No longer just simple rice cakes or rice cakes, the cakes that many Hai Duong people look to buy during the Tet At Ty are decorated in an eye-catching and luxurious way.
Ms. Vu Quynh Nga in Binh Han Ward (Hai Duong City) has been passionate about making Oan cakes for 14 years. During the days before Tet, despite being overloaded with orders, Ms. Nga does not expand production. She says that making Oan cakes must come from the heart because they are worship items. Therefore, she has to control every step, every stage from raw materials, exclusive recipes to packaging and decoration.
The dough for making oán is similar to bánh khao, but the ratio of sticky rice, regular rice, and sugar must be precise, both to create fluffiness and to ensure adhesion. In addition, to enhance the aroma of the oán, Ms. Nga also scents it with grapefruit. If the weather is not too humid, the oán can be kept for a year. Not only focusing on quality, but the oán made by Ms. Nga is also favored for its meticulousness and sophistication in decoration and packaging.
Ms. Nga's establishment specializes in producing tower-shaped cakes and peach-shaped cakes. Tower-shaped cakes are a traditional style, symbolizing stability, while peach-shaped cakes symbolize longevity. The cellophane wrapping cakes come in five colors: red, blue, yellow, purple, and pink, symbolizing the five elements. According to Ms. Nga, the cakes are meticulously and elaborately arranged to show sincerity, but must avoid being flashy or flashy. Therefore, Ms. Nga's cakes are always popular with customers.
The size of the cake depends on the purpose and usage needs, so it varies from 250g to 5kg. Ms. Nga said that in the offerings, the cake is food, so it must always be new. Each cake must also show the thoughtfulness and sincerity of the homeowner. Besides buying it for worship, many people buy cakes as gifts. Therefore, the cakes are more eye-catching and luxurious.
Every year on the occasion of the traditional New Year, Ms. Nguyen Thi Trinh in Hung Dao commune (Tu Ky) gives each family member and relative a pair of Oan cakes. Ms. Trinh believes that although society develops and many things are renewed and replaced, we still have to maintain the old traditions, especially the offerings to our grandparents and ancestors. Along with Chung cake, Oan cakes are products that have existed for a long time. Currently, they have been modified to suit the tastes. Therefore, in addition to buying Oan cakes to worship our ancestors, Ms. Trinh also gives them to relatives.
It seems to be forgotten in modern society, but in recent years, many people in Hai Duong have chosen oản products to add color to their family altars and show their respect to their ancestors every Tet holiday. The "reinvented" oản products still retain their ancient values but add sophistication and elegance, meeting the needs of customers.
PV