In recent days, 'banh kho me' (dried sesame seed cakes) production facilities in Quang Chau Village, Hoa Chau Commune, Hoa Vang District, Da Nang, are operating at the maximum capacity in order to serve the upcoming Tet Festival which falls on January 22.

The smell of roasted sesame, young molasses and dried sesame cakes makes the whole area fragrant in thesse days leading up to the Lunar New Year 2023.

The main ingredients of the cake are rice flour, glutinous rice, roasted sesame, and sugar.

At the beginning of the cake making stages, the makers will mix rice flour with glutinous rice flour, then putting the dough into the mold to shape, steaming and baking them on charcoal fire.

Finally, the cakes are dipped with a layer of cane sugar, and are rolled over roasted sesame or glutinous rice and then packed.

According to locals, the cakes are required to have a crispy porous intestine, and be fragrant with roasted sesame and sticky rice. Also, the inner layer of cane sugar is flexible when breaking the cake.

This type of cakes is often placed on trays of worshiping ancestors by people in Da Nang and Quang Nam Province on the occasion of the death anniversary and Tet.

Mrs. Nguyen Thi Nghia said that she hires 10 seasonal workers make ‘banh kho me’ with the daily income of VND400,000/person. Their working day starts from 2:00am to 2:00pm.

"One month before the Lunar New Year every year, the output we sell increases by about three times on a normal day. On the occasion of Tet, this type of cakes will be sold everywhere in Quang Nam and Quang Ngai provinces, Da Nang, Ha Noi and Ho Chi Minh” Mrs. Nghia added.

Currently, small packages of dried sesame seed cakes cost VND40,000 each, whilst larger ones cost VND70,000 each. As for tourists who buy cakes as gifts, specially wrapped packages of ‘banh kho me’ are offered at the price of VND60,000 each.

In addition to Hoa Vang District’s Hoa Chau Commune, there are now many facilities producing dried sesame dry cakes in Khue Trung Ward and Hoa Tho Dong Ward in Cam Le District.

Sesame is imported from Quang Nam Province

According to Mrs. Nghia, in order to have a delicious dried sesame cake, the baker must concentrate the most at the sesame roasting stage. Because if you do not stir evenly, the sesame will burn, leading to the taste of the cake is not quality.

The sesame roasting stage is the most important step.

Dried sesame seed cakes in the drying stage to prepare for packaging

Mrs. Nghia is seen packing boxes of 'banh kho me' to send to domestic and foreign markets.

Every day, workers make an income of VND400,000 per person

Reporting by CHANH LAM - Translating by M.DUNG