The opening ceremony was attended by Mr. Nguyen Thuc Hien, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Can Tho City, along with leaders of departments, committees, sectors, associations, the Mekong Delta Tourism Association, and the City Tourism Association. Representatives from districts and towns within the city, as well as artisans from provinces and cities participated in the contest.

The contest runs from April 17th to April 21st, with 36 participating units presenting 57 types of cakes, gathering 125 artisans from Can Tho City and provinces and cities such as Tay Ninh, Dong Nai, Tien Giang, Ho Chi Minh City, Soc Trang, An Giang, Tra Vinh, Vinh Long, Binh Thuan, Bac Lieu, Hau Giang, Thua Thien - Hue, Ben Tre, Kien Giang...

Leaders of Can Tho city presenting insignias to participating units in the contest.

Ms. Dao Thi Thanh Thuy, Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism - Head of the Organizing Committee, presenting flowers of gratitude to the Competition Judging Panel.

According to the regulations of the organizing committee, the preparation and presentation time for the participating cakes is 180 minutes, excluding the time for pre-processing and not including pre-prepared cakes for the competition. The cake ingredients must be clear and ensure food safety and hygiene, using ingredients with a focus on economy and creativity. Traditional cakes should be prepared in an attractive and beautiful form, encouraging the creation of new types of cakes while still reflecting the characteristics of the local region and ethnic group. Award-winning pastry chefs from previous competitions are not participating in this competition. The organizing committee will hold a summary and award ceremony for the competition at 7:00 pm on April 21.

At the competition on the morning of April 17, artisans and bakers showcased their talents through various cakes such as Southern-style square sticky rice cake, coconut leaf cake, savory coconut cake, puffed fried sticky rice, Childhood cake (leaf cake) of the 4.0 era, hammock shaped fine rice vermicelli, pig skin cake... After preparation and decoration, the cakes are displayed in the designated area set by the organizing committee. The judges monitor the cake preparation process of the participating teams and evaluate based on criteria such as quality, decoration, creativity, presentation content, and food safety and preservation regulations.

Artisan Cao Thi Manh is participating with the Southern-style square sticky rice cake and coconut leaf cake.

71-year-old artisan Cao Thi Manh, from Cai Be district, Tien Giang province, shared that she is participating in the competition this year with the Southern-style square sticky rice cake. This cake differs from the Northern-style sticky rice cake in terms of wrapping, size, and ingredients used. The artisan hopes that through the competition and festival, traditional folk cakes will be taught and loved by future generations, thereby further maintaining and developing the culinary cultural heritage.

Artisan Nguyen Thi Bich Duyen is participating with the five colors hammock shaped fine rice vermicelli.

47-year-old artisan Nguyen Thi Bich Duyen, from Can Tho City, shared that she is the third generation in a family with a tradition of making traditional cakes. This year, she is participating with the five colors hammock shaped fine rice vermicelli. The artisan described that the five-color hammock shaped fine rice vermicelliis created by utilizing colors from common vegetables such as white from traditional flour, green from pandan leaves, yellow from fresh turmeric, purple from magenta leaves, and orange from gac fruit. She hopes that through participating in this competition, artisans can exchange, learn more experiences, nurture, and "keep the fire" of passion in making traditional cakes in the Southern region.

The competition is organized to provide opportunities for organizations, individuals, and artisans making traditional cakes to introduce and promote their products to domestic and foreign enterprises, expand the market, and build the Southern region's traditional cake brand into a national brand. At the same time, it is also an opportunity for people from all walks of life to enjoy and participate in cake-making activities, and have the chance to learn about the culinary culture of the Southern region in general and the culinary culture of specific regions.