The soft, flexible shell of cassava flour combined with the rich taste of beans, the aroma of onions, and the fatty taste of meat have made Phu Tho cassava cake a sought-after dish.
According to many documents, Phu Tho cassava cake has existed for a long time and originated from Thu Tho. For previous generations, this was a type of cake to fight hunger for the poor because it was made from a very cheap ingredient, cassava. At that time, cassava cake had no filling, so people used chopsticks to poke a hole in the middle, so the cake would cook quickly and evenly, so it was jokingly called “chopstick” cassava cake. Nowadays, cassava cake with chopsticks has been replaced by a cake with a filling including green bean filling (sweet cake) and meat filling (savory cake).
In the past, cassava cake was called the cake of the poor because it was made from a cheap ingredient, cassava.
For Phu Tho people, almost everyone knows how to make cassava cake, but making delicious cassava cake is another story. According to Ms. Do Thanh Ha, Hien Luong commune, Ha Hoa district, Phu Tho province, cassava cake can be made from fresh cassava or dried cassava powder. Cassava is peeled, washed, filtered to remove fibers, and then ground into a fine powder. Squeeze the mixture to get the pulp, wait for the remaining water to settle to get the clear fresh starch, then mix the flour with the pulp and knead well until the dough is soft and smooth.
Making cassava cake is also quite complicated.
When making the cake, people will boil water and then slowly pour it into the flour basin. While pouring water, use chopsticks to stir quickly so that the flour mixes with the water. After the water and flour are mixed together, knead thoroughly until the dough is really soft. The more you knead the cake, the more soft and delicious it will be.
Ingredients for making cassava cake.
An equally important step is the cake filling. For sweet filling, soak mung beans in hot water, then clean the shells, put them in the rice to cook, use a spoon to crush the rice and beans, season with a little sugar, form into small balls with roasted peanuts, sesame, coconut,… Savory filling includes minced meat with dried onions and wood ear mushrooms, stir-fry with a little cooking oil, and season with a little seasoning.
Cassava cake has two types: sweet filling and savory filling.
Wash the banana leaves to remove dirt, dry them with a towel, and then tear them into small leaves the size of 3 fingers. Divide the cassava flour into bite-sized pieces. Roll out the cassava flour skillfully, then add the filling and shape them into pretty cakes and wrap them in banana leaves so that when boiling, the cakes do not stick together.
Pretty cassava cakes.
After making the cakes, people will arrange the cakes in a pot of boiling water for about 40 minutes. When cooked, the cake will have a smooth, clear color, with the aroma of cassava mixed with the rich, fatty taste of green bean paste, onion, and minced meat, creating a feeling that is both fresh and delicious, especially when eaten with sesame and peanuts, which increases the deliciousness and attractiveness. The cake is especially delicious when eaten while it is still hot.
Cassava cake is steamed for about 40 minutes.
If you have the opportunity to visit Phu Tho, do not miss the opportunity to experience this unique dish and explore the culinary culture of the sacred ancestral land.
The price of cassava cake is quite reasonable, about 50,000 – 60,000/dozen.
If you have not had the opportunity to visit Phu Tho, food lovers still have the opportunity to enjoy this delicious dish because cassava cake is currently widely sold in many northern provinces. Ms. Nguyen Phuong Ha, an online seller of cassava cake in Hanoi, said that the cake she sells is a raw cake that is vacuum-sealed. This cake can be kept in the refrigerator for a month. When eating, just put the cake in a steamer; it is still delicious. The price of cassava cake ranges from 50,000 to 60,000 VND/dozen pieces.
The fragrant taste of cassava and banana leaves combined with the fatty taste of green beans and minced meat has created the characteristic delicious taste of cassava cake.
Ms. Phuong Ha said that customers love Phu Tho cassava cake because of the characteristic sticky and fragrant taste of cassava mixed with the rich taste of beans, the fragrant taste of onions, the fatty taste of meat, and the fragrant taste of banana leaves. All evoke a delicious feeling every time you enjoy it.
Viet Phu
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