The distinctive noodles of Can Tho's Hu Tieu (rice noodle soup).

Nhiếp ảnh và Đời sống•18/12/2023

"Traditional rice noodles, with their ivory white color and high elasticity and chewiness, are very common in the Southwestern region of Vietnam. Saigon residents often use a opaque white variety of rice noodles that are crispier and easier to prepare because the noodles have lower stickiness."

Rice noodle soup – a specialty of traditional Southern Vietnamese cuisine , made from various types of rice, has become a long-standing cultural feature of the people of Southern Vietnam.

*The process of making the rice paper...*

Like Pho in the North and Quang noodles in the Central region, hu tieu in the South is very common in daily life, being prepared into dozens of incredibly diverse and rich dishes.

In traditional rice noodle-making villages, each place has its own secret recipe for creating unique rice noodles, but the entire process involves soaking, washing, kneading, grinding, mixing, stirring in water to extract the starch, rinsing, drying, and finally cutting the noodles into strands. Most importantly, the selection of high-quality rice is crucial.

3-3-(1).jpg — *After being spread into thin sheets, they are dried in the sun until completely dry but still retain their softness...*

Inside the noodle factory, there are many vats for settling the flour. The noodle makers diligently stand by the stove, steaming the noodles over a fire fueled by rice husks. The rising steam mixes with their sweat from hard work, and the freshly made noodles are dried on bamboo racks, exuding a simple, rustic beauty of the countryside.

" Can Tho, with its white rice and clear water"

"Those who go there will not want to leave."

Can Tho City currently has many noodle-making establishments, among which Mr. Sau Hoai's shop is a long-standing and well-known local business. Besides producing large quantities daily to meet market demand, the shop also combines tours and experiences of the noodle-making process for domestic and international tourists .

Mr. Huynh Huu Hoai (owner of Sau Hoai establishment - with nearly 50 years of experience making rice noodles) said: "Cuisine is not just about the recipe to make a delicious dish. To compete with other industrial rice noodle products today, the cook must put their love for the profession into it, want customers to be satisfied with the product they make, and combine it with years of experience and skill."

According to Mr. Hoai, to create delicious rice noodles, the production process requires selecting rice with a high starch content. The rice is placed in a vat along with giang leaves to settle and remove impurities. Next, depending on the culinary preferences of each region, he mixes the rice in different proportions, and each type of rice noodle is usually colored according to seasonal vegetables, with a ratio of about 20% for each production batch.

Furthermore, the ready-made rice noodle dishes at the shop require the broth to be made from bone marrow, free-range chicken, and fresh coconut water to create a distinctive flavor, a privilege unique to the Sáu Hoài shop.

Foreign tourists visit the traditional Six Hoai noodle factory in Can *Tho.*

Introducing traditional craft villages to tourists is not only a way to open up opportunities to explore cultural beauty but also a way to convey the rustic charm of local handicrafts. These villages not only preserve enduring cultural values but also contribute to local economic development. Instead of having to travel far to find work, local residents can rely on the strength of traditional art to maintain a stable life. At the same time, the preservation and development of traditional art is also promoted through these craft activities.

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