HAU GIANG – Thieu’s silkworm cake shop without a sign is one of the most crowded breakfast stalls in Vi Thanh market, dating back to when her mother-in-law was young.
The market “crouching” near the foot of Cai Nhuc bridge in ward 1, Vi Thanh city is famous for selling many cheap local agricultural products, next to the market is a series of restaurants and perennial cafes. Finding breakfast in the market is not difficult, all kinds of rice ribs, bread, vermicelli, noodle soup, salty sticky rice… for diners to choose from.
Thieu’s silkworm cake shop (38 years old) is one of the most popular goods, dating from the time of her mother-in-law, more than 30 years now. Every morning at 5 o’clock, Ms. Thieu cleans the goods at Vi Thanh market, the corner of the table is simply arranged with a bowl of silkworm cakes, a tray of pork, a tray of char siu, a basket of vegetables, peanut glue, a jar of fresh chili and plate.
According to her mother-in-law’s profession, Ms. Thieu does not worry about home-made silkworm cakes “touching” with other shops, thanks to her own recipe and different way of making. She revealed that the stalk of her house silkworm cake is small, long, and soft, and when eaten, it does not become dry thanks to steaming close to the sale time.
“Wheat cake is made of rice flour, I wake up at 3 am to steam the cake, at 5 am I bring it to the market, not steam it from the day before,” Ms. Thieu said. This is also the secret passed down from her mother-in-law. Besides, the cakes at the shop are divided into two types: sweet cakes mixed with cane sugar and white cakes made from rice flour, without flavoring.
The plate of silkworm cake is 15,000 VND with thin slices of lean pork, drained pickles, raw bean sprouts and tangled herbs. In particular, each portion adds round pork char siu with minced cassava roots, cooked thickly. The char siu is soft from the meat, crispy from the cassava, and the sweetness blends in. The sauce of the char siu is also sprinkled with the cake so that it does not dry out and tastes better.
Uncle Thanh (50 years old) visits this silkworm cake shop every day to buy 3 takeaways. This diner said that Vi Thanh City has many delicious grilled silkworm cake shops, but eating a lot is easy to get bored. “This shop sells popular food, cooked without fuss, so it’s delicious. I’ve been eating silkworm cakes since her mother-in-law sold them until now,” he said.
And Dinh Anh (20 years old) is impressed with the price of the food at the restaurant: “Normally, I buy a box of sweet silkworm cakes from 15,000 to 20,000 VND to eat all morning, cheap but quality food”.
Ms. Thieu said that shops in rural areas should give priority to selling at affordable prices: “Every day I steam about four cents of cakes, on Saturdays and Sundays it’s about six or seven cents. My cakes are also bought by other people. resell in large quantities, they buy the box they have prepared or just buy the cake and then make the side dishes themselves,” she said. On a crowded day, the shop sells until about 9 am, the cake is sold out.
The small shop has low tables and chairs, only enough space for about six or seven people, so customers often buy take-away or order delivery. Due to limited space, the restaurant is not suitable for diners traveling in large groups. Guests can park their car in front of the shop but there is no one to look after, so they have to take care of their property and personal belongings. Follow vnexpress