Sticky and fragrant white rice from Bồ Nâu

No matter how many delicacies there are, a bowl of white rice remains the staple of a Vietnamese meal. As for me, I love white rice made from Bồ Nâu rice the most.

There was an old proverb, "Bồ Nâu rice, Đám field buffaloes." This means that the rice grown in the Bồ Nâu fields (Bạch Nao village, Thanh Văn commune, Thanh Oai district, Hanoi ) is famously delicious, and the buffaloes in Đám field (Đại Áng commune, Thanh Trì district, Hanoi) are incredibly strong for plowing.

White rice from Bồ Nâu

Nguyen Duy Khanh

Reading that proverb, I assumed that the rice grown in Bo Nau must be something very special, but in reality, it's Bac Thom 7 rice, a fairly common and high-quality rice variety.

What's special is that the soil and rainfall here are completely different from other places, even from the neighboring fields. Therefore, not only Bac Thom 7 but any rice variety grown in the Bo Nau fields yields significantly better quality rice than elsewhere.

Since the time of the Hung Kings , Bo Nau rice has been a delicacy offered to the king. This was after King Hung Due Vuong, while resting in the Bo Nau rice fields, was offered rice by the villagers, and he praised its delicious taste ever since.

Evidence of the difference in rainfall in Bo Nau is shown in the proverb: "Rain falls everywhere, but Bo Nau is still raining . " This means that the rain always falls later on the Bo Nau rice fields than on other fields. It is this fertile soil combined with the unique climate that gives Bo Nau rice its special value.

The rice harvested from Bo Nau land yields exceptionally well; the grains are golden yellow like silkworm cocoons, with thin husks, and the rice is white, translucent, and uniform. When cooked, it smells like freshly pounded rice, is chewy but not sticky, and has a bright white color. Many meals, even without fancy dishes, are filled with delicious white rice from Bo Nau, accompanied by a bowl of jute leaf soup and some pickled eggplant , and I'm so impressed that I can easily eat four or five bowls.

I often call Bo Nau rice a "gift from heaven" for the households with rice paddies in the Bo Nau area. They not only get to enjoy some of the best rice in Northern Vietnam, but they can also get rich from the fields, as long as they work hard, "watching the rain, watching the sun, watching day and night." Plus, the price is quite reasonable, ranging from 17,000 to 20,000 VND/kg.

It's been almost five years since I first discovered this Bồ Nâu rice variety, and I've remained absolutely loyal to it. A friend from the South came to visit, ate the rice at my house, and became addicted to it, reminiscing about it ever since.

You also said that you thought the best rice varieties were usually found in the South, but you never imagined there could be such delicious rice in the North, right in the capital city, not far away at all. You must bring some back as gifts for your friends.

To prove its point, in 2013, Bo Nau rice was certified by the Intellectual Property Office as a collective trademark with the brand name: "Clean, high-quality agricultural products, ensuring food safety and hygiene."