A gift with a strong taste of the countryside

Not “coming out” from ancient legends, nor is it a rare delicacy, hard to find. From a simple gift from the past, Phong Chau Cassava Cake - from a “famine relief” dish has now become a famous OCOP product, certified by the Vietnam Culinary Culture Association, honored as a typical Vietnamese cuisine.

Phong Chau cassava cake is made from fresh cassava instead of traditional dry cassava flour.

When steamed, cassava cake is white, clear, fragrant, sweet, rich and fatty.

From "hunger relief" food...

At the booth organized by the Art Performance and Exhibition program, introducing OCOP products to celebrate Vietnam Cultural Heritage Day, Phong Chau cassava cake was prepared and steamed at the table, attracting many tourists to enjoy.

Cassava cake is best when just steamed, fragrant, soft crust, rich, fatty filling... that is the feeling of many diners. However, in the hearts of the elderly, cassava cake and the story of that rustic gift evokes indescribable emotions, distant memories. In the 50s of the last century, the country was still at war, science and technology were not yet developed, people's agricultural production mainly "looked to the sky, looked to the land, looked to the clouds"... so, growing rice and corn would result in crop failure, pests, and even if they could harvest, the yield was very low. On the contrary, cassava is easy to grow, suitable for gentle hills, so for a long time, cassava has been associated with the people of Phu Ninh in the role of a key food crop.

Phong Chau cassava cakes come in many shapes and colors, are made from natural ingredients and are recognized as OCOP products.

From the lush cassava plants on the hillsides, cassava leaves are used as green vegetables, dried cassava plants are used as firewood, to replant fences, cassava tubers are brought back to fill the yard and therefore, the smell of cassava is mixed in the kitchen smoke. Fresh cassava is boiled or grilled; small-tailed cassava is dried to preserve longer. During the lean season, cassava becomes the main dish, and cassava flour, white as snow, soft as velvet - the main ingredient to create cassava cake - is also processed a lot by people to "change the dish".

Ms. Le Thi Luong - Phong Chau town, Phu Ninh district invites visitors to enjoy Phong Chau cassava cake.

Introducing the OCOP product Phong Chau Cassava Cake to diners, Ms. Le Thi Luong - Owner of Phong Chau Cassava Cake Production Facility, Phong Chau Town, Phu Ninh District enthusiastically: "Original" cassava cake is only made from cassava flour and then steamed; to make the cake cook quickly and evenly, people often use chopsticks to make a hole in the middle of the cake. Another part is because the cake is still hot, chopsticks must be used to skewer it, while hungry children sometimes bite into the chopsticks, so adults jokingly call it "cassava cake with chopsticks".

Through the years of hardship, life has changed, daily meals are no longer a constant worry, meals are full with meat, fish, green vegetables but cassava cake - the "famine relief" dish of the past is always "on the tray". Still in the same form, but encapsulating all the passion and aroma, color, taste of fullness, warmth, and sufficiency...

To the famous "specialty"

Cassava cake is a popular dish, available in many localities in the province, the way of processing and enjoying it also has its own flavor. Making cassava cake is not difficult, but the maker must skillfully spread the dough evenly so that the cake does not tear the shell when steamed at high temperature. With Phong Chau cassava cake, instead of using dry cassava flour like other localities, Mrs. Luong's family uses fresh cassava, crushed into a smooth powder to make the cake. She shared: From the recipe considered "traditional", I make cassava cake for family, relatives and friends to enjoy. Receiving many comments and applying modern kitchen equipment, cassava cake is made from fresh cassava, both retaining the aroma and flavor, ensuring food hygiene and safety..., especially very suitable for the taste of the majority of diners.

Many people love cassava cake because it can be preserved for a long time and is easy to prepare.

The cassava I chose is the type of glutinous cassava that is large, white, has a thick stem, has a lot of starch, and few eyes... when steamed, the color of the powder is clear, soft, and has the right amount of elasticity. When cooled, the cake is not hard or chewy. In addition, to create eye-catching, visually stimulating, and attractive cassava cake for diners, I used some types of colored leaves available in the countryside to color the cassava powder, creating five-color cassava cake products that are both safe and beautiful...

Choosing cassava cake as one of the dishes to treat friends and relatives on his happy day, Mr. Nguyen Trung Hieu - Trung Vuong commune, Viet Tri city shared: Cassava cake will make a difference to the feast, because it is enjoyed while still hot, and can also be eaten instead of rice for those who do not want to eat too much starch. On the other hand, for guests living far away, I can order cassava cake as a gift very easily and conveniently...

Young people enjoy cassava cake as a new culinary experience; the elderly eat cassava cake to recall memories of a time long gone; curious tourists taste cassava cake and love this familiar dish; and native people consider cassava cake the most suitable “appetizer” for every big or small party... Just like that, cassava cake is not only familiar to the people of Phu Tho , but has become a famous “specialty”, following people to every family, every kitchen.

Le Hoang

Source: https://baophutho.vn/mon-qua-dam-vi-que-225713.htm