AN GIANG – The 100 traditional cakes made from palmyra palm set a Vietnamese record at a cooking competition held on Monday within the framework of the Southern Traditional Cake Festival in the Mekong Delta province of An Giang.

Bánh bò thốt nốt (palmyra palm rice cake), a specialty of An Giang province, is sold at the festival. VNA/VNS Photo

The competition aimed to preserve the cultural value of southern traditional cakes made from palmyra palm.

At the event, artisans and chefs used local ingredients, including palmyra palm leaves, peel and juice to prepare traditional cakes such as bánh bò nướng (grilled rice cake), bánh da lợn (steamed layer cake) and bánh ướt tứ vị (steamed flat cake).

Organisers presented a first prize to a team from the southern province of Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu, two second prizes to teams from An Giang's Tri Tôn District and Đồng Nai Province and three third prizes to those from Kiên Giang Province, HCM City and An Giang's Chợ Mới District.

The Việt Nam Records Organisation (VietKings) granted a certificate recognising the 100 cakes, made by 10 teams at the competition, as a Vietnamese record to the An Giang Trade and Investment Promotion Centre.

Lê Trung Hiếu, the centre’s director said the setting of the record not only holds cultural significance but also helps promote and preserve the unique traditional values of the Bảy Núi region in An Giang.

The recognition is an important milestone that boosts economic and tourism development, and improves the living standards of the Khmer ethnic people in An Giang.

The festival, running from August 3-11, attracts the participation of 21 provinces and cities nationwide, with 400 booths featuring traditional cakes, tourism products, items under One Commune One Product (OCOP) programme, regional specialties, and local dishes. VNA/VNS