Discover the art of wrapping square, neat, and evenly packed Chung cakes

Chung cake is a familiar dish during Tet, and knowing how to wrap it with a traditional mold is essential for Tet 2024. Check out this article from Team PasGo on making Chung cakes with a simple mold. No experience required, yet it produces beautiful and tidy square cakes.

1. Prepare the ingredients for making Chung cakes with a mold

To execute the simple method of wrapping Chung cakes with a mold, prepare the following ingredients for making Chung cakes:   

• Sticky rice: 4kg
  
• Mung beans: 1kg
  
• Pork belly: 1kg
  
• Phrynium leaves: 40 ~ 50 leaves
  
• Raffia string: 2 bunches
  
• Seasonings: salt, pepper
  
• Tools: Chung cake mold 
  

Prepare the ingredients for making Chung cakes with a mold

2. Prepare the ingredients for making Chung cakes

The next step in wrapping Chung cakes with a mold is to prepare the ingredients for making Chung cakes.

Prepare the ingredients for Chung cake making

Soaking rice for Chung cake wrapping

Select sticky rice, removing any impurities. Soak it in water for 6 - 8 hours or overnight. Then, rinse and knead the rice with a pinch of salt.

Rice soaking method for Chung cake wrapping

Mung beans

Soak mung beans in cold water for about 2 hours. Clean the beans, then steam them with a pinch of salt until cooked. Afterward, mash the beans with salt, forming small hand-sized portions.

Processing mung beans

Wrap the Chung cake with leaves

You can use Phrynium or banana leaves to wrap Chung cakes, typically Phrynium leaves.
Clean both sides of the Phrynium leaves and pat them dry with a cloth. Then, use a knife to cut along the leaf's central vein.

Wrapping leaves for Chung cakes

Meat for wrapping Chung cakes

Clean the meat with salt. Cut the meat for wrapping Chung cakes into pieces about 5 - 6cm long and 1 - 2cm thick. Marinate the meat with pepper and salt.

Meat for Chung cake wrapping

Raffia string for Chung cake wrapping 

The raffia string for wrapping Chung cakes is split from riverbank bamboo, thin, soft, and elastic.
Note: If you want visually appealing green Chung cakes, you can crush banana leaves and mix them with sticky rice.

Method for wrapping square, beautiful Chung cakes: mix rice with crushed banana leaf water

3. Method for wrapping beautifully square Chung cakes with a mold

To achieve the neatest square Chung cakes for the upcoming Tet 2024, follow this method of wrapping Chung cakes with a mold:

Step 1: Place 2 Phrynium leaves with the green side down, half of one leaf covering the other half and vice versa. Then, place 2 right-side-up leaves, forming a right angle with the bottom leaf. Put the small Chung cake mold in the center of the topmost leaf.

Arranging the leaves for Chung cake wrapping

Step 2: Fold the leaves tightly around the edge of the mold to create a square shape. Then, expand the larger mold outward, lift out the smaller mold, and unfold the Phrynium leaves.

Folding the leaves for Chung cake wrapping

Step 3: Place a bowl of sticky rice into the mold and spread it evenly. Next, add a handful of mung beans, followed by a piece of pork, another handful of mung beans, and top it with another bowl of sticky rice, all evenly spread. Fold the two inner leaves first, then the two outer leaves, folding the excess leaves neatly and tightly. Skillfully fold along the mold's natural lines to create the cake. Press down on the excess leaves with one hand while gently lifting the Chung cake mold with the other hand.

Creating delicious Chung cake filling

Step 4: Use raffia string to securely tie the cake. It's best to use 4 strings, tying them in two pairs parallel to each other for a more aesthetically pleasing look. Note: Tie loosely to prevent the cake from breaking during boiling.

Using raffia string to securely tie the cake

4. Finished product of wrapping Chung cakes with a mold

Now you've learned the incredibly simple method of wrapping Chung cakes with a mold. The result is beautifully square and evenly packed Chung cakes, truly delightful.

 Finished product of wrapping Chung cakes with a mold

5. Tips when applying the method of wrapping Chung cakes with a mold

Below are some tips when applying the method of wrapping beautiful square Chung cakes at home

• No need to soak the rice too long, as it can make the cake mushy and prone to sourness.
  
• You can use raw mung beans soaked until soft for wrapping without the need for steaming.
  
• Avoid adding too much onion to the pork, as it can lead to sourness if the cake is stored for too long.
  
• Do not wrap the cake too tightly, as during the boiling process, the cake may expand and burst.
  
• Ensure that the cake is tightly wrapped, preventing water from seeping inside during cooking.
  

6. Method for boiling non-sticky green Chung cakes 

To achieve fragrant and delicious Chung cakes, completing the beautiful traditional square wrapping method is not enough; you also need to know how to boil them. 
So, how do you boil Chung cakes to make them chewy and flavorful without the rice sticking? Check out the article below from Team PasGo for guidance.

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Compiled by Ngoc Hoa - Team PasGo