Buzz
When it comes to Hai Duong's specialties, one immediately thinks of green bean cakes. Through many years, through many ups and downs, through countless changes, Hai Duong's green bean cakes still hold a special place in everyone's heart. They continue to be exchanged as gifts during Tet holidays, remain the choice of every traveler visiting the land of Kinh Mon, are enjoyed as a snack with a cup of green tea, and evoke memories for those far from home.
Golden dragon green bean cakes (Photo: ST)
The significance of the golden dragon on Hai Duong's green bean cakes
According to legend, during one of King Bảo Đại's journeys through Trấn Hải Dương, the people of this land offered him a type of cake made from green beans. The King found it exceptionally delicious and couldn't stop praising its gentle, sweet, and smooth flavor, especially when paired with tea. As a result, upon returning to the palace, King Bảo Đại issued a decree praising Hải Dương's green bean cakes. The cakes were adorned with the image of a “Golden Dragon” – a symbol of royal authority. Henceforth, they became known as “Golden Dragon Green Bean Cakes.”
How to make green bean cakes
The ingredients for making the cake are incredibly familiar and traditional to the countryside, including: green beans, crystalline sugar, lard, and pomelo flower oil. Additionally, depending on the type of cake, other ingredients such as lotus seeds, red beans, etc., may be added. However, to create Hải Dương's specialty green bean cakes, all the ingredients must be meticulously selected and carefully monitored throughout the cooking process to ensure the highest quality product. Even the cake wrapping paper and label colors must be thoughtfully chosen to maintain the cakes' freshness and preserve their beauty.
Ingredients for making green bean cakes (Photo: ST)
Enjoying green bean cakes
Hai Duong's green bean cakes have a sweet, refreshing taste that melts in the mouth instantly, yet enough to allow the eater to savor the sweet, creamy, and delicately fragrant flavor of the cake's pomelo flower and green bean, urging them to continue indulging in more pieces.
To fully appreciate the flavor of the cake, one can also enjoy it with Chinese tea or green tea, relaxing while savoring the sensation of each evenly melting cake piece, deliciously fragrant, creamy, and incredibly refreshing.
Hai Duong's green bean cakes (Photo: ST)
Similar to many other dishes in Hai Duong cuisine, Hai Duong's green bean cake is not only famous as a typical dish of the Kinh Mon land, but also for its delicious aroma, which is simple yet delightful, and because it is closely associated with the countryside, made from homegrown ingredients, under the skillful hands of dedicated artisans. Because of its simplicity, its familiarity, and its closeness, green bean cake has always been a gift from the people here to every visitor as a silent expression of gratitude, or as a contribution to easing the homesickness of those who are far from home.
