Bring home a season from the markets of Ho Chi Minh City. ~ A rice flour pound cake baked with northern plums ~

As the entrance to the rainy season arrives, the colors of the market shift a little. The fruits grow more vivid in their hues. At the usual vegetable stall, a crimson-red fruit leaped into my sight. Beneath the shopkeeper's handwritten sign reading "Flown in from northern Vietnam — so delicious!", the plums pile up in a mountain.

Just then an old man was sizing them up, resting one in his palm, turning it over, and comparing it with yet another fruit. The way he was placing them into his bag one by one was somehow endearing, and I found myself stopping too, drawn in. The price was 25,000 VND per kilo. 150 yen! This much for about 60 yen.

Converted into Japanese yen, it's astonishingly cheap. Small plums with thin skin that feels ready to burst with springiness, glowing a deep crimson red. When I get home, I give them a quick rinse and, first of all, pop one right into my mouth. Bite into it just as it is, and it's not only sweetness. A tartness sharp enough to make your cheeks pucker. A tartness that awakens a body left sluggish by the tropical heat. Yes, this—this little sweet jolt that races through the body. Add them to yogurt, and the red flesh stands out beautifully against the white yogurt. The charm of watching it turn pink as you stir it in—that, too, is a happy little moment.

But there's a limit to how much a married couple can eat. Before we knew it, a whole lot was still left over. Now, what to do? Before it spoils, let's do something about it~ — and so, come evening, I ended up rolling up my sleeves to make "Plum Pound Cake." When you live in Vietnam, what catches your eye before wheat flour is rice flour. The supermarket shelves are lined with a surprising number of varieties, each finely sorted by its intended use. Since I was at it, I thought I'd keep it Vietnamese and try baking with rice flour this time. I brought the butter back to room temperature and just kept mixing it until it turned glossy. I added powdered sugar, and then a little almond flour too. I wanted more than just sweetness — I wanted that rich depth you find in baked treats. About five plums. I chopped them up roughly, skins and all, and folded them into the batter raw. But here's where a problem arose. I couldn't find the pound cake pan. I searched the drawers, I searched the cupboards, and still I couldn't find it. In the end, I hastily decided to bake it in a round pan instead. Well, it'll work out somehow~. A classic little happening in our home cooking. Thinking that, I poured the batter in. The amount was a perfect fit! A happy little feeling of what's to come.

Put it in the oven at 170°C for 30 minutes. This rose far better than I expected. The surface browned quite quickly, so I opened the oven door and gently draped a sheet of aluminum foil over the top. A sweet aroma came wafting over in a great rush. Absolutely perfect. I was amazed at how it turned out—even better than I'd imagined.

I hold back the urge to slice it fresh from the oven, and let it rest overnight. The next morning. As I slide the knife in, red fruit peeks out from the cut surface. They've sunk a little, but that actually makes it look more natural. An amateur's baking can't calculate things the way a pro can. With only enough experience to stare down a recipe, I often just go by gut feeling. And that's why it's a miracle of a plate.

The red scattered throughout the batter blends in, drawing a gradient of red. From a vivid, raw red, it exudes the charm of pop art — so cute! I place a single slice on a plate and brew a strong Vietnamese coffee. Seasonal fruit bought at the market is transformed into baked sweets, the morning treat of the day. This kind of nothing-special little flow somehow fills me with a strangely rich feeling. Let's share some with the staff, too. A morning when seasonal plums delivered from the north met Vietnamese rice flour and became a little cake. Even in ever-summer Ho Chi Minh City, it properly lets me know the changing of the seasons. Adorable baked sweets and a Lovely Day~! Expat Life Ranking