It would be a shame for anyone visiting the Mường Lay town in Điện Biên province, at the confluence of three rivers, to miss the opportunity to taste Khẩu Xén, a traditional cake of the White Thái ethnic group.

The White Thái people in Mường Lay town are renowned for their culinary skills, creating dishes that reflect their unique cultural identity. During the Lunar New Year season, the villages in Mường Lay are filled with the rhythmic pounding of Khẩu Xén, a traditional cake served to guests or given as gifts to relatives and friends from afar.

Khẩu Xén is made from glutinous rice or cassava flour. After grinding, the flour is soaked for a few hours until soft, then steamed. When cooked, sesame seeds, free-range chicken eggs, sugar, or salt are added, and the mixture is pounded until smooth. Skilled women then use rollers to flatten the dough into thin sheets, dry them briefly, and then cut them into small pieces. Khẩu Xén is then air-dried or sun-dried until completely dry.

Khau Xen cakes are typically cut into parallelogram shapes, slightly smaller than two fingers, and puff up attractively when fried. When bitten, the cake is crispy, fragrant, and rich in the flavor of glutinous rice and fresh cassava.

More than just a snack, Khau Xen cakes represent a unique and appealing culinary culture of Dien Bien province, becoming part of daily life and a marketable product. Khau Xen cakes have been recognized as a 3-star OCOP product.

Visiting the land at the confluence of rivers – Muong Lay – to admire the poetic natural scenery; to experience the heroic history of Dien Bien, with its friendly and hospitable people, many tourists choose to buy packages of Khau Xen cakes as meaningful gifts for family and friends, sharing the rich flavors of the Muong Lay region.