Steamed corn cake of the K'Ho (photo: Lo Mu K’Yen/VOV-Central Highlands)

In the past, K’Ho women made steamed corn cake simply to diversify their family meals. Today, it is a popular product, earning extra income for many households. The family of Mrs. Liêng Hót Ka Hiên in Tân Hội commune has a long tradition of making cakes, with their corn cake becoming a well-known “brand” in the region. As she grew older, Mrs. Ka Hiên has passed down her recipe to her siblings.

Her niece, Liêng Hót Zi Jăk, has continued to develop the family’s trade of making corn cake. “The taste and quality of the cake depend on the corn variety. The most delicious ones are made from yellow sticky corn that we grow on our land. The corn must be harvested at the right stage, so the cake won’t turn mushy or dry, but will be perfectly chewy.”

Almost every K’Ho woman can make corn cakes. Now they mostly use white sticky corn, which is more glutinous, higher-yielding, and having a shorter harvest time compared to the yellow sticky corn. Corns are harvested in the early morning and processed right away to preserve its best natural aroma. Even the husks are used as wrapping.

The corn kernels are grounded and mixed with a little sugar and milk. (photo: Lo Mu K’Yen/VOV-Central Highlands)

Zi Jăk said: “After picking, the corn is husked. The corn kernels are grounded and mixed with a little sugar and milk. If you add too much, the natural sweetness of the corn is lost. The mixture is wrapped in corn husks and steamed for about two hours until fully cooked.”

For many busy people, they prefer to buy corn cakes rather than make them themselves. Corn cakes are now widely sold among the locals and on social platforms for remote customers.

Lieng Hot Rebeca, the eldest daughter of Mrs. Ka Hien, inherits the family’s corn cake craft: “Even though I’m busy, I still make the cakes for my family and sell them to our neighbors for some extra income. Most importantly, I want to preserve and pass on the craft of our group.”

Lieng Hot Rebeca inherits the family’s corn cake craft. (photo: Lo Mu K’Yen/VOV-Central Highlands)

Lơ Mu Liviơ is regular buyer of corn cakes. “Corn cake is a specialty of our ethnic group, and everyone can make it. But in my village, only Rebeca’s family makes steamed corn cake to sell. Their cakes are tasty and hygienic. I’m glad that our village has a family that continues and preserves this traditional craft. I truly admire K’Ho women who are dynamic, creative, and devoted to promoting our traditions.”

Steamed corn cakes made by generations of Mrs. Ka Hien’s family are sold in many localities outside Lam Dong province. What makes her proud the most is that her siblings have continued to make and popularize the cakes of the K’Ho people.