Enjoy the cake, the Lunar New Year’s soul of the Chinese

1 Introducing the pepper cake

In Vietnam and some other Asian countries such as China, Japan, South Korea, Doan Ngo Tet is an important occasion. Each country has its own meanings and customs. In Vietnam, on the 5th of the lunar calendar, people often enjoy traditional dishes such as sticky rice, plum, litchi, ash, and especially Ba Trang cake to “kill insects.”

Every time the Lunar New Year is close, the bakery kilns are active. Not only in large stores, many families also gather together all night to cook and pack delicious cakes. Although not as popular as familiar dishes such as sticky rice or drift cake, Ba Trang cake still attracts the curiosity of many people, especially with its special name.

According to mia.vn learn about the Lunar New Year through the customs of the Kinh and the Chinese, the cakes are derived from the Chinese dynasty, in which “Ba” means meat and “status , should also be known as salty bread. Ba Trang cake is shaped like a bake but larger, with filling and processing is also different.

When walking around the famous markets in Saigon, especially Cho Lon in the days near the Lunar New Year, you will see a variety of cakes, from Fujian, Guangdong to Trieu Chau. Dynasty’s cakes often have a vertical pyramid, while the Cantonese cake has a long -shaped shape like the pillow, and the cake of the Fujian people bears the typical brown color from the five flavors.

2 The ingredients make the standard cake

In order to create a delicious, uneasy, and traditional flavor, it is necessary to have a harmonious combination of stages, especially the selection of raw materials. About 2-3 days before Tet, the housewives often go to the market to buy or order sticky rice (select each round seed), pork, dried shrimp, green beans, lotus seeds, shiitake mushrooms,, and salted egg yolks or northern eggs. Like when making banh chung or banh tet, the most time -consuming stage in making the cake is also soaked in rice and green beans overnight, not only soaked with water but also using herbal flavors to soft and fragrant crust rich. When eating, diners will feel the taste of beans blended with the salty taste of Chinese medicine and herbal aroma. The meat of the cake also needs to be carefully marinated before the package. The filling can vary depending on the preferences of each family, with many ingredients such as dried shrimp, sausage, salted eggs, pork thighs, and northern eggs. Some places also add scallops or abalone to add flavor to this traditional dish. All ingredients will be marinated and preliminarily processed before wrapping.

The leaves are usually dong or bamboo leaves, helping to retain the original flavor of meat, shrimp and glutinous rice, while retaining the traditional shape for the dish. Because this is a dish that features floral cuisine, each place has its own secret of processing and marinating, creating a unique flavor as a heirloom recipe. After the package is completed, the cake will be boiled for 6-8 hours to make sure cooked evenly and softly, then removed and hung up to drain.

3 Types of cakes

3.1 Cantonese cakes

The cakes of Cantonese are often green beans or crushed green beans. The filling of glutinous rice (seasoning with salt, garlic oil), pork fat, lean meat, green beans, sausages. Traditional Guangdong cakes are packed evenly 5 corners. But the people of Quang in Cholon today often wrap almost like a square in Vietnamese banh chung.

3.2 Ba Trang Phuoc Kien cake

The type of cake of Phuoc Kien people is dark because of the five flavors and soy sauce. The cake has a delicious taste, often has more abalone. All from filling to sticky rice are stir -fry before boiling or steaming. The degrees of Phuoc Kien biscuits have roasted glutinous rice with five flavors and soy sauce, pork belly, chestnut, salted egg yolk, dried shrimp, no green beans and peanuts like Cantonese cake.

3.3 Tieu Chau

According to the Vietnamtravelio travel guide, Tieu Chau’s cakes stand out with the cakes combined with salty and sweet taste. The cake in Tieu Chau and Phuoc Kien is usually wrapped in the shape of four corners. The cake filling includes glutinous rice, shiitake mushrooms, abdominal meat, dried shrimp, red beans or lotus seeds, fishing and taro. The delicious taste of the cake comes from the blend of ingredients, making the cake softer and more fleshy.

3.4 Ba Trang Hai Nam cake

Hai Nam Ba Trang is typical with the largest size of the cakes. The cake filling is stir -fried with black pepper, soy sauce, abdominal meat, fat, chestnut and mushrooms. Each region has its own culture and cuisine, so the way of packaging is also different. However, the main material is still sticky, shiitake mushrooms, pork or lard.

4 The custom of worshiping the cake in the Lunar New Year

Lunar New Year takes place on the 5th of the 5th lunar month every year, also known as Tet to kill insects. According to folk concepts, this is the day when the earth is closest to the sun, marking the time when the positive air reaches the peak of the year. Therefore, choosing food during the Lunar New Year to eradicate insects and prevent disease is very important.

Vietnamese people often cannot lack ash water, tropical fruits such as litchi, longan, along with rice and sticky wine on this day. Meanwhile, Chinese people also consider Ba Trang to be an indispensable dish. Families often worship and donate to relatives and friends as a special gift in the “Tet middle year”. This is a long -standing tradition that the Chinese value and preserve. In addition to Ba Trang cake, the Chinese tray on the Lunar New Year also has ash, rice wine, and in some places with more roasted pork, boiled chicken, and fruit.

5 Location to buy cakes

5.1 Ba Trang Cake

Address: 56C/67 Lac Long Quan Street, Phung Hung Market, Ward 3, District 11, Ho Chi Minh City

Opening hours: 6:00 – 23:00

The bakery is located in District 11, specializing in selling Ba Trang cakes and is considered as one of the best places in Saigon cuisine. The cakes here are large in size and plump, including pork, dried shrimp, salted eggs, lotus seeds, and many other ingredients. When choosing the brand of Ba Phuong cake, you can be assured of the quality of the food.

Here, there are many different types of cakes, especially options such as abalone, Japanese scallops, roasted chicken and roasted pigs, with many different prices. Depending on the taste, you can easily choose the most suitable cake.

5.2 Ba Trang Dai Phat cake

Address: 738 Su Van Hanh, Ward 12, District 10, Ho Chi Minh City

Opening hours: 7:00 – 22:00

Website: daiphatfood.com.vn

Dai Phat is a long -standing bakery, very familiar to Saigon people. In addition to the cakes, on the occasion of the annual Lunar New Year, the store often sells the cakes with traditional flavors and basic ingredients, easy to eat and fit, suitable for many diners. In particular, Dai Phat also has a vegetarian cake, bringing a rich choice for diners.

5.3 Ba Trang Cake Ms. Ly Vy Cam – Lao Tzu

Address: 52 Lao Tu, Ward 14, District 5, Ho Chi Minh City

The owner of the bakery at 52B Lao Tu, Ms. Ly Vy Cam, has more than 20 years of experience in the package and selling cakes. In particular, sticky rice and beans here are chosen large seeds, soaked with herbs overnight, bringing a pleasant flavor, with the blend of salty taste of Chinese medicine and the aroma of herbs.

The cake is also very plump, including dried shrimp, mushrooms, sausages, lotus seeds, salted duck eggs, and a few pieces of pork or duck meat. All of these ingredients are marinated with five flavors and skillfully processed, ensuring to eat, not too salty nor too pale, creating a feeling of appetite without being bored.

Above is the information about the unique cakes of Chinese people. Having the opportunity to travel to Saigon, do not miss the opportunity to enjoy this attractive and strange cake.