Banh It La Gai (Glutinous rice cake dyed black in a concoction of leaves) is the specialty of Binh Dinh. Afterwards, the way to make spreads throughout the central coastal region. Glutinous rice cake dyed black in a concoction of leaves in Binh Dinh is famous for delicious flavor. When going on holiday or visiting relatives, Binh Dinh people usually do, or buy a few dozen cakes eating on the way, or to present or for gift. Whether for five or six days later, the cake is still delicious.
Especially in the New Year day, mong mot, full moon, Tet Doan Ngo (5-5) of Binh Dinh people, and Quang Ngai, Quang Nam and Phu Yen … are doing, or buy three or four dozen Banh It La Gai to worship their ancestors.
Grandparent often told their children: “” Binh Dinh girls do not know how to make Binh Dinh Banh It La Gai cannot become daughter in – law can “.” To make a cake, it must be wonderful, hard along with ingenuity, maturity. Raw materials must be five things: pinnate leaf, sticky rice, sugar, beans and banana leaves. Banana leaves boiled done, putting into mortar to wipe finely. Glutinous rice grinded, mill flavor. Sugar is cook very strong. Three of materials are mixed, stuffed evenly, and divided into pieces. Green beans treated shell, steamed, grinded finely, and made round for patching. Patching with some pieces of waxy pumpkin cut into tiny cubes, banana leaves drying flame to pack cakes. Putting cakes into a pot to steam done. Let cool, peel the banana leaves when eating, the cake reveals a black, shiny. Enjoying a piece of cake shows the characteristic aroma, pureness of pinnate leaves, glutinous rice, sugar, green bean blended. In Binh Dinh, cakes are often simulated the shape of the temple roof.
Banh It La Gai is popular cake that is sweet, moreish, charming. Every memory of Binh Dinh coconut area, the person who is far away native land, would remember the sweet aroma of banh la it gai.
