Southern folk cake festival - a sweet time to visit Can Tho

The theme of the Southern Folk Cake Festival 2019 this year is "Southern Fragrance". It will take place from April 12 to 16 at 108A Le Loi Street, Cai Khe Commune, Ninh Kieu District, 150km south of Ho Chi Minh City.

A representative of the organizing committee, Tang Quang Anh, said there would be three new features this year: a demonstration area recreating the old southern cultural space with traditional baking tools such as mills, molds, and street vendors; a rural-style tea and traditional drink booth serving some 10 types of traditional teas; and a southern female traditional attire show showcasing 100 sets of "ba ba" gowns used over the years.

Organizers have joined hands with tourist areas in Can Tho's Phong Dien District to coax visitors to take in the cultural attractions of the region. In the future, it will expand to other southern provinces to create new tours.

Besides folk cakes of Vietnam's southern region, the eighth annual festival will also showcase traditional cakes from the rest of the country.

There will be more than 200 booths also displaying elements of folk cuisine and baking.

According to a traditional baker, Truong Thi Trieu, cakes of the Mekong Delta region are characterized by their variety, colors, and flavors. Mekong Delta is part of Vietnam's southern region.

"Cakes in the northern and central regions are not as diverse as in the south. One of the most noticeable features of the southern folk cake is that coconut water is an ingredient."

The cakes get their color from plants, not artificial substances.

In 2018 the Southern Folk Cake Festival attracted 500,000 Vietnamese and foreign visitors and earned revenues of VND250 billion ($10.8 million).

Reference: Vnexpress International