Buzz
To correctly answer this question, you need both a rich vocabulary in Vietnamese and knowledge of regional culture.
In episode 35, season 2 of the show Quick as Lightning, MC Truong Giang presented a crossword puzzle question as follows:
'What dessert is freezing cold?'
This concise puzzle immediately stumped the contestant - Miss Universe Vietnam, supermodel Mau Thuy, who couldn't come up with an answer and simply guessed 'Rice Cracker'. Other contestants were also clueless, not understanding what dessert the show was referring to. Even when MC Truong Giang revealed the answer, the contestants remained bewildered, not fully comprehending. In reality, this question not only puzzles linguistically but also tests knowledge, requiring players to be familiar with the culinary culture of the region in order to answer correctly.
The dessert mentioned here is 'COLD CAKE'. In terms of the crossword, 'cold' as an adjective means 'numb from cold'. For example, we often say: 'It's so cold, my hands are numb'. Regarding culinary culture, 'cold cake' or 'cống cake' is one of the famous dishes originating from the Khmer people in the southern province of Soc Trang.
However, many believe that cold cake originated from China, as some Chaozhou immigrants brought it and passed it on to the Khmer people with the names 'sennen' or 'sai cake'. During cultural exchange, the characteristics of the cake slightly changed.
The main ingredients for making cold cake are flour, green beans, and shrimp. The cake batter consists of 3 parts rice, 1 part glutinous rice soaked and then finely ground. After grinding the rice and glutinous rice, one adds ⅓ of good quality wheat flour, then adds water, chopped spring onions or coriander, and spices such as sugar, a small amount of salt, etc. Especially, the mixture for cold cake batter is not as liquid as pancake batter.
Authentic Soc Trang cold cakes will have a slightly dark yellow color, a fragrant smell, and be extremely appealing. The cakes are not too large, and on the surface of the cake, there is a shrimp curled up.
