From the charcoal stoves along the roadside, the sweet aroma of coconut-baked cassava cake spreads like a gentle invitation, holding back passersby. That rustic gift associated with childhood memories has become rare in the hustle and bustle in the city centre. Now, let’s reminisce about the rustic flavour of coconut-baked cassava cakes.

Grilled cassava cake with coconut milk at Ngoc Quy Food, 27/46 Ly Thai To, Thac Gian Ward, Thanh Khe District, Da Nang. Photo: VIET AN

Coconut-baked cassava cake is simple but contains sophistication in every step of processing. The main ingredients include only rustic gifts such as fresh cassava, shredded coconut, coconut milk, roasted sesame, tapioca starch, sugar and condensed milk... but when combined together, they create a unique, unforgettable flavour.

Fresh cassava, after being peeled and washed, is steamed until being soft and sticky, then mashed very finely, mixed with rich coconut milk, the sweetness of sugar, a little tapioca starch to create adhesion and fragrant crispy coconut strands.

This mixture is kneaded thoroughly, shaped into flat round cakes, then gently brushed with a layer of cooking oil on the surface so that when baked, it does not dry out or crack. On the glowing charcoal stove, each cake slowly turns golden brown, giving off a sweet, seductive aroma.

The seller must skillfully turn the cake continuously, keeping track of the right time so that the outer layer is crispy but not burnt, while the inside remains soft and chewy.

When eating, diners will clearly feel the perfect blend of the sweet taste of cassava, the richness of coconut milk and the fragrant aroma of roasted sesame. All create a flavour that is both rustic and simple, yet captivating, recalling memories of the home fireside in the childhood.

Nowadays, coconut-baked cassava cakes are gradually becoming rare in the modern pace of life, it is no longer easy to encounter the sweet aroma of freshly baked batches of cakes on every street corner. But somewhere in the heart of Da Nang, roadside grilled sweet potato carts still quietly retain the familiar flavour, selling this rustic cake as a nostalgic touch.

To meet the needs of those who have fallen in love with the taste of their homeland, many shops have been creative by vacuum-packing grilled cassava cakes. Thanks to that, customers can easily buy them and grill them themselves, both preserving the characteristic fatty aroma and enjoying the joy of waiting for the golden, hot cake to come out of the oven.

Some places have also cleverly transformed, adding new ingredients such as pandan leaves and cheese... to enhance the flavour, creating appeal without losing the inherent rusticity of the time-honoured cake.

If you want to enjoy grilled cassava cake with coconut milk in Da Nang, you can visit Ngoc Quy Food at 27/46 Ly Thai To, Thac Gian Ward, Thanh Khe District. Here, there are two options: traditional coconut cassava cake with its original fatty and fragrant taste and pandan coconut cassava cake with its light fragrance.

Reporting by VIET AN - Translating by A.THU