Bánh giò bầu is a regular dish in a meal of people in Hữu Liên Coomune, Lạng Sơn Province. VNS Photo Chí Long

Minh Anh

LẠNG SƠN — The mountainous Hữu Liên Commune in Lạng Sơn Province draws visitors not only with its magnificent natural beauty but also with its traditional bánh giò bầu, an indispensable dish at local festivals and family gatherings that carries a story passed down through generations.

The dish is prized not just for its flavour but for the cultural meaning it preserves, and it has become a popular gift for visitors to take home to their families.

"I believe that nobody remembers when the cake was first made but its recipe and cooking method have been passed down and preserved same until today," said Lều Thu Phương, owner and chef of Homestay Rừng Xanh.

"Once upon a time people in this mountainous area was still struggling in working and living. During holidays and Tết (Lunar New Year), to make the ancestral offerings more presentable, people created a cake from vegetarian ingredients to replace the giò (pork sausage) which was very expensive at that time."

Bánh giò bầu can be used as a dish in a meal and also snacks for people. — VNS Photo Lê Phú

“Pumpkin and glutinous rice flour are chosen because their vibrant colour symbolises wishes for prosperity and good luck in life,” she said.

The pumpkin is steamed until tender and cooled before being mixed with sugar and flour until the dough is smooth and no longer sticky. It is then left to rest for several hours before being cut into appropriately sized portions.

Each portion is wrapped in banana leaves and steamed for about 60 minutes.

"As it is a replacement for the pork sausage so we use the same wrapping technique: forming a tight log which is tied with many loops of bamboo string. After steaming process the cakes will be flattened to remove hot air and make nice shape," Phương said.

The finished products have the characteristic colour of pumpkin with a natural aroma. The cake's soft, lightly sweet and chewy texture is delicious and suitable for all ages from the elderly to children.

Bánh giò bầu is wrapped in banana leaves like pork sausages. — VNS Photo Lê Phú

"The vegetarian sausage is made of pumpkin but called giò bầu (gourd sausage) because local people here call pumpkin a gourd. Today, many also call it bánh bí đỏ (pumpkin cake) but we prefer the original name that help visitors distinguish our cake with products of other localities that also include pumpkin," Phương added.

Bánh giò bầu is served on every special occasion of Hữu Liên people such as dinners for guests, wedding parties and Tết feasts. Nowadays, to meet tourists' demand, the cakes are also made as gifts for families and friends.

"Bánh giò bầu is not difficult to make, but to have delicious and with the right taste and shape is not easy. The most important thing is the quality of the pumpkin and the right timing of kneading the dough," she said.

Visitors learn to make bánh giò bầu. – VNS Photo Lê Phú

"Currently in Hữu Liên, there are only a few households that specialise in making it but in most of homestays here we offer guests opportunities to make the cake and enjoy the products while they are staying with us.

“They all enjoyed the new experience, and I believe they will be able to make the cakes at home to share with their families, keeping a fond memory of our Hữu Liên hometown.” VNS