Crispy and fragrant Vinh An puffed rice

THE MOLD OF COMMUNITY LOVE AND NEIGHBORLY LOVE

In the days leading up to Tet (Lunar New Year), while making puffed rice cakes to sell, Mr. Hoang Phuoc Vinh Tuong (48 years old, residing in Vinh An village, Phong Binh commune, Phong Dien town, Hue city) reminisced about the story of his family's wooden cake mold that once brought joy to many households in the village. About 30 years ago, around the middle of the twelfth lunar month, people would come to borrow the mold. Each family would make about 5-7 cakes and pass them around to other houses. The mold would only return to his family around the 27th or 28th of Tet. "Back then, making puffed rice cakes was entirely manual. Every family knew how to make them and usually made a few cakes to enjoy during Tet. Now that's gone, only my family still considers it a livelihood, so we continue the trade...", Mr. Tuong said.

Mr. Hoang Phuoc Vinh Tuong is drying puffed rice cakes to serve during Tet (Vietnamese New Year).

Mr. Hoang Nam (75 years old, Mr. Tuong's father), the creator of the family's Hoa Nam brand of puffed rice cakes, said he doesn't know when puffed rice cakes originated, but he saw many households in the village making them when he was growing up. Mr. Nam learned the craft from his father and has now passed it on to his son. "This is a type of cake with a long tradition, passed down through generations in Vinh An. Puffed rice cakes are a type of cake that carries the cultural value of rice farming, because the main ingredients are agricultural products grown by the local people. Puffed rice cakes are also one of the traditional cakes that farmers only make for offerings, gifts, and to entertain guests during Tet (Lunar New Year), a characteristic cultural feature of the people living near the O Lau River," Mr. Nam said.

Fragrant puffed rice has an ivory white color.

Mr. Hoang Nam summarized the process of making puffed rice cakes in a few steps, but in reality, achieving a crispy and fragrant cake requires a great deal of effort from the baker. First, they must select a high-quality, fragrant glutinous rice to roast and puff. The white, plump grains are then selected and sifted. "Frozen peanuts are peeled, and fresh ginger is finely ground. Importantly, there must be finely shredded carrots mixed with granulated sugar. Everything is mixed well, then gradually poured into a mold made from four pieces of wood (about 50 cm long, joined together to form a square). The baker must use a large mallet to firmly press the mixture into the mold with a wooden wedge until the cake is tightly packed," Mr. Tuong explained.

Black glutinous rice puffs retain their distinctive color.

After this step, the cake comes out of the mold about 40 cm long, with each side about 5 cm thick. The baker uses a long, wide, and sharp knife to cut the cake into slices about 0.5 cm thick. The cake is then dried and offered to guests or placed on the altar during the Lunar New Year.

PRESERVING TRADITIONAL CRAFT, HOLDING ONION TET CULTURE

When recounting his past craft, Mr. Hoang Phuoc Vinh Tuong's eyes welled up with tears as he remembered his aunt (Mrs. Phan Thi Deo), who passed away in 2023. Mr. Tuong's family had been making puffed rice cakes for three generations. During busy times, Mrs. Deo often helped make the cakes. Over time, she became a skilled puffed rice cake maker. After her death, other households gradually abandoned the craft because it was so laborious yet yielded so little profit.

What makes Vinh An's puffed rice crackers special is the added step of simmering carrots with white sugar.

He explained that the traditional manual method relied heavily on the strength and skill of the person pounding the rice cakes, resulting in inconsistent quality. Some cakes were too hard due to being tightly packed, while others were loose due to weak pounding. Therefore, he researched and invented a hydraulic press that can press 16 rice cakes simultaneously (2 cakes yield 2 bags, 45 pieces per bag). Mr. Tuong also imported rice puffing equipment from abroad to ensure a reliable supply of raw materials. Previously, people used hard-grained glutinous rice for puffing, but now he has switched to fragrant glutinous rice, which puffs evenly and tastes better.

"Many people worry that using machines will result in lower quality than before, but this traditional method of making puffed rice cakes depends on the secret of selecting the right glutinous rice and the recipe for mixing the ingredients... For example, in the past, bakers often had to add a little cooked glutinous rice flour for binding, so after drying, the cakes were quite hard. I learned from experience that when adding sugar and simmering it with carrots, water will seep out. This water creates moisture, so when using the machine to press the cakes, no additional binding agent is needed. Without adding glutinous rice flour, the puffed rice cake is both crispy and melts easily in the mouth. The cake has a fragrant ginger aroma and the rich, nutty flavor of glutinous rice and peanuts, with the refreshing sweetness of carrots...", he shared.

Vinh An puffed rice crackers, made with agricultural products, are a traditional Tet (Lunar New Year) treat.

Mr. Tuong's method of cutting the rice cakes is also different from before. He usually packs 300 pieces at a time and waits for a day and a night for the sugar to blend with the glutinous rice. At this point, the cakes are soft and easy to cut. The dried cakes are then placed in transparent plastic bags so that buyers can see the cakes inside, creating a rustic yet visually appealing experience. He also designs boxes to enhance the elegance, making them suitable as Tet gifts. To meet customer demand, Mr. Tuong even found a way to pop the black glutinous rice grains before pressing them into cakes.

These days, passing by Mr. Tuong's house, many people smell the fragrant aroma of roasted sticky rice. The crispy, fragrant rice cakes from his house are transported by spring trucks to many homes, becoming a simple, rustic gift from the countryside during Tet, evoking nostalgic childhood memories for those who have tasted them… ( to be continued )

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/giu-huong-tet-xua-gion-thom-kho-no-vinh-an-185250115213627179.htm