The 2018 “Cold Food Festival” brought a new and exciting experience to the children and staff of our community-based Children’s Home with the uniquely colored TROI cakes. Vietnamese children look forward to eating cold TROI cakes on the third day of the third month on the lunar calendar every year.
The special cakes were made in five colors representing the five basic elements, metal, wood, water, fire and earth, according to Eastern philosophy. These elements are connected to one another and describe the cycles of nature.
The cakes featured beautiful and attractive natural colors. Sticky rice flour is naturally white. The remaining colors, red, yellow, green and purple, are made by mixing with liquid from leaves or bulbs.
The cake’s round shape symbolizes the sky we live under. The sugar cube inside is symbolic of the earth we live on. The round shape of the cake also means hope, unity and prosperity. The excitement on the children’s faces could not be hidden, especially for those children who were just admitted to Children’s Home at the end of last year.
Uncle THUYET taught me how to shape the cakes. Now, see!? I can make the cakes with a round shape too.
I have never seen TROI cakes with so many colors like this. It’s so nice and delicious.
I’m so happy. This is the first time I made TROI cakes. When I lived with my father, he never made or bought cakes for me.
