Bhoi — Aceh, Indonesia

Bhoi is a dry, egg-rich sponge cake shaped by carved wooden molds, most often cut into fish forms though flower and other shapes appear too. It leans on eggs and sugar rather than fat for its rise and structure, giving a firmer, more crumbly bite than a Western sponge cake. It is reported from Aceh, at the northern tip of Sumatra, where it is closely tied to life events: weddings and circumcision ceremonies in particular call for trays of bhoi to be handed out to guests as a gift to take home. Its dry, keeps-well texture suits that role, since it can sit for days without spoiling. Preparation starts with beating eggs and sugar together at length until the mixture turns pale, thick and airy, since this whipped air is what lifts the cake rather than any raising agent added separately. Flour is folded in gently to keep that air intact, and the batter is poured into greased fish-shaped molds before baking until golden and firm to the touch. Differences between batches come mostly from how long the eggs are whipped and what, if anything, flavors the batter: some bakers add a touch of vanilla or pandan, others keep it plain so the egg flavor carries through. The molds themselves vary by carver, giving each batch of bhoi its own fish pattern, and some are left plainer while others are pressed with finer scales and fins.