Ear Cake

In the past, the people in Phu Tho referred to Ear Cake as Hon Cake, a tasty food that is served every day. Do not freak out, the name of this cake has nothing to do with human ears or any animal ear! Ear Cake has that name because it has the shape of an ear, and that is all! It is made from rice, with pork stuffing. Even though the recipe looks pretty easy, not everyone can make this wonderful cake.
Photo: tintuc.vn

The first step, and also the most important one that defines the quality of the cake, is to choose the right type of rice which is soft and sticky at the same time. The rice is washed and soaked in water from 2 hours to half a day, before we can grind it and make the dough. We knead the dough again and again until it reaches the desired degree of softness. Then, we can start cutting the dough into small pieces and form the shape of each.

People who are used to making this dish usually do this step so easily, making 10 identical pieces at a time. When we are done kneading, we put the cakes in the steamer. After only 30 minutes to 1 hour, we will eventually have the delicious Ear Cakes, each of which has the shape of an ear, with a pork stuffing.

The best way to savor Ear Cake is to eat it right away when it is still warm. Holding it in your hands and eat it slowly, you will find the taste of Ear Cake irresistible: it is soft, crunchy, buttery, sweet and fragrant at the same time!