Me Tri green rice village "on fire" welcomes autumn

In the heart of Hanoi , Me Tri green rice village (Tu Liem ward) still preserves the soul of green rice - "A gift of young rice". Green rice is not only a dish, but also the quintessence of heaven and earth. Each grain of green rice seems to contain the color and flavor of young rice, the gentle fragrance of lotus leaves. From that rustic gift, Hanoians skillfully create many delicious dishes: fatty green rice sticky rice, sweet green rice cake, crispy green rice sausage or cool green rice sweet soup, each dish has its own flavor, simple but full of Vietnamese soul.

Me Tri village has been involved in making green rice flakes for nearly 100 years. Up to now, many households here still maintain the traditional manual process. Each batch of green rice flakes is created by the skillful hands and patience of the craftsmen - from the stage of selecting young sticky rice, roasting it on a cast iron pan, pounding it in a stone mortar to the meticulous screening stage. Each step is carefully carried out to preserve the gentle aroma and natural sticky taste of Me Tri green rice flakes.

After cleaning, the rice is put into a pan to roast. The most important thing is that the rice must be roasted to achieve the right level of stickiness and toughness. The worker must always watch the fire carefully, keeping the heat even so that the rice is cooked thoroughly, not undercooked or broken.
After roasting, the rice is transferred to the husking machine to separate the chaff.
The rice is hulled to remove only the soft grains inside.
After roasting the rice, the worker must wait for it to cool and then put each batch into a mortar to pound.
Depending on the immaturity of the rice, it takes an average of 5 to 8 times of pounding and winnowing to produce delicious green rice grains.

Sharing about the process of making green rice flakes, Ms. Nguyen Thi Nuan (49 years old, head of a green rice flakes production household in Me Tri village) said: “My family has been making green rice flakes for nearly two decades now. Each day, we produce more than a quintal of green rice flakes. The green rice production process must go through many meticulous stages: from cleaning the rice, roasting, separating the husks, to pounding and winnowing 5-8 times to produce a batch of green rice flakes that meets the requirements. Of all the stages, roasting is the most important and difficult - the fire must be just right for the green rice flakes to be soft, fragrant and retain their characteristic delicious taste.”

Although many steps are still done manually, nowadays the steps in the process of making green rice flakes have the support of machines. Thanks to that, green rice flake makers can reduce labor, increase productivity, while the quality of the product still retains its delicious flavor, rich in traditional features.

Preserving the ancient taste of green rice, reaching out with the times

Nowadays, green rice products are becoming more and more diverse, meeting the diverse needs of consumers. Besides traditional dishes such as fresh green rice, green rice sausage, green rice cake, green rice sticky rice or stir-fried green rice, there are now many modern green rice products such as green rice sausage, green rice xu xe, green rice yogurt, green rice mochi, green rice square cake, etc. All have a unique flavor, both familiar and new, making diners love them more and more.

Mr. Son (born in 1998), the owner of a shop specializing in selling green rice products in Me Tri, said: “My shop sells all the typical dishes made from green rice in Hanoi such as green rice sticky rice, green rice cakes, green rice sausage, fresh green rice or green rice sausage. There are also dried apricots, lotus tea... - specialties associated with the flavor of the capital. The prices of the products range from 80,000 to 140,000 VND, depending on the type. During the peak season - autumn, the number of customers increases sharply, customers not only come to buy directly but also order online a lot.

A variety of products are made from Me Tri green rice.

Currently, Mr. Son and his associates' store are promoting their products through many digital platforms such as Facebook, TikTok, YouTube and their own website. In addition, the store also focuses on investing in images, packaging and media publications - all of which bear the mark of Hanoi.

Ms. Trang (38 years old, Ho Chi Minh City) shared: “Previously, a friend of mine often bought green rice here as a gift. After enjoying it, I was fascinated by the fragrant, sweet flavor of Me Tri green rice. This time, when I went to Hanoi for work, I decided to stop by to enjoy it and buy it as a gift.”

“When I enjoyed the green rice on the spot, the sweet, soft taste and the aroma of fresh green rice mixed together really impressed me,” said Ms. Trang (sitting inside) .

Not only proud of its long history, Me Tri people today still diligently preserve and promote the traditional green rice making profession of their ancestors. Many production households have combined traditional manual methods with modern machinery, while promoting on social media platforms. Thanks to that, the image of Me Tri green rice not only "lives" in the memories of Hanoians but also gradually reaches out, appearing on the map of Vietnamese cuisine .

Article and photos: LE CHAU

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    Source: https://www.qdnd.vn/van-hoa/doi-song/giu-hon-thu-ha-noi-qua-tung-hat-com-me-tri-866797