Visiting the 200-year-old craft village, visitors can make rice paper by themselves, making famous Can Tho specialties.

Not only recognized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism as a national intangible cultural heritage, Thuan Hung rice paper craft village has also become an attractive tourist destination, attracting a large number of tourists when coming to Tay Do.

Located about 40km from the center of Can Tho city, the rice paper craft village in Thuan Hung ward (in Thot Not district, Can Tho city) is one of the most attractive tourist destinations in this land.

Thuan Hung rice paper craft village has existed and developed for about 200 years. According to information from the Economic Department of Thot Not district, in this craft village there are only about 75 households operating regularly to serve the consumption needs of people in and outside the province and export to Cambodia, 41 households produce seasonally during Tet.

Thuan Hung rice paper craft village is an interesting tourist destination, attracting many visitors when traveling to Can Tho.

Households mainly produce rice paper using manual ovens using rice husks, of which 4 households invest in machine-made rice paper production. Although rice paper appears in many places, Thuan Hung rice paper is considered to be more delicious and famous, any tourist coming here wants to enjoy it once.

In Thuan Hung village, there are 4 types of rice paper: salty, plain, sweet, and coconut. The salty type has a lot of salt so it can be preserved longer, while the plain type impresses with its crispy, delicious taste. Spring rolls are small in size and coconut cakes are mixed with coconut milk and sesame. Each type of cake has its own unique flavor and different sizes.

According to the locals, making delicious rice paper requires meticulousness, skill and a secret recipe. The rice must be selected from the typical rice of the Thot Not region, and the rice must be harvested and left for about half a year before being made. Because the rice is too new, the rice paper will fall apart when dipped in water and will not be crispy when baked, and the rice is too old, so the rice paper will be spongy when baked but will no longer retain its sweetness. Moreover, the people of Thuan Hung also have their own secret recipe in mixing the flour.

Thuan Hung rice paper has the characteristics of being soft, fragrant and of uniform size.

Visiting Thuan Hung rice paper village, many tourists also learn about the local rice paper making process and enjoy making delicious batches of rice paper themselves.

Mr. Nguyen Dinh Hoang Khanh (living in Ho Chi Minh City) had the opportunity to visit the rice paper craft village in Thuan Hung and was impressed by the scenery here. "The characteristic to recognize when coming to Thuan Hung is that you will see rice paper being dried by locals in their yards, along the road, leaning against the fences of houses or drying racks spread along the canal banks," Mr. Khanh described.

Here, the young man was able to observe the process of making rice paper, from spreading the rice paper to taking it out after drying. “This is the first time I have learned about the process of making rice paper, even though I have enjoyed this dish for decades,” the 9X humorously said.

Arriving at the village gate, visitors will feel the characteristic aroma of rice paper here, mixed with the smell of smoke and fragrant coconut powder.

The familiar scene that appears before the eyes of visitors when arriving in Thuan Hung is the rice paper trays drying evenly everywhere.

To make delicious rice paper, people in Thuan Hung must adjust the amount of flour to suit the specialized tool, which is a ladle. Each ladle of flour corresponds to one cake. The ground rice flour is poured onto a mosquito net (also known as a curtain) stretched over a pot of steaming boiling water. Next is the stage of spreading the rice paper, which requires the maker to have experience and skill.

According to locals, the secret to making delicious, thin and unbroken rice paper is to ensure low heat and to make the rice paper evenly and quickly. The rice paper is steamed for about 15 seconds to cook.

The process of making rice paper requires elaborateness, especially the step of spreading the rice paper.

The process of taking the cake out is also very important, requiring coordination between the person spreading the cake and taking the cake. After spreading the cake, it will be very thin and wet, so it will tear easily. The person spreading the cake must skillfully hold the cake with one hand and lift it with the other hand and place it on the tray.

Finally, the cake drying stage. In addition to the weather factor, Thuan Hung people must time the drying and dry carefully so that the cake does not warp, keeping its intact and beautiful appearance.

If it is sunny, the cakes are dried for about 30 minutes, removed from the tray and arranged in stacks. If left to dry for too long, the cakes will be too brittle and break easily, not ensuring quality and aesthetics.

The cake is exposed to the sun for about 30 minutes. If exposed to the sun too quickly or too long, the cake will not be delicious.

Thuan Hung rice paper has many types, each with its own flavor but all ensure delicious toughness, aroma and not being mushy.

Thuan Hung rice paper has 4 types, corresponding to 4 flavors: sweet rice paper, salty rice paper, coconut rice paper. In addition to serving the consumption needs of people in and outside the province, this famous cake is also exported to Cambodia, becoming a specialty loved by many people, sought to buy and enjoy.

When traveling to Can Tho, in addition to experiencing the Thuan Hung rice paper craft village, visitors can combine visiting some places in the same direction as this craft village such as: Pothisomron Pagoda; Binh Thuy Communal House - one of the three places with the largest communal house festival in the West; Binh Thuy Ancient House, ... or explore Cai Rang floating market, Ong Pagoda, Gian Gua relic site.

Nguyen Thoa (According to 24h, August 2, 2023)

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