For the Mong people in two communes, Hang Kia and Pa Co, Mai Chau district, every time they hear the sound of Loc coc pounding banh day, it is a sign that a happy day has come. According to the old concept of the Mong people, banh day (Banh Day is a white, flat, and round glutinous rice cake) is not only a symbol of love and loyalty of Mong men and women. It is also a cake that represents the Moon and the Sun. It is the origin of man and all things on the earth.

Breaking thick rice cakes at the Gau Tao Festival in Pa Co

The thick cake of the Mong people is made very elaborately, the main ingredient is upland glutinous rice, which is a type of rice grown at an altitude of 700-1000m, very fragrant and flexible. When you have chosen the rice you like, wash the rice thoroughly and soak it in warm water for about 12 hours, then take it out and let it drain before putting it in a pot to store sticky rice. When the sticky rice is cooked, it is poured into the mortar and pounded to a fine powder. Grinding banh Day is a arduous job and requires a lot of strength and technique. Therefore, the participants in pounding cakes are usually strong, healthy men and young men. Each time two people, when they are tired, they will transfer to two other people to take turns pounding. The more carefully pounded, the more flexible, delicious and long-lasting the cake will be. The sticky rice is pounded until it is soft and smooth, then it is done.

When the sticky rice is finished pounding, it is time for the grandmothers and sisters to skillfully mold it into lovely, round cakes like the Moon and the Sun as the legend leaves.

Every time the Mong village is on the occasion of festivals and Tet, visitors are always eager to enjoy the thick cake here, the cake is fried and puffed up to eat when it's hot, it's really delicious, the taste is very fragrant, crispy and flexible. Cake is not only a treat for guests but also as a gift for guests visiting the house. Tourists can put cakes in meals, or can also participate in pounding cakes, making cakes, to better understand the cuisine of the Mong people here.

Local people sell Day cake for visitors in the festival