Famous Ke Danh rice cake

Ke Danh rice cake (also known as Dinh Xa village rice cake, Nguyet Duc commune, Phu Tho province) has long been famous far and wide. With its rustic, unique flavor and efforts to preserve tradition, this product is not only a dish but also a source of pride, recognized as a 3-star OCOP product of the locality.

Ke Danh rice cake has been a popular local dish since the 60s of the last century and Dinh Xa village has a long tradition of making rice cake.

The memory named "The Danh"

Ke Danh rice cake is associated with the image of the people of Dinh Xa village, Nguyet Duc commune, working hard to sell it in all the markets. Perhaps, it is the unique flavor - light and fragrant, both rich and fatty with a natural golden color - that makes the rice cake here "eat one bite and remember it for life".

The name “Ke Danh rice cake” was also formed from there, entering the old song: “Ke Danh rice cake, Ke Mo onion” (Ke Danh is the ancient name of Dinh Xa village, and Ke Mo is now Yen Lac commune). According to Ms. Nguyen Thi Hong Phuong, the owner of the OCOP product, rice cake has been a popular local dish since the 60s of the last century and Dinh Xa village has a long tradition of making rice cake.

Ke Danh rice cake is soft, crispy, chewy, and has the fatty taste of peanuts and the aroma of sesame.

The finished product of Ke Danh rice cake has a milky white color mixed with a natural light yellow, dotted with peanuts and a layer of fragrant roasted sesame. The cake is soft, crispy, chewy and has the fatty taste of peanuts and the aroma of sesame. In particular, the cake has a refreshing taste, when dipped with soy sauce, it creates an unforgettable rich flavor. Local people also eat rice cake with crab soup or sour soup, creating a rustic but extremely attractive dish. For those who are far from home in Dinh Xa, suddenly hearing the sound of selling rice cake will make them feel nostalgic, remembering the taste of their childhood.

Elaborate to preserve traditional flavor

To have batches of standard Ke Danh rice cakes, the baker must follow an extremely meticulous and careful processing procedure.

The raw materials are the key factor, carefully selected such as: Rice must be Q5 rice (local high quality rice). The rice is soaked in lime water for 6 - 8 hours. After soaking, the rice changes from white to light yellow; the soaked rice is rinsed many times under clean running water to remove the lime smell and then ground. The worker must carefully adjust the amount of water so that the flour has the right consistency.

The soul of the dish cannot be without golden, crispy roasted peanuts and sesame as a coating. These agricultural ingredients are all purchased from the local area.

The pot of flour is simmered, stirred constantly for more than an hour.

Processing is the most difficult step. According to Ms. Phuong, banh duc must be cooked over a fire to be delicious. The pot of dough is simmered, stirred constantly for more than an hour. At first, the stirring is gentle, but as time goes on, the dough becomes thicker, the work becomes more difficult, requiring the maker to be physically strong. When the dough is cooked, roasted peanuts (with the shell removed) are added and stirred evenly. After that, the baker uses straw to burn around the pot to let the dough cook thoroughly, drain the pot before taking it out.

The sticky, fragrant rice cake dough is poured into a mold lined with banana leaves, spread evenly and sprinkled with sesame seeds on the surface. After cooling completely (about 2-3 hours), the cake is cut into small pieces, divided into bite-sized pieces and packed in boxes with packaging, labels and traceability stamps. The secret in the process of making rice cake depends on the regulation of the amount of water and the ratio of spices in the ingredients.

Affirming the brand in the market

Focusing on investing in machinery and choosing quality agricultural raw materials from the locality has helped Ms. Nguyen Thi Hong Phuong's family's rice cake products be recognized as 3-star OCOP products.

Ms. Phuong shared that because it always retains its distinctive traditional flavor, Ke Danh rice cakes are very popular, especially with customers in Hanoi and Thai Nguyen who often order them as gifts. “Most of my family makes them to order, rarely selling them in bulk,” Ms. Phuong said.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Hong Phuong used straw to burn around the pot to ferment the dough thoroughly, drain the pot before taking it out.

Given the great potential of the product, the local government has also actively participated in developing the brand. Mr. Nguyen Le Huy, Chairman of the People's Committee of Nguyet Duc Commune, said: "To enhance the brand of Ke Danh rice cake, the local government is interested in promoting and advertising on the media, supporting with stamps and codes, funding for households to rebuild product processing areas; promoting at trade fairs...".

For the people of Nguyet Duc commune, banh duc is not only a local specialty with the potential to become an OCOP product, but also a dish associated with the cultural traditions of the local people, contributing to improving their lives and affirming the unique culinary value of Phu Tho countryside.

Ngoc Thang

Source: https://baophutho.vn/nuc-tieng-banh-duc-ke-danh-241482.htm