Tourists make cakes together with artisan Bay Muon at the Con Son community tourism complex in Binh Thuy district, Can Tho city. (Photo: VOV)

Since the Con Son community tourism complex opened in Binh Thuy district, tourists have been treated to various kinds of traditional southern cakes such as sweet-wet cakes, jackfruit-leave cakes, and bride-groom cakes. They can try making cakes with artisan chefs.

Artisan Bay Muon said all the cakes are handmade, using natural ingredients. The tools they bring to the festival, such as flour mills and cake molds, have been passed down from their ancestors. Bay Muon and other chefs instruct visitors to grind and mix flour to make different kinds of cakes.

Dao Thi Ha, a tourist from Nghe An province said: “This is the first time I visited Con Son and made local pancakes. It’s a fantastic experience. I hope my friends and relatives can come here one day to experience the southwestern culture.”

Steamed-rolls made of rice flour, is a popular cake house in in Phong Dien district, Can Tho city. What surprises visitors is their meticulous shaping of every piece of hammock-shaped cake. They find it interesting and enjoy their wonderful taste.

Nguyen Van Quang, a tourist from Hanoi, said: “When I finished making the cakes, I felt very happy. I did not make any kind of cake before. The makers are clever with their hands. It’s interesting to watch them work.”

Guests take a photo with cakes at AZ Cakes House in Ninh Kieu district. Photo: VOV)

Can Tho’s tourism map has just added a place called AZ Cakes, where customers can enjoy a buffet of cakes. Located in Tran Vinh Kiet road, Ninh Kieu district, its young owners have offered 20 types of traditional cakes to attract customers.

The cakes are colored with natural ingredients such as deep blue from butterfly pea flower, red from cochinchin gourd, and purple from magenta plant. The bakers at AZ Cakes say that joining the 9th Southern Traditional Cake Festival is a pride and responsibility of young people to restore and promote traditional cuisine. Age-old cake villages have collaborated with travel companies to build tours to craft villages, orchards, and eco-tourism sites.

Huynh Thi My owns an ecological farm and a cake house in Nhon  Ai commune, says: “We suspended business during the pandemic and have reopened it recently. Making cake is a rather hard work because we do everything manually. A few people want to follow the trade. I love this traditional craft and want to preserve it. Visitors are welcome for sightseeing and buying cakes.”

The Southern Traditional Cake Festival featured 200 shops selling traditional and modern cakes and products from the “One Commune, One Product” program. Senior artisan chefs and young bakers have been promoting the culinary values of the southern region and Can Tho city.