by Viết Thành

People in Phú Nhi Village, Sơn Tây Town in the western outskirts of Hà Nội, are greatly proud of their traditional delicacy; homemade rice cake.

Delicious: Rice cake made from Phú Nhi is a favourite dish for people from other areas due to its special flavour of rice outside and tasty dumpling inside. VNS Photos Viết Thành

In the village, every family can make their own rice cake, gathering all their members to join in the process. The cake is popular in the northern region, but each village has its own flavours to add to the simple food.

Next step: The cakes, after bring wrapped, are boiled.

Rice cake made from Phú Nhi is a favourite for people from other areas due to its special flavour of rice outside and tasty dumpling inside.

Many hands make light work: Dong leaves and banana leaves are used to wrap the cakes.

The rice cake is made from rice powder (for the outer cover), minced pork, sliced dry onion and sliced wood-ear mushroom (for the dumpling). The cake is wrapped in banana leaves and boiled.

However, to make a tasty cake, experienced chefs in the village have their own tricks to create rice powder.

Earner: The handicraft has created stable jobs for hundreds of local people with the income of up to VNĐ5 billion (US$215) each month.

Nguyễn Thị Bình said she grinds rice, then soaks the powder in water for three or four days in summer and four or five days in winter. While it’s soaking, she stirs the powder and changes the water every day. After that, she boils the powder until it becomes thick and as sticky as glue.

The dumpling is made from fresh pork, sliced dry onion and sliced wood-year. They put the dumpling ingredients inside sticky rice glue, which is then wrapped with leaves and boiled

Yum: The dumpling is made from fresh pork, sliced dry onion, sliced wood-ear surrounded by rice glue. VNS Photos Viết Thành

The cake is then served with fish sauce, some pepper and even some cà cuống (a type of water bug) essence. 

In 2007, the village was recognised as a traditional handicraft village for its rice cakes. In 2010, the Ministry of Science and Technology’s Intellectual Property Department certified the product. There are now some 50 households selling the cakes.

Fun for all the family: Old and young people in the village can join the process. VNS Photos Viết Thành

The handicraft has created stable jobs for hundreds of local people with income of up to VNĐ5 million (US$215) each month. — VNS