Tu Le young rice - a gift from the Northwest mountains and forests

(Fatherland) - Com is made from a precious rice variety, has a dark green color, soft grains and a slightly bitter aftertaste typical of the Tu Le region.

Performed by: Bao Trung | December 9, 2024

(Fatherland) - Com is made from a precious rice variety, has a dark green color, soft grains and a slightly bitter aftertaste typical of the Tu Le region.

Tu Le commune, Van Chan district, Yen Bai province is famous for its special sticky rice variety. Around the end of September and the beginning of October, the rice begins to ripen on the terraced fields.

In the village, the rhythmic sound of mortar and pestle is preparing to produce batches of famous Tu Le green rice.

The Thai ethnic people in Yen Bai still make Com in the traditional way. Rice is harvested early in the morning, then soaked in cold water to remove the broken grains. Rice used to make Com must be in the curving stage, the grain tip still has a little milk, the shell is slightly blue-yellow and the rice grains are not fully ripe.

Harvested rice must be processed on the same day.

After removing the broken grains, the rice is roasted in a large pan. The fire must be maintained evenly for about 30 minutes until the grains crack and give off a fragrant aroma. According to Thai people, this is an important step that determines the deliciousness of the green rice, because if the fire is too high, it will be hard, if the fire is not high, it will lose its elasticity.

The roasted rice is left to cool before being pounded in a stone mortar. All the steps in making Tu Le green rice flakes are done by hand. On average, a family of three in Na Long village can make about 20 kg of green rice flakes a day.

The pounding process is done simultaneously by two people. One person beats the pestle, the other uses large chopsticks to stir continuously. The pounder must beat his feet evenly, not using too much or too little force. The stirrer must coordinate rhythmically so that the rice is pounded evenly.

Once the husks have cracked from the rice, the green rice is scooped out of the mortar and winnowed. This process is repeated until the green rice grains are flat, round, and free of husks.

Tu Le green rice flakes have a characteristic green color of the rice variety. The best green rice flakes are eaten fresh. The grains are soft, sticky, fragrant and have a slightly bitter aftertaste, then turn to a light and slightly sweet taste. Green rice flakes are often eaten with persimmons, bananas or cooked with duck porridge, sticky rice, sweet soups and made into savory dishes such as green rice sausage, fried spring rolls...

The Thai people in Tu Le often make green rice flakes to worship their ancestors and for fun. Nowadays, Tu Le green rice flakes have become a famous specialty. Tourists can vacuum-pack and package them as gifts. A kilo of green rice flakes costs about 120,000 VND if bought at a local's house.

Source: https://toquoc.vn/com-tu-le-qua-cua-nui-rung-tay-bac-2024120911002896.htm