Dan Thi Son, who lives in Phan Hiep commune, Bac Binh district, Binh Thuan province, is an artisan with more than 50 years of experience.

“In the Cham language, ginrong means ‘more’, laya is ‘ginger’, the cake is shaped like a ginger root, and has a ginger flavor," she said.

Photo: Kieu Mai

"This is a type of cake that often appears in festivals of the Cham people, especially Tet Kate. Ginrong Laya is considered an important offering to ancestors with the wish for a happy and prosperous life.” During festivals, the Cham people often make ginrong laya pinned to bamboo sticks, plugged around a wooden or clay pillar decorated with colored papers, and then displayed on the altar with Banh Tet and Banh Gang Tay.

It is not difficult to make ginrong laya, but it requires a lot of skills and care in each step. To process the food, the Cham people use the main ingredients as glutinous rice flour, fresh ginger, eggs, sugar, and a little yeast. The fragrant, nutritious rice is pounded until it becomes powder, then dried. The flour will be mixed with duck eggs and boiling water to achieve a smooth texture. Then, the cook will put the flour in a small mortar and grind it, then pick up small handfuls of dough and start kneading.

Photo: Noron

The baking stage shows the meticulousness and ingenuity of the baker. Ginrong laya is completely handmade, shaped almost like a ginger root in reality. Dan Thi Son said, “Ginger cake must be made by hand, so the baker must be skillful and experienced. Sometimes sharp knives, or small spoons, are used to aid in shaping. Depending on the creativity of each person, the cake will have different shapes. Cakes are created according to the pattern depicting the life of the Cham people or the shape of fish, coral, and other diverse shapes.”

Photo: Kien Thuc

After molding, the cake will be deep-fried in oil. When the cake is golden, it will be dipped directly into the sugar water and ginger juice. Finally, pick each one on a drying tray to dry to increase the hardness. These treats will taste very sweet, crispy, and fragrant from the ginger flavor.

Travelers will also be told the story of Nai Chrao Cho Pho by artisans, a story similar to the story of Hon Vong Phu (The Waiting Rock). It is about a woman waiting patiently for the return of her husband, who went off to war. Every day, the wife would bake the cakes and then throw them down to see, wishing the fish carrying them to her husband, hoping for their sweet reunion.

Photo: Street Food Thao Vy

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