Frog cake as made by Mrs. Com

My friend told me that there are still villages that exist inside the capital, Hanoi, that use nicknames more often than their official names. This name is usually linked to the unique characteristics of the area or what may be the most common occupation of the villagers. Have you ever heard of a village called “cutting off the head and peeling the skin”? I looked at my friend with horror and said, “Is there such a horrible village like that?” My friend laughed and said, “It is an old village that specializes in making frog cake. Its real name is Khuong Thuong.”

Mrs Com (93) has 60 years of experience in making frog cake at Khuong Thuong village. Before then, her grandmother Mrs. Ti Thi Vu also made this type of cake for the same amount of time, then transferred this technique to Mrs. Com’s mother. So this career and technique has been occupied for more than 100 years. Her family is the first in Khuong Thuong village to create the frog cake, whereby also crafting a delicacy and Hanoian specialty.

Com is her nickname, but her real name is Teo Thi Nguyen. Since she was a child, Mrs. Com has passionately observed her grandmother and her mother making this cake. When she was young she followed her mother to sell the cake. Mrs. Com is a natural seller because she is very talkative and charming. Every time she received an order she took the plate and quickly prepared the dish with sauce and brought it to the customers.

More than half of Khuong Thuong village sells frog cake, but there are not enough frogs naturally occurring in the village, so they have to catch them in Hanoi or Ha Dong and bring them back to Khuong Thuong. They are then prepared for the cake by removing the head and the skin, hence from where the village’s name originated.

There are many dishes the villagers can make using frog. There are many other nicknames which the village could also receive, such as “shorts” - breaded and deep fried frog thighs - “trousers” - a whole frog breaded and fried - “nude” - a whole frog seasoned and fried. There are also dishes in which the frog is deep fried long enough so as to be eaten fully intact, bones included.

But the most delicious, special, favorite and also most complicated cooking technique is for that of the dish named “trải chiếu” - the most popular frog cake dish in Khuong Thuong village.

The frogs are cleaned, chopped (including the bone), milled and mashed (as is done with pork meat), then seasoned with dried onion, fresh chili, lemongrass, salt and pepper.

It is mashed until the texture is sticky, then it is spread in a thin layer over banana leaves. The portions are small, usually able to fit in the palm of a hand. A pan is then coated with oil and put over a medium flame so that the cake fries slowly. It is cooked until it is browned.

Frog cake is seen as a most luxurious dish, not that of the nightmare the village’s nickname incurs. It comes topped with thinly sliced lemon leaves, dill, served with steamed rice and sweet and sour dipping sauce. Many people eat the cake with a side of Phu Do fresh rice noodle and whiskey.

 

Mrs. Com told us that there Mrs. Vuong, Mrs. Sinh Nhon, Mrs. Hoa Nhai and Mrs. To also make the frog cake like her family, but slowly each one has passed away so now only Mrs. Com continues the business. Nowadays there only a few shops selling the frog cake in Khuong Thuong village, such as Ha Khue family and Thai Hoa family; her third son and the fourth generation of the business.

Mrs Com

Although she is 93 years old, she is still very active and mentally able. She cuts the lemon leaves and makes fish sauce by herself. The fish sauce is also one of her secrets. The sauce has five colors and five tastes: red from chili, green from herbs, dark yellow from the sauce, black from pepper and a little bit “cà cuống” sauce- made from the giant water bug.

Frog cake is available year round, but is considered in-season in June or July when the summer harvest is over. Frogs become very fat by August, making them ideal at that time for the cakes. Mrs. Com said with a smile that, “our frog cake is a dish that people order for big parties, and some even bring it abroad, but it is a pity that they cannot also bring the fish sauce.”

While Mrs. Com chews on a piece of betel leaf, she thinly slices lemon leaves and recants old stories about how how busy it has been over the years selling the cakes.

Frogs are fat in August, making them ideal for the cake.

Followed by V.H
Dan Tri Newspaper

Extracted from articles written especially for Golden Spoon 2014 called “A journey of searching traditional rustic dishes”