Black Chung Cake is a traditional Tet dish of the Tay people. The black sticky rice is dyed from salted neem tree ash powder, creating a unique color and delicious flavor.
1. Origin and characteristics of black banh chung
Banh chung is not a strange dish to Vietnamese people. However, besides traditional square banh chung and meat banh chung, there are many other types from different regions that you may not know. In there black banh chung is a unique dish of the Tay people in the highlands.
The origin of black banh chung comes from the mountainous district of Bac Son (Lang Son) and is also known as “cool down” cake because the inside is black or “choose a wife” cake because of the people of Bac Son. It is also used to choose a wife, to be precise, to find girls who know how to make beautiful, plump cakes to become wives.
Chung cake has a unique black sticky rice part (Photo: Vivu).
Unlike square banh chung, black banh chung on traditional Tet of the Tay people is cylindrical or humped like banh chung. The most prominent feature of this cake is the black sticky rice. Black banh chung It has a more fragrant, flexible and fatty taste than traditional banh chung even though the filling is also pork belly and green beans. Perhaps what makes this dish’s unique flavor is that the sticky rice is dyed black with charcoal and ash.
2. The meaning of black banh chung
Not simply a traditional cake during Tet, black banh chung It also carries many intimate meanings for the Tay people in particular and highland people in general. The beauty of the Tay people’s tradition is to worship their ancestors with the closest things, so they often use ingredients from around the garden to cook. Black banh chung is made from salted ash or kitchen straw to remind children and grandchildren of the miserable lives of their predecessors, to appreciate their upbringing and what they have in the present.
Black banh chung has many traditional and spiritual meanings (Photo: Ngoctt).
People also think that the way it is wrapped black banh chung is a manifestation of the balance of yin and yang in the spiritual life of the Tay ethnic people because of the concept that the sky is round and the earth is square. This is reflected in the unique shape of the cake: a round, slightly hunched body and two square folded ends. The yin and yang character is also shown in the way the dong leaves are arranged: the two leaves must be placed end to end and facing each other. Tying rattan must be tied to odd numbers like 5 or 9 because odd numbers comply with the cyclical regulation of birth – old age – illness – death – birth, meaning life always exists and develops. When giving cakes, Tay people also give a couple to harmonize yin and yang. Some couples express the dialectic in their spirituality.
Even the lace knot has its own meaning. Round spiral knots spiral outward from the center in a straight line down. The twisted knot is placed in one direction according to the concept of “people go one way, water goes one way”.
3. How to wrap black banh chung of the Tay people
When learning about Banh Chung of the Tay people, it is impossible to ignore the unique way of wrapping this cake, especially the dyeing of sticky rice black.
3.1. Choose fresh ingredients
Not only Tay people’s banh chung but any type of banh chung must choose sticky rice. The rice used to make black banh chung is cumin rice that is harvested directly and then goes through the manual process of drying, threshing and grinding. The dong leaves used to wrap banh chung must be wild dong leaves with large, beautiful and even leaves.
The meat filling of Banh Chung is pork belly, which is the most delicious because it is not too dry. There are also green beans and spices like traditional banh chung filling.
Note that the ingredients must be fresh and delicious, preferably homemade.
3.2. Unique secret to dyeing sticky rice black
It can be said that the most unique and important point for the name black banh chung This is the secret to dyeing sticky rice black. The black color of Tay people’s banh chung is usually taken from the charcoal of the salted neem tree, sticky rice straw or the nac nac tree, sesame tree, but mainly the salted neem tree because of its dark black color.
The salted neem tree must first be dried and then peel off its outer bark. Next is to burn the salt palm tree, burn it until the charcoal turns red, then take it out, dip it in water, wait for it to dry, then put it in the grinder. When mixing charcoal powder, you must sprinkle water on your hands so that the powder sticks firmly to each grain of rice. Mix until the rice is shiny black. Use your hands to rub vigorously and the rice grains will still be black and not lose their color. After dyeing, sticky rice must be sifted clean before wrapping.
Salted tree charcoal ash creates the unique flavor of Banh Chung of the Tay people (Photo: Ngoctt).
3.3. Wrap the cake firmly and cook it properly
The way to wrap black banh chung is different from traditional banh chung, it does not use molds but is wrapped entirely by hand, so it requires skill and meticulousness. The special thing about black banh chung is that the middle part is hunched out like a hunchback banh chung.
First, place 2-3 dong leaves underneath, then add the prepared sticky rice, green beans and pork, wrap tightly and fold the two edges of the dong leaves to create a hunchback shape. Note that the cake must be balanced before using twine to tie the two ends tightly. Black banh chung is quite compact, weighing only a few ounces and about 5-6cm long.
Boiling cakes must be boiled on a wood stove and must always have large firewood. Boil for 8 hours, then take it out, wash it twice with water, then drain and you’re done. The finished product produces shiny black banh chung but still shines with the green color of dong leaves. The unique delicious flavor of salted charcoal ash creates a uniqueness and makes people excited to enjoy it.
4. How to enjoy black banh chung
Banh chung of the Tay people can be eaten right away by using the same string to tie the cake and cutting it into slices. In addition, you can also grill by placing the cake with intact leaves on a layer of charcoal until the aroma spreads. This way of enjoying is more unique and enhances the aroma of the ingredients.
