Rang Bua Cake is a specialty food of Thanh Hoa province, Vietnam. The cake originated in Trung Lap village in Thanh Hoa. It has been said that Le Hoan King visited the village at a festival at the beginning of new year. People of the village cooked Rang Bua cake to serve the king. Rang Bua is a tool to grow rice in Vietnam in the past. That is why they call the cake Rang Bua Cake. Rang Bua Cake represents industriousness of Thanh Hoa farmers as well as Vietnamese people. Rang Bua Cake could be made to eat on normal days, to offer to God, Buddhas, ancestors at Tet festival, wedding, death anniversary …
The cake’s crust is made from high-quality rice flour. It is filled with a mixture of pork, wood ear, onion, salt and ground black pepper if the cake is served to family members. In case it is used to offer ancestor or bring to pagoda, they make filling from peanut or mung bean. They wrap the crust and filling in banana leaves or phrynuim leaves which are dried upon a fire. These leaves add smell and taste to the cake’s crust. It needs skillfulness and experience to wrap the cake so that it has the shape of Rang Bua or index finger. The cake is composed of a cylinder with a radius of 2 cm and length of 10 cm. After being wrapped, the cake is steamed or boiled until well-done.
Rang Bua Cake can be served hot or cold. Vietnamese people usually eat the cake with fish sauce. In every bite, dinner can feel tender rice flour crust, crunchy wood ear, rich pork, attractive smell of leaf wrap and fish sauce with special taste. If you have a chance to visit Thanh Hoa, do not miss flavorful Rang Bua Cake. Letting the cake melt in your mouth, you will feel the taste of Thanh Hoa beautiful land.
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