The tiny village of Tra Cuon in the Me Kong delta province of Tra Vinh is famous for its savoury Tet cakes, an indispensable food in traditional festivals.
Located along highway 53 in Kim Hoa commune, Cau Ngang district, Tra Cuon village is home to Tet, a kind of cylindrical glutinous rice cake.
With three consecutive generations specialized in making Tet cake, the Hai Ly production unit is the largest of its kind to supply Tra Cuon Tet cake to the market. All family members are able to make the cake.
“I am interested in making Tet cake since I was at school. My mom wants me to finish school before following the family’s business,” said Nguyen Thi Diem Phuc from Hai Ly production unit.
Tra Cuon Tet cakes are delicious and tasty because of their good quality ingredients that are carefully chosen, from the quality of glutinous rice for making the cakes to the variety of banana leaves for wrapping them.
The stuffing inside the cake is made of eggs of ducks, meat and mung bean.
Tieu Thi Ngan, a Tet cake maker said: “The stuffing should be marinated well enough. Each process from wrapping to tightening the cake requires skills.”
Tra Cuon has been recognized as the Tet cake trade village by the provincial People’s Committee. There are six units making Tet cake in the village, providing jobs for over 200 local residents.
According to Deputy Chairman of People’s Committee of Kim Hoa commune, Cau Ngang district Huynh Ngoc Toan, the trade of making Tet cake used to be in a small scale in the past, especially during Tet holiday or Sen Dolta festival of the Khmer people.
"It develops gradually thanks to visitors’ interest,” he added
Local residents hope that with assistance from the provincial and district authorities, they will be able to export Tra Cuon Tet cake to other countries in the near future.-VNA
