“Bánh phu thê” or “Husband and wife” cake

There is also another story, about a business man. One day he had to travel far away leaving his wife behind. She was very sad and told her husband that she would think of him only and be faithful to him until he returned.

But the husband met and fell in love with another woman. This made the wife very sad. She made the cake and sent it to husband with a note that said, “Since the day you left on the boat I have counted the waves on the river, each wave made me think of you”. The husband ate the cake in the tears and caught the boat home to his wife. The cake is called “Phu Thê” after this event.

People also bring this cake to wedding parties to wish the new couple good luck for their life together

The people in Dinh Bang village (the hometown of Phu The cake) also have another story. It is said that King Ly Thanh Tong and his lover Mrs Y Lan went back to their hometown, Dinh Bang and people dedicated “Phu thê” cake to them. The King tried the cake and loved it. He said the cake was really delicious and asked that it be eaten on special occasions. The villagers declared that the cake will be used in worship on special festivals and Tet, so everyone would benefit. After this it was dedicated to noblemen and people with high positions in society.

After listening, the King thought for a while and said:

Such a good cake as this should be used more often so more people are able to enjoy it. There are happy times in a life such as wedding parties or engagement celebrations, this cake should be made for these occasion as well. It will be called “Bánh phu thê”.

The villagers in Dinh Bang were very happy upon hearing these words from the King and understood that people look for happiness as a couple, so they changed its name to “Phu thê”

Dinh Bang villagers (Tien Son, Bac Ninh) still keep land specifically to grow a type of sticky rice named “nếp cái hoa vàng”, which is used to make “Bánh phu thê”

“Phu thê” cake before being wrapped in leaves

The sticky rice is soaked in water, cleaned, drained and ground into flour. The Powder is finely minced and filtered so only the starch remains. Each kilogram of rice provides just 300 grams of starch. The flour is ground for a second time then dried. It should take 15 days later to start to use the flour to make the cake.

The flour will be dyed using Gardenia augusta flowers which provide a bright yellow color. To this the liquid from grapefruit flowers and raw banana fibers which have been soaked in alum. Flour is mixed with sugar to make a dough in which to wrap the cake.

“Bánh phu thê” wrapped.

Eating the outer layer of the cake provides many flavors. The cool smooth, texture of the sticky rice starch and crispy papaya flavor is interesting. The mixture in the middle of the cake is made of steamed and mashed green bean which have been drained and skinned, sugar and coconut fibers are added to increase its fat content. At the four corners lotus seeds are placed so when the cake is cut each piece will have a lotus seed inside.

“Bánh phu thê” cake was well cooked

People normally wrap the cake in Phrynium placentarium leaves or banana leaf and tie the cake with fibers that stripped from the trunk of “Giang” tree, a member of the bamboo family (it should be pink to represent Cupid). The cake isn’t made individually, but in pairs. Cakes are boiled on a wood stove, keeping the fire at a medium level retains the flavor and aroma.

In the early autumn of 2014, when I were touring the campus that is cool the smell of frangipani flower in Den Do temple and pervaded the air. I watched the Tieu Tuong river as well as recalling the voice of Chi Truong singing here, and I met Mr Thin Duc Nguyen- titled labor hero - sitting under the branches of the old Ficus microcarpa L tree.

Mr Thin Duc Nguyen and the writer

Dinh Bang villagers called him "the Den Do temple keeper" because he usually came here to read, and talk with any visitors and tourists that wanted to know about the temple. He is considered a living history book of Bac Ninh province, always enthusiastic and passionate about every story and relates them by heart.

He said all Dinh Bang villagers know how to make “Phu thê” cake but only those who know the secret of “the holy fire” when boiling the cake, could make the best ones. Outside Den Do temple there was a shop selling “Bánh phu thê” for three generation. The shop owner is Mrs Nguyen Thi Thu who has took over this business from her husband’s family. This shop is the most well-known in Dinh Bang village.

Mrs Thu Thi Nguyen wrapping the cake

Thu’s hands deftly spread and put the powder on thinly, rolled the crust, with the warmth and sincerity of husband and wife. It is the harmony of man with heaven and earth, the harmony between people and between spouses.

Mrs Thu with her clever and professional ability was spreading the dough, placing the mixture in the middle, then wrapping them up. The wrapper covers the mixture as a husband uses his love to protect his wife. The cake also encompasses the Five Elements philosophy through five colors: the white of flour and coconut; yellow from Gardenia augusta flowers and yellow seeds of the green beans; the black color of the sesame seeds; green of the leaves; and the red fibers used to tie the cake.

“Bánh phu thê” is made of sticky rice and has the flavor of crispy papaya, fatty green bean, fatty coconut, the light sweetness of sugar and aroma of banana oil and lotus seeds, All created to form a great balance in the aroma of the cake as well as the sweetness of the relationship and love between husband and wife.

Followed by V.H
Dan Tri Newspaper

Extracted from articles written especially for Golden Spoon Contest 2014 called “A journey to search for traditional rustic dishes”