The special “Pau Po Cu” Corn Cake is usually made in the 4th and 5th months of the year (according to the Lunar Calendar) in Lao Cai.
The main ingredient of this cake is corn powder. When the corn still has a milky taste, it is cut up, put into a special machine called a “Bie Zu” (Bie means machine, Zu means to grind) and grinded without water.
When the grinding process is finished, we add water into the powder to make the mixture even stickier. Next, the chef must put small pieces of the mixture onto banana leaves before frying them in a boiling pan. The cooked cakes are then wrapped in banana leaves.
The taste of the final product is indescribably delicious. When eating, you can sense the smell of banana and the taste of corn, as well as the soft and sticky texture of each bite.
“Pau Po Cu” Corn Cake is usually served as a snack, but it can also accompany the villagers to the rice field as a snack to ease their hunger. People usually eat it by hand, without using a plate or bowl. A well-cooked Corn Cake can last for up to two days.