Traditional moon cake oven with red fire for nearly a century

Pia cake is a traditional dish of the Chinese people of Chaozhou origin (also known as the Teochew people), often used to announce good luck or as a gift on the full moon of August. Over time, this cake has not only been associated with the Chinese community in Vietnam, but every Mid-Autumn Festival, people in Ho Chi Minh City and tourists also eagerly come to buy it.

In the bustling Chinatown in Binh Tien Ward (Ho Chi Minh City), Trieu Minh Hiep bakery is bustling with people coming in and out to buy Pia cakes every Mid-Autumn Festival. The shop was established in 1948 and has been in business for three generations. In the age of industrial production, the small bakery has been burning steadily for more than 75 years and has maintained the traditional method of making each step by hand.

The dough is kneaded by hand, the crust is rolled into many thin layers, the filling is wrapped into a round shape, and then baked. The handmade brick oven still regularly emits the fragrant aroma of green beans, taro, and salted eggs. When the cake comes out of the oven, it is still hot, the crust is soft and fluffy, biting into it feels light and spongy, the green bean filling is fatty and a little sweet, mixed with the salty taste of salted eggs. This flavor has been kept by the family for nearly a century.

Moon cakes at Trieu Minh Hiep shop are sought after by many customers every Tet holiday.

Every Mid-Autumn Festival, the shop sells more than 100 boxes of cakes per day, 3-4 times more than usual. But the shop is determined not to mass produce. Mr. Trieu An, the third generation owner of Trieu Minh Hiep bakery, shared: “The shop only sells fresh, hot cakes. Once a batch is sold out, we stop making more, nor do we chase quantity. At the same time, consumers not only care about taste, but also put health first. Therefore, we always focus on the “quality” factor in each product: Say no to preservatives, additives, colorants and flavorings.”

In Cho Lon space, Trieu Minh Hiep cakes have become a part of collective memory, where people look for the Mid-Autumn flavor of a time. In the small bakery, buyers stand in long lines, even considering queuing for cakes as a moon-season ritual. Ms. Le Hoa (born in 1980, living in Binh Tien ward) shared: “Every year, my family buys moon cakes, the whole family sits around a pot of tea, eating and chatting. This flavor is associated with the memories of three generations in my family.”

Wrapping childhood memories in moon cakes

The moon cake in the shape of a childhood grocery store that appeared on social networks in recent days has surprised many people. No longer the familiar round or square shape, the cake of Ms. Nguyen Thi Thuy Duong (born in 1996, residing in Thanh Xuan ward, Hanoi ) has turned the moon cake into a vivid work of art, recalling memories of the grocery store at the corner of the alley, where the simple joys of many generations are kept.

Ms. Duong shared: “My childhood was associated with running to the grocery store at the corner of the alley to buy a pack of candy, a can of soda or some bright balloons. Those memories have followed me until now, and I want to wrap them all in a cake, so that whoever sees it can smile and remember their own childhood.”

Ms. Nguyen Thi Thuy Duong with the "Story 2000" moon cake.

From idea to reality, the process of making the cake lasted a week with countless challenges. The green bean cake shell was used to build the base and frame, strong enough to support the whole model. Small details such as soft drink cans, snack packages, squash trellis or shop glass doors were all molded entirely by hand. Transparent gelatin was skillfully processed by Ms. Duong to recreate the image of nylon bags and sparkling glass doors.

“There are details as small as a fingertip that I have to do over and over again. If just one color or one stroke is off, the grocery store will lose the authenticity I want,” Ms. Duong shared.

Every detail, no matter how small, is done by hand.

If traditional moon cakes symbolize reunion, then Ms. Thuy Duong's work opens up another spirit that moon cakes can also become "storytellers".

“For me, Mid-Autumn Festival is not just about a tray of food or the full moon. It is also a can of soft drink, a pack of marshmallows bought in a hurry, or the jingling sound of a bell at the grocery store. I hope that when people see this cake, they will laugh and feel their childhood return,” Ms. Duong expressed.

This mooncake has completely broken free from the traditional framework to integrate into the contemporary creative trend, where art and cuisine meet. Her grocery store mooncake is not simply a festive treat, but is like a bridge connecting the past and the present, between traditional culture and modern creativity, making today's Mid-Autumn Festival richer and more surprising than ever.

Article and photos: PHUONG NGAN

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    Source: https://www.qdnd.vn/van-hoa/doi-song/muon-huong-vi-muon-sac-thai-mua-trung-thu-847854