At this year's SFCF, Ms. Dong Tat Lien brought the signature cake from Trang Dinh province (Lang Son), called "banh khao". This is a traditional cake of the Tay and Nung ethnic groups that is usually served during the Lunar New Year. Ms. Dong Tat Lien said, "I have been making cakes since I was 14 years old, learning from my grandmother and mother. The characteristic feature of banh khao is the ingredient, which must be Ong Vang sticky rice - a specialty of Trang Dinh - in order to make the cake fragrant and delicious". Ong Vang sticky rice is an ancient type of sticky rice of the Nung people, which is pliable and aromatic. Making banh khao is very meticulous, the sticky rice is roasted, crushed, then fermented for 15-20 days before being mixed with sugar and molded. The filling inside of the cake is made with sesame, giving the cake a unique aroma.

Another equally appealing cake from Lang Son introduced at the festival is "banh ngai". This is a traditional cake of the Tay ethnic group that is often used during festivals and the Lunar New Year. The cake is made with the meticulous use of Mugwort leaves, a medicinal plant in folklore that regulates blood circulation and treats colds and flu. Mugwort leaves, after being picked, undergo many processing steps such as being crushed to remove bitterness. The secret to making delicious cakes, as shared by artisans in Lang Son, is to mix the leaves with glutinous rice for two hours. The resulting mixture will be both pliable and smooth. The filling inside of the cake is made with crushed black sesame. The cake has a fresh green color from the Mugwort leaves, and is not only delicious but also has a medicinal taste.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Lam comes from Dao Xa village, one of the 44 famous original “quan ho” villages of Bac Ninh, and introduces the very distinctive "banh cap" the quan ho village. Banh cap is a bright yellow cake with very beautiful cake lines, resembling a conical hat with very delicate thread lines. This is a traditional cake that often appears at the banquet of the quan ho people, used to treat their guests and express the hospitality of the quan ho people. According to Ms. Nguyen Thi Lam, "I was taught quan ho and how to make banh cap by my grandmother and mother. The characteristic of this type of cake is the combination of many natural ingredients, such as Nep Cai Hoa Vang glutinous rice, gardenia seeds, and vong vang tree resin. This type of cake can only be found in Dao Xa village."

Ms. Nguyen Thi Lam with the typical cake of Dao Xa village, Bac Ninh.

Ms. Lam shared that glutinous rice, after being soaked, is crushed with a mortar and pestle and then roasted (7 mature and 3 immature). This ingredient is then mixed with the color of gardenia seeds and vong vang tree resin. The gardenia seeds give the cake its yellow color, while the vong vang resin is both binder and expander. Therefore, the cake is cut into very beautiful and non-sticky strands, and the cake name "banh cap" originated from the use of a tree twig to cut the rice cake strands.

Next to a blazing wood stove, ms. Rofi Ah, from Tan Chau, An Giang, is carefully pouring each line of flour. At the festival, ms. Rofi Ah brings a very characteristic cake of the Cham people called Namparang. Ms. Rofi Ah explains, "This is a type of cake that is part of the daily life of the Cham people, so I want to introduce it to everyone. This cake must be made in a traditional way, using wheat flour and palm sugar - which are characteristic of An Giang. The important step in making the cake is the baking technique and it usually requires a wood stove or charcoal stove."

At the cake festival, many of the culinary arts of the different ethnic groups are preserved and innovated by the artisans, creating many attractive and creative cakes that are also good for health. After four generations dedicated to the baking profession, Mr. Dinh Van Khang and his granddaughter, Tran Huong Tra, from Vinh Long, still keep the traditional baking craft. This year at the festival, the two of them brought cakes that are very meaningful, namely: "Thuyen Duyen" (Love Boat) and "Loan Phung" (Phoenix). According to Mr. Dinh Van Khang, "Thuyen Duyen" is a type of cake that his family recently innovated. This type of cake is associated with the customs of the Chinese, who traditionally offer peanut candy to guests during the Lunar New Year to bring happiness. "Thuyen Duyen" has an innovation when using brown rice and cereal grains as fillings placed on the boat-shaped shell, both graceful and meaningful: the beginning of the year is full because there is a boat containing rice and cereal.

Meanwhile, Ms. Vo Thi Duc, from Thot Not, Can Tho, has devoted a lot of time and effort to researching and applying purple sweet potatoes in the production of various types of cakes. Banh tet, banh it, and rose cake made from purple sweet potatoes have made a strong impression due to the familiar ingredients, which are close to the daily life of people in the Southern region. Ms. Vo Thi Duc stated, "With purple sweet potatoes, purple rice, etc., banh tet becomes more special because it only takes about 2-2.5 hours to cook, instead of more than 6 hours as in the traditional method. The cakes are evenly cooked, soft, and delicious."

Ms. Vo Thi Duc with cakes made from purple sweet potatoes.

Another representative from Can Tho, Ms. Phan Thi Kim Loi in Binh Thuy, brought the festival a special type of cake from her family, called 5 colors and 5 flavors banh in. Ms. Phan Thi Kim Loi shared, "This is a traditional cake in our family that has been passed down from the previous generations, and I am the third generation to continue this cake-making tradition. However, instead of traditional colors and flavors, I have made some variations to make the banh in more attractive. I use natural colors from leaves and fruits around our house. In addition to traditional fillings like coconut and green beans, my bánh in also has red beans, pineapple, and black sesame. Not only domestic tourists but also many international tourists have placed orders for my banh in."

The SFCF is considered a place where culinary arts converge, as few festivals bring together artisans from all over the country like this one. But perhaps the most precious thing is that through each festival, many types of traditional cakes are preserved, even innovated to create a new look and place for traditional cakes, forming a unique brand with the cultural identity of the nation.