Pigs still squeal under their arms. The area near the lake shore is reserved for “dogs”. There is also a new food court along the cultural center. Running along the small road is the bird market. Nightingales, thrushes, larks, nightingales… all gather here. Small cages, large cages, tall ones, short ones, smooth ones, rough ones are hung on tree branches, on horizontal ropes. The birds try their hand at singing high and low, high and low, melodious in the sun. The market still retains a rustic flavor that few highland markets have.

One highlight I want to mention is the Bac Ha thang co pan. The pan is located in a house on the left side of the market. This is the largest thang co pan in Vietnam, recognized by the Guinness World Records in 2008. The pan is cast from cast iron and other materials in the traditional form of the Mong people of Bac Ha, weighs up to 1.5 tons, has a diameter of 3 m, and a depth of 1 m, enough to cook 500 kg of food to serve thousands of diners at a time.

Every time the thang co pan is lit, Bac Ha witnesses a joy. The highlanders tell each other that tomorrow we must go to the market to buy a plow, a hoe and above all, we must visit the biggest thang co pan in Vietnam. Someone said: "Oh well, I have pans at home, and there are several of them, why do I have to come and look at this pan!"

My friend turned to explain: "Sir, I know that every pan is different, still made of cast iron, still used to cook wine, stir-fry food. But here it's different, very different. I ask you, is there any pan that can cook thang co that can burn several horses like this pan? Is there any pan that takes from morning to evening to heat up, not to mention the firewood that can easily "eat" two-thirds of a tractor each time?"

I understand the grandeur and massiveness of the pan. I am completely impressed by its “eating” quality. Drinking wine at the market, eating a bowl of thang co from this pan, all of that joy is combined, there is nothing more blissful.

Every time the pan is on fire, Bac Ha has a festival. Normally, every year, in June, the whole Bac Ha welcomes the horse racing festival. Or to advertise tourism . The pan of thang co is on fire again.

Thang Co can be made in any place, any locality. It is also stir-fried, cooked, seasoned with salt, chili, ginger, pepper, and slurped... but eating Thang Co in Bac Ha is very different. I understand the difference here is food safety, no need to discuss it to understand that. The greetings are also different. The greetings here are very simple. In the morning, a group of two or three people; At 9 o'clock, there are 6 people; At nearly 12 o'clock, 11 people...

Bac Ha thang co pan. Photo: Lao Cai Newspaper

Meeting friends at the market, inviting them to join in the fun, but having to drink wine right at Bac Ha market, having to eat thang co in this record-breaking pan. The space here is so beautiful, so poetic, it makes people ecstatic.

I had the honor of witnessing the furnace lighting on the opening day of the Bac Ha cultural tourism festival, it was a morning in June 2000. In front of the furnace door of the record-breaking thang co pan, two rows of Noong Thao girls in black pants, black shirts, and pink bows lined up to welcome the ceremony. The firewood was ready, the oil had been soaked in raisins, the Vice Chairman of the district prayed and lit the fire. Amidst the enthusiastic cheers of the surrounding audience, the person who lit the fire raised his hand high to clap in response. In the afternoon, guests had a culinary exchange at the market. Thang co was scooped out, steaming. Herbs, coriander, leaves, and wild vegetables were displayed on the wooden table. The greetings were lively. In the evening, after the opening speech of the seventh night of the Xoè dance, in the yard at the head of the market, the fire was blazing brightly. The farewell song to friends was sung again: "Dance so that the corn plants grow better. Without dancing, the rice plants will not bloom...". Just like that, the moon rises high, the xoè dance opens up in the depth of the night, allowing love to blossom...

The fire of the highlands. The fire that flares up at the thang co pan, the fire that flares up at the festival night. The fire that beautifies the space on the Bac Ha plateau. All want to attract tourists to stay. That fire, we often see in every family apartment, it even appears in the tents. All, have promised to preserve the love of life, like preserving the inherent cultural identity of the ethnic minorities in the highlands.

The image of the pan of thang co that won the Guinness record has become a geographical indication. That, coming to Bac Ha means coming to thang co, a dish imbued with the national cultural identity. And of course, surrounding thang co are seven-color sticky rice, red rice noodles, men men, chili salt mixed with tomatoes... all of which create the unforgettable, passionate flavor of Bac Ha.

The thang co pan at Bac Ha market seems to want to preserve a beautiful image of a highland village. A highland village with a windy sky gate, an oath stone, terraced fields and big and small pans in the house and in the kitchen.

The stoves and wood stoves of the highlanders still exist and will always be the same. The stoves are cube-shaped with one door and one vent. The stoves are made of soil. People choose soft, less mixed soil, sprinkle water and knead. The softer the soil, the more firmly the hands of the craftsman pound it, the air vents are just the right size, bringing success to the stove. Large and small pans correspond to high and small furnaces. At night, all furnaces are blazing. Large pans are used to pop corn, cook wine or cook bran, small pans are used to cook men men or stir-fry vegetables...

The age of the kitchen is equal to the age of the house. The house with sloping roof and rafters has a stone mill on the sidewalk. The thickness of the wall, the square window, the middle beam has a square of red cloth hanging on it. The altar is bordered with chicken feathers, gold and silver paper are pasted symmetrically together, creating the culture and identity of the highlands.

Returning to Bac Ha market, I came to the Guinness record-holding pan of thang co. I wondered how many pictures were there of people lighting a fire to cook thang co in this big pan? How many customers came to eat thang co here? And how many couples fell in love at Bac Ha market./.

Do Van Dinh

Source: https://baocamau.vn/chao-thang-co-tai-cho-phien-bac-ha-a385.html