PÍA CAKE IN SOC TRANG PROVINCE
Pia cake was brought to Vietnam by some Minh Huong people who immigrated in the 17th century. In the past, making pia cakes was done entirely by hand and served the needs of households.
The most famous pia cake-making village in Soc Trang is concentrated in Vung Thom, originating from Chinese households making cakes to eat or to sell to local people in the area. One of the first and most successful pia bakeries at that time was Cong Lap Thanh's pia bakery, owned by Mr. Au Minh Xuong, who is considered one of the ancestors of the pizza industry.
Currently, in Soc Trang, there are about 50 large and small bakeries. Although it is the same production of pia cakes, each oven will have its own secret to create its own unique flavor. But in general, the materials and the process are almost the same.
Cake ingredients only have flour, green beans to make the filling. Today, due to the needs of the market, the filling of pia cakes is more diverse, with more taro, durian, salted eggs, lotus seeds, char siu, pandan leaves,...
The baking process includes: making the crust, making the filling, baking, and packaging the product.
Making pie crust
Previously, the steps such as mixing flour and kneading dough had to be done by hand, but now, because there are supporting machines, these stages will be performed by machine lines. The shell of pia cake has two layers, made from oil powder, also known as gut flour and shell powder. The intestinal flour is made from tapioca starch and wheat flour, these two flours will be mixed together into a mixture, then this mixture will be mixed with cooking oil and water and then the kneading process begins. As for the shell powder, which is composed of flour, sugar, and cooking oil, the worker will mix the ingredients and add water and then knead the dough into a soft mass, it should be noted that the shell powder must not be mushy. The crust will be thin and on the outside of the cake, especially since this crust does not stick to the inner layer of flour.
Cake filling
Traditional pia cake will have green bean paste with fat and salted egg. Green beans for filling are shellless beans, beans are soaked overnight and then cooked, then pureed, and then mixed with sugar to create sweetness to make the filling. The fat to make the pie filling will usually be the best parts of the pig, such as the fat in the buttocks and thighs of the pig. The final ingredient, covered with mung bean paste and fat, is salted duck egg yolk. Vegetarian pia cakes usually use only bean and sweet fillings, not fat and salted eggs.
Package of cake
After we have prepared all the ingredients for the crust and the filling, we will begin to shape the cake. The dough is broken into equal parts and then rolled, this stage requires the ingenuity and meticulousness of the craftsman. Depending on the amount of filling, we need to get the right amount of dough to avoid the crust being too thick or too thin. The filling is also divided into parts just enough for the crust and then placed in the middle of the dough to make the crust. The crust with the filling will be grabbed and squeezed to seal the eyelids, then pressed slightly flat. Today, the process of dividing the crust and filling is often done by machines because they are more precise than traditional manual work. Finally, the cake stamping part, in the past, the baker would use a wooden seal, the red surface of the seal was made with food coloring and stamped on the cake to create a sign. Spread on the surface of the crust 1 layer made of won fat with egg yolk to create an eye-catching golden color.
Bake
The traditional way of baking will use earthen ovens, the cake will be baked for 7 to 10 minutes and then removed, then spread a mixture of fat and egg yolk on the cake and then bake for another 10 to 15 minutes. minute. Today, people use electric or gas ovens to bake cakes, baking time and baking methods are similar to traditional baking.
Pack
Previously, the shelf life of pia cake was usually from 5 to 7 days, if we wanted the cake to last longer, we would add sugar to the filling. Currently, with a closed production and packaging line along with the addition of a desiccant package into the package, the pia cake has been preserved for 2 to 3 months. Depending on each facility, people will pack packaging with different brands and types of packaging.
Pia cake has become a dish and gift for relatives and friends when we have the opportunity to visit Soc Trang. Once an offering on holidays, pia cake has now become a special gift for friends far away. Pia cake-making villages not only derive from economic benefits for Soc Trang, but they are also a place to preserve and preserve the traditional cultural values of our ancestors.