They have to choose the right type of mung bean, whose seeds are even and of high quality; then steam the bean until it is well cooked, and create coloring liquid from tubers, fruits, and leaves, including beetroots, gingers, gardenia seeds, and pandan leaves, etc. All of these steps are aimed to make sure that the cakes always have eye-catching colors.
Nowadays, although this type of cake has been less common in daily life, some families and bakeries still make them to serve customers, and for important days such as the death anniversary… and, especially on Tet holiday, on the tray of offerings to ancestors. Many Hue families have been keeping this traditional cake.
Thua Thien Hue Weekly would like to introduce some steps of making the fruit-shaped mung bean cakes through a series of photos taken by Truong Vung, a photographer.
Various tubers and leaves are used to create natural colors
Mung bean, the indispensable ingredient
Being meticulous to bring the most brilliant beauty to every cake
Sparkling colors
By Thua Thien Hue Weekly