Pau Plau Round Glutinous Rice Cake

Chung Cake (Square Sticky Rice Cake) and Day Cake (Round Glutinous Rice Cake) are the most popular Vietnamese traditional cakes. These two cakes represent pious in Vietnam in a famous story which most of the Vietnamese people have been told since they were young. Square Sticky Rice Cake represents for the Earth while Round Sticky Rice Cake represents for the Sky. In Vietnam, we love to eat Day Cake so much so this kind of cake could be found in any region of the country. However, when you travel to Sapa (Lao Cai province) in North Vietnam, you will have a chance to taste a very flavorful specialty food – Pau Plau Round Glutinous Rice Cake. Most of the travelers think Pau Plau Day Cake is quite unique. What makes it different?

Ingredient to make Pau Plau Day Cake is high-quality glutinous rice grown by locals on highlands. Rice hulls must be removed manually and dried in the sun for enough so that glutinous rice isn’t hard. Rice must be soaked in water for approximately 2 hours; it is then poured into a basket to dry out water. The rice is steamed into steamed glutinous rice which is ground. Grinding is the most important step in making the cake. It needs patience, strength, skill, and experience. When steamed glutinous rice turn smoothy and sticky enough, it is cut into pieces called Day Cakes which could be eaten right away. Locals love to eat the cake with Vietnamese Pork Cheese (Gio Thu) or sugar. Some people fry the cake until crispy.

It’s a big chance to try this amazing food on your trip to Sapa, Lao Cai, Vietnam. Travelers will realize that each bite of the soft “Pau Plau” Day Cake has the typical scent and taste of Sapa – a mountainous land.

Vietnamese square sticky rice cake

The story of Chung Cake and Day Cake is about Lang Lieu prince made 2 kinds of cakes from glutinous rice to offer his father.

Pau Plau Round Glutinous Rice Cake is white, sticky and smelling.

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