In the past, the cake was a very popular dessert for Tet. After a meal, members of the family often sat together to drink tea and enjoy the cake with the hope of receiving good luck in the New Year. It is believed that the colour red is a symbol of luck and prosperity so the Vietnamese people often made dishes with a red colour or used red decorations to beautify their houses for the New Year.
It is rather difficult to make the cake because it requires many techniques. Only skilled cooks can make it, which has made the cake now less popular. With a great passion for the culinary art of Hanoi, young chef Nguyen Phuong Hai has spent much time and effort looking for recipes of many rare, traditional dishes of Hanoi, including Gac cake.
The ingredients to make the cake include ripe Gac (momordica cochinchinensis), glutinous rice flour, steamed green bean paste, copra threads, lard, sugar coated squash, pomelo flower essence, sugar and vanilla. The ingredients are processed through several steps. However, the most important step is to knead dough into a tomato-shaped cake. Lastly, the cakes are steamed until well done. These cakes are eye-catching with the red colour.
 

Like many other traditional dishes seen on altars during Tet, Gac cake has also helped bring a spring festival atmosphere to every family in Hanoi.