Southern Folk Cake Festival: Witnessing a Giant 1.6-ton Banh Chung

On April 6, 2025, at Binh Thuy Square (Can Tho City), approximately 2,000 visitors had the opportunity to witness and sample a giant Banh Chung during the 12th Southern Folk Cake Festival. The cake featured impressive dimensions of 1.9m x 1.9m, a thickness of 0.8m, and a total weight of 1.6 tons.

This culinary project was sponsored by the Song Hau Farm Ecotourism Site and Khanh Linh Restaurant, with an estimated execution cost of 150 million VND. Many attendees, such as Ms. Doan Thi Xuan (Tra An Ward), expressed admiration for the skillful techniques used, noting that such a large cake still managed to achieve even cooking, glutinous texture, and rich flavor.

Distinct from traditional Northern methods, chefs in Can Tho introduced subtle variations to suit Southern palates. Mr. Tran Minh Cuong, Standing Vice Chairman of the Can Tho Professional Chefs Association, explained that the team cleverly incorporated coconut milk and sugar into the glutinous rice, creating a unique cross-regional flavor profile while retaining the traditional essence of the dong leaves.

To create this masterpiece, over 30 chefs meticulously prepared key ingredients including 600kg of glutinous rice, 235kg of mung beans, and over 215kg of pork belly. The wrapping process required 1,800 dong leaves, strings sourced from the North, and 1,000 banana leaves. Before attempting the giant version, the team successfully tested a 300kg version to ensure consistent quality.

The cake serves not only as a symbol of cultural culinary exchange between regions but also as a testament to the creativity of Southern artisans. The cake was cooked using a steam boiler within a reinforced wooden frame to ensure stability and uniform cooking throughout, providing a delightful experience for festival visitors.