Nep cai hoa vang (Hoa vang glutinous rice), Cat Que molasses syrup, fresh thorn leaves, coconut meat, pork fat, sugar, sesame, peanut and coconut leaves are all the ingredients that make this wonderful treat. Glutinous rice is soaked in 2 hours, finely brayed in mortar and carefully sieved until it becomes a smooth dough. Thorn leaves are removed fibers, boiled and repeatedly squeezed to deodorize pungent smell, finally put into the mortar and thoroughly brayed with glutinous flour. We add molasses syrup, and bray the mixture until we get cloggy, velvety black dough. This stage is such a challenging one that requires absolute delicacy and elaboration of the makers. Each batch of dough is continually brayed by three or five people during three hours. Making filling also requires many details. Pork fat is cubed and seasoned with sugar. Mung beans is flayed and steamed. We choose old coconuts to make the filling, scrape the black skin then grate the coconut meat into thin strips. Grated coconut is mixed with sugar, mung bean, pork fat and some sweetened squash, or sweetened lotus seed. We divide filling and dough into evenly small balls, stuff one filling into each dough ball, coat the cake with a little fat liquid to keep it tender and glossy, and finally sprinkle some roasted sesame on the top.  The cake is wrapped in dried banana cake before being put into the mould - a coconut leaf square box. Gai cake after that is cooked in a steamer. The cooked cakes have a beautiful light brown color. The cakes are let cool down, then tied each five ones by red bamboo strips. Openning the coconut leaf box, tear down the dried banana leaf layer, we can discover the aromatic glossy black cake inside. Gai cake is sticky, sweet and buttery thanks to mung bean and coconut.

Gai cake – the tasty simple gift of countryside is also sold in an excessively rustic way. It is often arranged in shoulder hangers, following the hawkers to every corner of Hanoi streets.

                                                        Source: Hanoi’s cuisine - Hanoi City Tourism Department