this job requires a lot of sitting and moving around: "We all have to wear belts to protect our backs because we are old and sitting for long periods of time often causes back pain. After working for a long time, my skills are quite good, so I can take turns doing all the stages of cake production. I feel lucky to have this job."
Conundrum
Phu Nhi Banh Te is handmade and has no preservatives, so it can only be kept for 1 day at room temperature. Mrs. Binh and other vendors recommend that customers eat the cake on the same day for the best taste. Although it can be refrigerated, by the second day, the cake will have lost its deliciousness.
Moreover, banh te is a rustic gift that anyone can make. However, not everyone knows how to make it to have the same unique flavor as Phu Nhi banh te. So, how can buyers identify and buy genuine Phu Nhi banh te? That is a difficult problem for the government and the villagers.
The Hanoi Department of Science and Technology has supported craft villagers with stamps, labels, packaging, etc. to identify the brand. However, the value of the product is not high, each cake costs only 7,000 - 10,000 VND, and it is a fast food item, eaten hot, so attaching labels to the product is both difficult and expensive.
"The Phu Nhi banh te brand identity only stops at the label. The characteristic of the cake is that when hot, it easily peels off during transportation. Banh te cannot be kept in a sealed box because it absorbs steam. We have tried many types but have not found a way to affirm the brand on the cake," said Mr. Nguyen Dac Diep - Vice Chairman of Phu Thinh Ward People's Committee.
It is difficult for Phu Nhi people to follow traditional profession, but it is even more difficult to maintain traditional brand.
Having the opportunity to visit the traditional craft village of Phu Nhi rice cake, it is not difficult for reporters to see the image of many rice cake stalls selling along the road leading to Vinh Thinh bridge, the gateways to Son Tay town.
The spontaneous emergence of banh te shops has caused many people to misunderstand the quality of this local specialty. This is what makes the people of Xu Doai feel hurt when the brand of banh te specialty of Phu Nhi craft village is threatened.
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Ms. Phuong Anh, an officer in charge of culture and craft village development in Phu Thinh ward, shared: "Currently, there are many places that can make banh te, but Phu Nhi banh te is very delicious and has a completely different flavor.
However, at places like Vinh Thinh bridge, many people bring out banh te to sell to passersby. They only put up signs saying banh te, but because the selling point is the gateway to Son Tay town, many people mistakenly think it is Phu Nhi banh te. The brand of banh te from Phu Nhi craft village is being infringed upon."
Watch video: Close-up of Phu Nhi rice cake making process:
Where at 3am the whole village wakes up to work tirelessly, at 4:30 they spread out across the city.
The hard work of the person who 'sells his lungs', making rice grains bloom to preserve the soul of rustic dishes
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