With one hoe, a bunch of cassava roots pop up. In Soc Trang, people use it to make rice paper, which is delicious.

Every spring, when Tet comes, households in Phuong An 3 hamlet, Hung Phu commune, My Tu district ( Soc Trang province) are busy making cassava chips to celebrate Tet.

There are two common types of rice paper: The first is made from sticky rice; the second is made from cassava. Of these, Hung Phu cassava rice paper is the most typical.

The reason for this dish is that cassava is very easy to grow and does not require much care. In addition, the land in Hung Phu and My Tu district is very fertile, favorable for cultivation.

Since then, people have used cassava to make delicious dishes such as: mixed sweet soup, sweet soup, sticky rice, steamed coconut milk, curry... including the famous cassava cracker of the West.

This is a very popular cake in Soc Trang. Although the making process is quite meticulous and time-consuming, this dish is loved by many people.

Cassava rice paper is a long-standing specialty of the people of Hung Phu commune, My Tu district. According to family tree, it has been in business for 4 generations.

The cake is completely handmade by skillful hands, the cake is medium sized and round, has the sweetness of sugar, the richness of coconut milk, the characteristic smell of white sesame seeds, the aroma of cassava creating a particularly delicious flavor.

Although Hung Phu tapioca chips are made from simple ingredients, they are extremely delicious and highly appreciated by food lovers.

Making rice paper from cassava at Nga Nam Floating Market homestay, Soc Trang province. Photo: NGOC NHAN

Previously, cassava chip makers in Hung Phu commune mostly focused on making cakes during the whole of December. The cassava chips were sold to all markets in and outside the district, or were ordered by relatives and friends as gifts for people during Tet.

Nowadays, cakes are made to order, at stalls at rest stops in the Mekong Delta or during festivals in Soc Trang.

On average, each household making cassava chips can make 1,000 - 1,500 pieces per day. They are mainly produced to order. Currently, cassava chips cost 25,000 VND per dozen.
During the cassava cracker season, the whole village has extra work for workers, earning about 200,000 VND per day in wages.

To make Hung Phu tapioca crackers delicious and authentic, you have to be very careful in choosing the ingredients. The cassava roots must be large and not hard.

People will steam it and then remove the fibrous part in the middle. Then pour the cassava into a stone mortar and pound it. When the cassava is kneaded into a soft, smooth mass, the worker mixes 3kg of steamed, mashed cassava with 1.2kg of sugar, 2 grated coconuts, squeezed for the juice, and 100g of white sesame seeds, mixes them together and kneads them into a soft, flexible mass.

The first worker will knead the dough into even round balls; the second worker will use plastic sheets to line the bottom and top of the dough, then use a round wooden stick to roll it out thinly, making it round and even, not too thick, not too thin. The finished product is Hung Phu cassava puffs with beautiful round edges.

The final step is to dry the rice paper in the sun for 3-4 hours until dry.

According to bakers, drying the cake in the strong sunlight is also a secret to making the cake's flavor more unique and indescribable, especially the interesting harmony between Earth and Sky that makes the cake richer, tastier and especially "melts crispy when dipped in cold ice water and can be kept longer...".

There are many ways to prepare Hung Phu cassava chips, you can eat them raw or grilled. But to make them more delicious, according to the craftsmen who make Hung Phu cassava chips, there is another great way to eat them: tear the cake in half, roll it up and dip it in iced milk coffee (or ice water).

Take a bite and you will feel the indescribable fatty aroma and the “strange” crunchiness in your mouth. Eat it once and you will never forget it! Eat it and you will be “addicted”…

Who has been and who hasn't? Let's quickly stop at Nga Nam Floating Market homestay (Soc Trang province) to experience the process of "becoming a baker" and enjoy the "unique" cassava chips here, associated with the pure Southern river culture space.

Source: https://danviet.vn/cuoc-mot-nhat-bat-len-chum-cu-mi-o-soc-trang-dan-dem-ra-lam-banh-phong-an-ngon-me-lam-luon-20240625202206654.htm