Preserving and safeguarding the specialty of Ha Giang sticky rice flakes.

CTTĐT – Ha Giang is not only famous for its majestic natural beauty, but also for its golden terraced rice fields and many delicious and attractive culinary dishes such as field carp, field frogs, field crabs, upland rice… Among them, there is an attractive dish made from the “precious grains” of the earth, attracting locals and tourists in this cool autumn weather: Com (young sticky rice). Com is not only delicious, chewy, and sweet when eaten directly, but it can also be used to make many other dishes such as Com cake, Com sweet soup, Com sticky rice…

The rice harvest season in Khuoi My village, Phuong Do commune, Ha Giang city.

Visiting Ha Giang in early October, tourists will be able to immerse themselves in nature, experience many interesting things, capture beautiful photos amidst the golden ripe rice terraces, and enjoy the chewy, fragrant, and sweet "young sticky rice," a specialty of the highland sticky rice.

People from Thuan Hoa commune in Vi Xuyen district and Phuong Do commune in Ha Giang city sell sticky rice flakes at the beginning of Yen Bien II bridge.

In recent years, Ha Giang sticky rice flakes have become an attractive delicacy for the people of Ha Giang in particular and tourists in general. Ha Giang sticky rice flakes have been establishing a famous brand, known to consumers inside and outside the province. They are characterized by their light green color, chewy texture, softness, sweetness, and fragrant aroma of the homeland.

Ha Giang sticky rice flakes.

The Tay people in Ha Giang have passed down and preserved the tradition of making sticky rice flakes (Cốm) through many generations. According to the experience of Mrs. Nguyen Thi Tao from Viet Vinh commune, Bac Quang district, the selection of raw materials is crucial for making fragrant, chewy, and sweet sticky rice flakes. It requires experience in selecting large, round, plump glutinous rice grains that are still green, and whose grains still contain milk when pressed. If the grains are too young, the rice flakes will be crushed, sticky, and difficult to sift; if the grains are too old and almost out of milk, the rice flakes will be hard, not chewy, and not sweet.

The process of selecting glutinous rice for making cốm (roasted rice flakes).

The rice drying process.

As for the process of making Com (Vietnamese green rice flakes), it is also very elaborate and requires the maker to have a lot of experience in drying, pounding, and sifting the husks. With the traditional method, after selecting the glutinous rice grains that meet the requirements, they are tied into many small bundles and placed on fresh bamboo racks over a stove to dry; when the rice grains emit a fragrant aroma and occasionally make a crackling sound, the rice is ready. This drying process requires the maker to constantly turn and spread the rice grains so that they cook evenly and do not fall or drop.

After drying, the rice flake makers use bamboo tongs or small bowls to scrape the grains apart. They wait for the grains to cool slightly before pounding them in a mortar. This process usually involves 3 to 5 experienced and strong people taking turns pounding. The rice is pounded and sifted many times until only flat, thin, chewy, fragrant, and light green rice flakes remain. To preserve the aroma of the rice flakes, after pounding, they are carefully wrapped in lotus leaves, banana leaves, or dong leaves. The rice flakes are also used to make many other dishes such as sticky rice with rice flakes, rice flake cakes, rice flake patties, rice flake sweet soup, roasted rice flakes, etc.

Ha Giang sticky rice flakes are sold at prices ranging from 85,000 to 100,000 VND per kilogram; a small bowl costs between 15,000 and 20,000 VND. Each sticky rice flake season brings in 8-10 million VND for the people of Thuan Hoa commune. Thanks to this craft, not only are jobs created and incomes increased for the people, but the Tay ethnic group in the districts of Xin Man, Hoang Su Phi, Vi Xuyen, Bac Quang, and Quang Binh is also preserving this tradition, creating a beautiful aspect of their cultural life and contributing to the promotion of this Ha Giang specialty to tourists from within and outside the province.

Sticky rice cake (Bánh Cốm).

According to Ms. Hoang Thi Tham from Xuan Giang commune, Quang Binh district: Com (young rice flakes) holds great significance for farmers. It has spiritual meaning; before the rice harvest season, farmers often offer fragrant com to their ancestors, praying for favorable weather and good fortune in their work and production. Therefore, com has become a traditional cultural feature and a delicious culinary delicacy of the Tay people in the highlands of Ha Giang.

Source: https://hagiang.gov.vn/dac-san-ha-giang/bao-ton-gin-giu-dac-san-com-ha-giang-608947