The San Diu ethnic community in Quang Ninh Province has a specialty cake that often appears during festivals, Tet, and weddings... That is bac dau cake, a rustic yet truly unique dish.
Bac dau cake – A “mold-and-eat” specialty of the San Diu people
Many people are very curious about this cake because of its special name, and anyone who has tasted it will certainly be deeply impressed. Once made, the cake is coated with a smooth layer of white glutinous rice flour on the outside; the name bac dau cake originated from that.
Bac dau cake. Photo: Quang Ninh Newspaper.
Bac dau cake is made from glutinous rice, with a layer of white flour on the outside to prevent sticking. To make the cake, glutinous rice is first pounded or finely ground and shaped into rounds, with a filling of peanuts, sesame seeds inside...
Bac dau cake is coated with a fine layer of flour. Photo: Ethnic and Development Newspaper.
It sounds simple, but preparing this dish requires great effort and skill from the maker. From selecting ingredients, grinding flour, to making the filling... After the harvest season, people choose the finest and most fragrant glutinous rice to make the cake.
The cake shaping process. Photo: Dan Toc Newspaper.
The glutinous rice must not be mixed with ordinary rice; it is soaked in water for 10–15 minutes until the grains easily snap in half, then drained and pounded in a stone mortar into a fine powder, and further sifted thoroughly with a sieve so the finished flour is extremely smooth.
Bac dau cake is used during Tet and festivals. Photo: Ethnic and Mountainous Pictorial.
After sifting the flour, the portions that were not finely pounded are pounded again; this is a laborious step that can take up to half a day. Nowadays, pounding rice is simpler thanks to grinding machines, and many households no longer pound by hand as they used to, but the flour must still ensure smoothness, whiteness, and purity.
Photo: Hien Anh.
The finished glutinous rice flour is then mixed with warm water and stirred vigorously, then shaped into thin, round patties and dropped into a pot of boiling water. The dough patties are boiled until they float evenly to the surface, at which point they are cooked and scooped out. The hot dough pieces just taken out are mixed again with dry glutinous rice flour, shaped into thin, wide, round sheets, the filling placed in the center, and skillfully molded into evenly round cakes before being rolled in a layer of fine flour...
Every San Diu woman knows how to make bac dau cake. Photo: Ethnic and Mountainous Pictorial.
Roasted sesame seeds and peanuts are crushed and mixed well with ground white sugar to make the filling. In many places, mung beans are also added or bean flour is used as the filling to make it more diverse and appealing. A delicious bac dau cake often reveals its filling faintly beneath the layer of glutinous rice flour; when eaten, the cake has a mild sweetness and the fragrant aroma of peanuts, sesame seeds, and newly harvested glutinous rice.
A bac dau cake-making contest of the San Diu people. Photo: Tien Yen District.
Bac dau cake does not need to be fried or steamed, but simply boiled to be enjoyed. The cake is moderately sweet, not greasy, light-tasting, gently fragrant, and not cloying. Therefore, this rustic treat easily wins the hearts of visitors trying it for the first time.
Various types of fillings. Illustrative photo: thu.huyen.black.
Bac dau cake is also ordered as engagement gifts or sold as a specialty. Visiting San Diu villages in Quang Ninh during festivals and Tet, tourists will encounter bac dau cakes everywhere. Enjoying this delicious cake and learning about the culture of the San Diu people as well as other ethnic groups in the highlands of Quang Ninh will be a meaningful experience on the journey!
