Millet cake – A traditional gift that is gradually being forgotten

1Introducing millet cakes

1.1 Millet cake is a part of Hanoi people’s childhood

Millet cake has appeared in the childhood memories of many people in Hanoi, becoming a part of the generations living and growing up here. This gift is like a ticket that brings many people back to their childhood. A piece of cake combined with millet, green beans and sugar creates a dish that no one can forget.

Millet rice cakes are no longer priced at 2,000 VND – 3,000 VND per piece like many years ago, but the flavor is probably still unmistakable. Cooked millet seeds are golden brown, flexible and viscous, spread on a piece of grilled rice paper, sprinkled with some green beans and a thin layer of sugar on top, folded in half and done.

Bite into a piece of cake, the greasy taste of millet mixed with the fleshy taste of green beans and a little sweetness from sugar melts in your mouth. Millet rice cakes are best when they are just made because after only a few minutes, the rice cakes will become soggy and tough.

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Making a delicious rice cake also requires the skill of experienced hands. First of all, the rice paper must be crispy, this is an important factor that cannot be overlooked because if the rice paper is soggy, it will be chewy when eaten and the taste will not be clearly felt.

Hanoi’s standard millet rice cake must be crispy sesame rice cake spread with intact, unadulterated sticky millet seeds. Soak the sticky millet seeds in very diluted lime water for 3 hours, stirring continuously over low heat. The finished millet cake spread in the old style must have a characteristic golden color, be flexible and clearly see the shape of each small grain mixed in a thick base. When you buy sea millet and look into the millet pot and don’t see millet grains, it’s just cornstarch or potato flour.

The rice paper is spread on top with golden, sticky millet, smooth green beans and sugar on top. The final step that requires the seller’s skill and sophistication is to fold the empty rice cake over the spread carefully so that the cake doesn’t break or the filling falls out. Only then will the flavor of millet cake be authentic.

1.2 Delicious cakes gradually fade into oblivion

Many of Hanoi’s gifts go into poetry. Hundreds of long-lost dishes have also been “restored”. Hanoi’s Old Quarter is filled with heirloom shops ranging from a few decades to nearly a hundred years old, but finding a shop selling millet cakes is very difficult.

Occasionally, many Hanoians come across a street food stall. The number of rice cake sellers is not only small but also gradually decreasing over time. Selling street vendors is hard work, selling millet rice cakes is even harder because millet and beans are two perishable things. Meanwhile, millet cake must be eaten immediately while hot, so it cannot be made in advance because the cake is not crispy, making it difficult for people to eat.

In the fields around Hanoi, people no longer grow as much millet as in the past, but instead use other modern agricultural products with high economic value. The area under which millet is grown has shrunk to the point of almost disappearing. So real millet is getting more and more expensive. As the price of millet increases, the amount of millet in street vendors decreases. To the point where the millet cake now only smells of millet and no longer has millet seeds. The disappearance of rice cakes also started from that time.

The 7x and 8x generations are no strangers to millet cakes because it is a gift associated with the childhood of Hanoi children 15 – 20 years ago. But in just the past 10 years, this dish has become a name that only remains in the memories of the elderly. Growing up with cheese cakes and milk tea, the 9x and 10x generations have never heard or tasted millet cakes.

Although people can sell millet cakes all year round, the most suitable time is probably still when the weather turns to autumn. It is difficult to find a fixed address that sells this cake. Walking along Hang Bong street or wandering around Hanoi’s Old Quarter, if you’re lucky you may meet one or two street vendors selling rice cakes.

In addition, around Dong Tac clothing market and Kim Lien high school gate are also places where the sounds of cake sellers occasionally appear. Nowadays, snack shops appear more and more with dishes such as Hanoi tofu, Hanoi spring rolls… replacing the street vendors of ladies and gentlemen selling rice cakes.

2Goc Bac millet cake shop

Goc Bac millet cake shop is located at 13 Doc Hoe Nhai, although it just opened not long ago, it quickly became known because this is a place to enjoy childhood cakes that Hanoians have to work hard to find. Most important of all is that the millet cakes here are delicious and true to the old taste, not mixed with impurities or cornstarch or potato powder to make a profit.

A special feature is that the shop does not use refined white sugar but uses raw sugar (Brown sugar and yellow sugar combine together). Explaining this difference with street food stalls, the shop owner said that refined white sugar is bleached with chemicals, which is basically not good for health. Therefore, the shop uses brown sugar and yellow sugar for a gentle, elegant sweetness.

A piece of millet cake here is sold for only 15,000 VND – a small amount just enough to maintain a street-side store. However, when asked why they did not increase the price to gain more profit, the shop owner explained that normal millet cakes only sell for 10,000 VND – 15,000 VND. If the restaurant increases the price, the meaning of rice cake is no longer a dish that everyone can buy.

Moreover, because of the reasonable price, diners can rest assured to come here to enjoy. Just like that, word of mouth spreads to eat authentic millet rice cakes in Goc Bac. Since then, the restaurant has gradually become famous and become an ideal destination for visitors to enjoy this almost forgotten dish.

All ingredients here are carefully selected so you can rest assured about quality and hygiene. Thanks to that, the millet cake here is both crispy and rich in the flavor of green beans, sugar and the coolness of millet. All combine to create a rice cake dish that evokes many memories.

Returning to childhood with millet cake is definitely what many Hanoians of the previous generation want. If you have the opportunity to come to this land, don’t forget to enjoy the snacks that have entered the childhood of the people of the Capital. Let’s explore all the delicious dishes in Hanoi’s culinary paradise with your friends!