In Cao Bang province, Cooc mo cake is always present in the daily lives of the local people, from the family kitchen to the highland market, on the ancestral altar during festivals and holidays.
The ingredients for Cooc mo cake are very simple, mainly glutinous ricegrown in the cool climate and mineral-rich soil. Depending on the region,bakers may add peanuts, but the most common is pure white Cooc mo to preservethe delicious flavor of glutinous rice. The Tay people in Ngoc Con commune, nowDinh Phong commune have creatively made Cooc mo cake using glutinous riceflakes and wrapped it in palm leaves.
Making Cooc mo cake is very simple, people roll banana leaves into a funnel shape, putting soaked and washed glutinous rice inside, folding the mouth of the funnel, tying it with bamboo string, and then boiling it for several hours. However, the quality of the rice cake is determined not only by the ingredients but also by the wrapping and cooking techniques. If the string is tied too loosely, the cake will be soggy; if it’s tied too tightly, the glutinous rice won’t rise evenly. The Tay people wrap cakes (traditional rice cakes of the Tay people) using generations of experience, the feel of their hands and the habit of remembering. Cooc mo cakes are wrapped into a pointed, elongated cone shape, with the top tapering like a small horn. That shape reflects how the Tay people observe and incorporate the natural world into their culinary life in a subtle, rustic yet symbolic way. When cooked, the outer layer of leaves darkens, emitting a slightly pungent aroma, while the inside is a smooth, sticky mass of glutinous rice, green in color like chung cakes (traditional Vietnamese rice cake). The cakes are often eaten with honey, molasses, granulated sugar to enhance their sweetness. With one bite, you’ll immediately feel the chewy texture and fragrant aroma of sticky rice blended with the nutty flavor of red peanuts and a hint of sweetness, absolutely delicious…
Cooc mo cakes are made year-round, but they appear most often on important occasions in a person’s life, such as: baby’s first birthday celebration, new rice harvest celebration, traditional Tet holiday. In these rituals, cakes are not simply food but also offerings that symbolize wishes for the health of children, a prosperous family and stronger family ties. In many places, the number of cakes displayed on the tray is carefully calculated by the people, reflecting their concept of abundance and harmony.
In the hustle and bstle of modern life, Cooc mo cake still appears in the Tay people’s families, at the same time presenting at local markets, cultural festivals, and community tourism spaces, where it is highly favored by consumers.
Visitors to Cao Bang province not only seek out Cooc mo cakes to “try them out”, but also to experience a glimpse into the lives of the local people through the experience of making these lovely cakes themselves under the guidance of the local people. Being able to make, eat and watch Tay women skillfully wrapping cakes, listening to the locals tell stories about their customs and traditions and feeling the fragrant aroma of sticky rice wafting through the kitchen smoke… will surely be a memorable cultural experience for every visitor. Therefore, Cooc mo cake is not simply a local delicacy, but has become a gentle bridge between tourism and culture, between tourists and the local people. Despite its small and delicate appearance, the Cooc mo cake encapsulates a wealth of local knowledge, from the people’s understanding of seasons and how to select forest leaves, to community customs that have been preserved and passed down through generations. Today, when young people learn how to wrap dumplings, they are not just learning a recipe, but also learning how to extend the cultural memory of their nation.
Amidst the myriad of new flavors constantly being created to suit themodern pace of life, the simple Cooc mo cake reminds us that some dishes don’tneed to be innovated to survive. They simply need to be placed in theirrightful place in the collective memory, in family life and in the appreciationof those who pass through that land. Cao Bang province captivates tourists withits majestic natural landscapes and its small, horn-shaped cakes, whichsilently preserve the national spirit with their unique character./.
