Cu Do – special cake of Ha Tinh

I had been hearing chatter around the office of unmoveable birds and Vinh city on and off for a few days, invariably followed by giggles and smiles. Were there ostriches on the loose a little further south? Was there a penguin infestation and why where they talking about Gouda all the time?

The Tuesday after a long weekend all was made clear in a toffee sweet explosion of deliciousness. A colleague had visited Vinh city, her hometown, over the break and had returned laden with sugary gifts. Cu Do (sounds like gouda) is the sweet treat speciality of Ha Tinh and is famous in Vinh, and roughly translates into English as unmoveable bird. On our return to work after the holiday we were greeted with piles these ‘cakes’.

Unseasoned puffed rice crackers dotted with sesame seeds sandwich a jumble of decadent dark toffee covered peanuts. The toffee has set to a perfect teeth coating consistency, shielding softened peanuts still in their skin. The whole mix occasionally provides the horrifying feeling of a detached tooth floating around loose in your mouth, only to be realised as a nut when crushed.
This ensemble of mild, crisp cracker filled with a sweet nutty filling would seem to be like a one trick pony if it weren’t for its secret hidden weapon. Ginger.

The whole toffee sticky mess is spiked with invisible shards of ginger. The spiciness of the ginger is cut by the toffees sweetness. The sweetness in turn is subdued by the ginger. See what happens there? These Cu Do were specially ordered, which, I’m assured, that as well as increasing the price ensures freshness and more ginger toffee peanut filling. And there should always be more ginger toffee peanut filling.