At the family of Ms. Tran Thi Ut Sau in Thanh Tri district (Soc Trang province), the working atmosphere these days is more urgent than ever. As one of the households with decades of experience in making ashwater banh tet, Mrs. Sau's family is packing cakes tirelessly to deliver 6,500 cakes to serve the Doan Ngo Tet market this year.
"My family has been making ashwater water banh tet for a long time. Every year near the 5th is a day's work, the goal is to package to meet orders, not leaving customers waiting," Ms. Sau shared.
Although it only takes more than a minute to complete a cake, the preparation stage is extremely meticulous. From choosing delicious sticky rice, soaking in ash water at the right time to choosing each large, green, and clean bamboo leaf requires carefulness. "The bamboo leaves are big, so the new cake wrap is beautiful. Doing this job is done with prestige, you have to give as much as you receive, you don't dare to do it through a loudspeaker", Ms. Sau said.
Not only the members of Mrs. Sau's family, but also the neighbors and relatives joined hands to contribute. Each person has a job: some cut leaves, some make sticky rice, some wrap cakes. They see this not only as a job to earn income but also a way to preserve traditional customs. Ms. Tran Thi nau happily said: "Nearly on the 5th, I felt vomited. Although it is hard work, it is familiar to do it hard, and when the season comes, it is bustling".
The bustling atmosphere is similar at bakery facilities in Phu Tam commune (Chau Thanh district, Soc Trang). At Ms. Ly Thi Thu Trang's household, dozens of workers work continuously every day to complete 400,000 cakes to serve the market. Each batch of cake is boiled for 2.5 - 3 hours, then taken out and soaked in cold water and hanged in a drawer to retain flexibility and aroma.
"Usually only pack 1,000 - 3,000 units per day, but during the Lunar New Year, the number increases many times. I had to hire 20 people to wrap and 30 people to cook, pick up cakes, and work all night, Ms. Trang shared.
This peak season also creates opportunities for many seasonal workers to earn extra income. The person wrapping the cake is paid from 250,000 - 300,000 VND/set (1,000 pieces), the baker receives 400,000 VND if working during the day, 500,000 VND if working at night. The establishments also take care of meals to ensure the health of workers.
