Binh Phuoc: The unique flattened rice flakes of the Khmer people.

These days, Loc Khanh commune, Loc Ninh district, Binh Phuoc province is busier than ever. The Khmer people are busy harvesting sticky rice in the fields to make flattened rice flakes (pronounced Om Bok in Khmer) - one of the unique dishes that is indispensable in the Ok Om Bok festival of the Khmer ethnic group.

More than just a simple dish, flattened rice flakes also carry deep spiritual significance, reflecting the rich traditional culture of the Khmer people in general and Loc Khanh commune in particular. This dish is offered to thank the gods for blessing them with a year of favorable weather and a bountiful harvest during the moon worship ceremony - the main ritual in the Ok Om Bok festival.

Strengthening solidarity

Ok Om Bok is one of the major festivals of the Khmer people, celebrated on the full moon of the tenth lunar month every year. The festival is usually held in the grounds of temples. About a week before the festival, village elders, respected figures, and villagers gather at the temple to make flattened rice cakes. Throughout the preparation process, everyone shares tasks from selecting and pounding the rice to roasting the cakes, creating a joyful, united, and close-knit atmosphere. On the night of the festival, everyone participates in cultural activities such as chanting scriptures, sharing flattened rice cakes, and releasing floating lanterns.

People go to the fields to harvest sticky rice - Photo: HenLy

Mr. Lam Bac, the village elder in Cha Don hamlet, Loc Khanh commune, said: “Making flattened rice cakes is very important, so I encouraged the villagers to gather at the temple to make them together. The more people, the more rice cakes can be made. On this occasion, the villagers can also meet and share experiences in livestock farming and cultivation. On the night of the festival, the flattened rice cakes are used to offer to the moon god, praying for peace and happiness. After the offering, everyone will take the flattened rice cakes and share them with the elderly and children. This strengthens the bonds between people and also serves as a message to the younger generation to always be united and preserve the traditional culture of the Khmer people.”

Venerable Lam Chha Ni, Deputy Abbot of Soc Lon Pagoda in Loc Khanh commune, shared: “The Ok Om Bok festival profoundly influences the daily life of the Khmer people here. Because the festival takes place on the full moon of the tenth month (also known as Khe kadac in Khmer), which means the last month in the Khmer calendar. This is also the month after the harvest season, when people get to rest after a hard season of labor. Therefore, the festival is an opportunity for people in the villages to meet, prepare for, and organize the Ok Om Bok festival together, thereby creating a strong connection within the Khmer community.”

Preserving national identity

The Khmer people's flattened rice flakes are a long-standing specialty. To this day, this dish is still used by the people to offer to the moon god as a way of expressing gratitude for a bountiful harvest and praying for a good harvest in the coming year.

Ms. Thi Tua from Loc Khanh commune said: "To make delicious flattened rice flakes, people have to harvest glutinous rice before the harvest season. Because at this time, the glutinous rice grains are not yet mature, soft, and still retain a little milk at the tip of the grain. Then, they sift out the evenly sized, firm grains and roast them in a pan. When roasting the rice, they must stir evenly so that the grains are cooked until crispy without burning. Then they put them in a mortar and pound them flat, then sift to separate the husks from the rice flakes, and mix them with coconut water, grated coconut, and sugar to make the rice flakes softer and tastier."

People thresh rice to extract the grains for making puffed rice (cốm) - Photo: HenLy

Locals pounding rice flakes - Photo: HenLy

Ms. Thi Tua shared: "Making flattened rice flakes requires many people to cooperate and support each other in every step. From the elderly to the young, they teach each other how to make it. Adults will show the children with the hope that the younger generation will thoroughly understand this dish, thereby continuing to preserve and promote the traditional culture of the Khmer people."

Thi Sap Hat, from Loc Khanh commune, said: “I am very happy to participate in making flattened rice flakes with the aunts and uncles. Through this, I understand more about the traditional dish of my ethnic group. I will try to learn how to make delicious flattened rice flakes and then teach the younger children. I hope that this traditional Khmer dish will become more widely known.”

People sift through the rice bran to remove impurities - Photo: Sa Ray

The Khmer people in Loc Khanh commune mainly live by agriculture , so rice and flattened rice flakes are essential foods in their daily lives. Therefore, flattened rice flakes have become a characteristic dish in the Ok Om Bok festival, passed down from generation to generation. It is believed that younger generations will continue and preserve this unique traditional culture.

Source: https://baoquangninh.vn/binh-phuoc-doc-dao-com-dep-cua-dong-bao-khmer-3332728.html