Black Sticky Rice Cake - A Culinary Treasure of the Tay in Bac Ha

Black sticky rice cake is a specialty of the Tay people in Bac Ha District, Lao Cai Province. Its distinctive black color comes from being dyed with charcoal from the nuc nac (Oroxylum indicum) tree, along with other aromatic spices characteristic of the mountainous region. Once a seasonal treat, black sticky rice cake is a must-buy for any tourist visiting this region.

Black sticky rice cake is made from simple ingredients such as sticky rice, pork belly, mung beans, salt, pepper, and nuc nac charcoal. The sticky rice is soaked in water for about six hours, then drained. The nuc naccharcoal is burned, then ground into a fine powder and mixed with water to create a black mixture. The sticky rice is mixed with the nuc nac charcoal mixture until it is evenly black.

Dong leaves are washed and dried. Then, people put sticky rice, pork, mung beans, salt, and pepper into the dong leaves and wrap them into square shapes. The black sticky rice cake is cooked for about 8-10 hours.

The elaborate part of making black sticky rice cake is burning the nuc nac charcoal and sifting the charcoal powder. Before wrapping the cake, people take the nuc nac tree trunk, dry it, and burn it into charcoal. Some families take the still-red nuc nac charcoal and put it into fresh bamboo tubes, waiting for the inside to burn slowly into black charcoal before taking it out, grinding it, and mixing it with the sticky rice to make black sticky rice cake.

The ingredients used to make the cake include several unique elements that carry the distinct flavors of the highlands such as upland sticky rice, cardamom, black pork, mung beans, and most notably, the black color of the cake, which comes from the charcoal of the nuc nac tree found in the forest. 

Nuc nac, a prized herb in Vietnamese medicine, offers various health benefits. Its inclusion in black sticky rice cake adds a unique flavor and provides a cooling effect, making it a delicious and healthy treat.

Cardamom, the "queen of spices," is a crucial ingredient in black sticky rice cake. This fragrant spice not only enhances the cake's flavor but also offers various health benefits, including improved digestion and heart health. To prepare the cake filling, roasted and ground cardamom is added to the rice and meat mixture.

Black sticky rice cakes can be eaten hot or cold. The cake is often dipped in fish sauce or chili sauce. Black sticky rice cake has a delicious and unique flavor. The cake has the chewy taste of sticky rice, the fatty taste of pork, the nutty taste of mung beans, and the slightly spicy taste of pepper.

The powdered charcoal from the nuc nac tree not only gives the cake a uniquely distinctive flavor but also has a cooling effect on the body.

 Once a special treat for holidays and ceremonies, black sticky rice cake has become a popular souvenir in Lao Cai. Its unique flavor and the region's stunning scenery, rich culture, and diverse cuisine have made Lao Cai an amazing tourist destination./.

By Cong Dat/VNP    Translated by Hong Hanh