Bay lua" cake with the flavor of Tet in the countryside
Dried sesame cake, also known as "Bay lua" cake, has long become a part of Tet memories of many generations of Da Nang people. With a sweet taste, crispy crust, blended with the strong aroma of roasted sesame, this rustic cake is not only a local specialty but also imbued with the Tet flavor of the homeland.
In the days leading up to the Lunar New Year, Quang Chau village (Hoa Xuan ward, Da Nang city) is busy with red fire. From early morning, kitchen smoke has spread throughout the village, signaling the beginning of a new banh season.
In a small, warm kitchen, Mrs. Nguyen Thi Nghia diligently works on each step of making cakes. Her hands are used to the fire, used to the mold, quickly creating crispy sesame crackers.
According to Ms. Nghi, the name "seven fires" cake originates from a special processing process. To produce a standard cake, the craftsman must go through seven consecutive grilling times on fire. Each grilling has its own role, deciding the crispness, color and flavor of the cake.
At peak times near Tet, my family's bakery usually lights up from 2 am. Every day, we have to work continuously to meet orders. Especially during the Tet season, the amount of raw materials consumed increases sharply, sometimes up to about 1 ton of rice," Ms. Nghi shared.
Her family's bakery has been operating for more than 40 years, going through many ups and downs but still maintaining the traditional way of making cakes.
Contributing to creating jobs for people
Not only maintaining the profession, dried sesame cake ovens also contribute to creating jobs for local workers. During the Tet season, many villagers have additional income thanks to participating in baking, packaging, and transportation stages.
Not only in handicraft bakeries, in the days leading up to Tet, the production atmosphere at traditional cake establishments and businesses in Da Nang is also no less busy.
At Ba Lieu Me dried sesame cake facility (Cam Le ward, Da Nang city), the days leading up to Tet are also busier. During Tet, this facility produces hundreds of products for the market, with output increasing by more than 10-15% compared to last year.
Mr. Huynh Duc Sol, owner of Ba Lieu Me dried sesame cake production facility, said that during Tet, the number of customers ordering increased sharply, and the facility had to focus on working overtime in the evening.
Currently, the facility has nearly 20 regular workers, and in the Tet season, the facility must add 30-40 seasonal workers to be in time for production. This year, the output increased by more than 10-15% compared to last year.
Although the number of sesame cracker making establishments is decreasing due to young people not being enthusiastic about the profession, many families in Da Nang still persistently maintain the traditional fire. For them, each batch of crackers is not only a livelihood product but also a way to preserve the sweet, fragrant, and rustic taste of Tet in the countryside, so that the old values are not lost over time.
In the modern pace of life, dried sesame cake ovens still silently ignite every spring, contributing to preserving traditional culinary culture, so that the taste of Tet in the countryside continues to spread in today's life.
