"Keeping the fire" of sticky rice and coconut candy on Thoi Son island

Mornings on Thoi Son Islet (Thoi Son Ward, Dong Thap Province) begin with the gentle sound of oars on a small canal, the sound of wind blowing through orchards laden with fruit. Here, amidst the rustic rhythm of life in the river region, the green rice kilns and coconut candy kilns are still burning every day. The smell of roasted green rice and coconut milk mixed together to create a sweet aroma that has become a memory for many generations of gardeners and is also a flavor that attracts visitors from afar.

Rustic green rice grains with rich hometown flavor

The small road through Thoi Thanh neighborhood leads to the traditional green rice facility Xom Dua.

In the clean kitchen, Ms. Dang Thi Hong Van, a woman with many years of experience in the profession, is busily stirring a pan of roasted rice. The firelight reflects on the mirror, bright and gentle.

Visitors can experience scraping coconut themselves and enjoy the sweet, fragrant taste of coconut candy.

Each of her movements is skillful. “This green rice making craft was passed down from my grandmother to my mother, and then my mother to me,” Ms. Van said. In the past, the family only made sticky rice, but now they have created many new types of green rice to keep up with the tastes. But no matter how much it changes, the spirit of the craft must still be preserved.

The green rice flakes in Thoi Son are not like the green, sticky young rice flakes of the North. The ingredients can be regular rice, sticky rice or corn that has popped open after roasting. To get a good batch of green rice flakes, the rice grains must be carefully selected, roasted with white sand, and stirred constantly to avoid burning.

When the grains are fully expanded, the worker will sift them to remove the husk, then mix them with coconut milk and honey that has been simmered for fragrance.

Ms. Dang Thi Hong Van, Xom Dua Traditional Green Rice Establishment, mixes freshly roasted green rice with coconut milk and honey that has been simmered for fragrance.

The smoke from the kitchen mixed with the fragrant smell of roasted sticky rice and peanuts. Ms. Van smiled gently: “I replaced sugar with honey to make it less sweet and healthier. Nowadays, everyone is afraid of too much sweetness, so we have to adjust. But the fatty taste of coconut and the fragrant smell of sticky rice must be kept intact - that is the soul of the green rice of the West.”

Each piece of sticky rice is pressed into a mold, cut into square cakes, and placed on a wooden table to cool. The finished rice bars are light golden, crispy with the nutty taste of peanuts and the rich taste of honey - a dish as simple as the person who makes it.

COCONUT CANDY WITH SWEET HOMETOWN FLAVOR

Not far from Xom Dua facility is Hong Loan Coconut Candy Facility of Ms. Tran Thi Thuy Quynh, where every morning the sound of pots and pans and the bustling sound of candy being stirred resounds.

Workers here usually start work early in the morning. When the pot of coconut milk is heated, the whole space is immediately filled with the familiar fatty aroma.

Quynh said while checking the pot of candy: “Making coconut candy is not too difficult, but making it delicious is the secret. If the heat is not enough, the candy will be soggy, if the heat is too high, it will burn. Good candy must maintain a moderate softness, a mild sweetness and a beautiful golden color.”

Visitors learn about the process of making green rice flakes and enjoy the fragrant, crispy green rice flakes that have just been completed.

In the past, everything was done by hand; workers had to stir the candy continuously for hours. Now, with the help of machines, the work is easier but the technical requirements are still very high. “Machines only support, but the heart of the worker must still be put first,” said Ms. Quynh.

To increase competitiveness, her family has created many new flavors: durian, cocoa, peanuts... Recently, the facility has also researched a line of less sweet candy to suit the tastes. Despite the innovation, what she has retained is the traditional candy cooking method - the thing that makes the "quality" of Thoi Son coconut candy.

The worker unrolled the warm candy bars, spread them out on the table, and began rolling them in wrapping paper. Each movement was quick and deft, like a little dance of the hands.

TOURISTS AND THE MOMENT OF TOUCHING THE PROFESSION

In the context of many traditional occupations facing the risk of extinction, Thoi Son green rice and coconut candy are still preserved and developed, becoming a model connecting culture - tourism - community livelihood.

The profession not only creates jobs for local people, but also contributes to the formation of unique tourism products, increasing the attractiveness of the destination.

For many years, green rice flakes and coconut candy have become typical tourist products of Thoi Son Islet. Visitors coming here not only hear about the products, but also experience each stage firsthand.

Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Thanh, a tourist from Hanoi , recounted his first experience making green rice flakes: “I thought it would be simple, but roasting the rice was really hard. The grains had to bloom evenly and not burn. Eating the green rice flakes I made with my own hands made me feel unusually delicious.”

Not only domestic tourists, many international tourists also enjoy the experience. A Malaysian girl who scraped coconut for the first time exclaimed with delight: “If I have the chance, I will come back here. Everything is wonderful - the scenery, the people and the experience.”

These moments are a bridge to help tourists understand more about the local culture. A small piece of coconut candy or a crispy green rice cake is enough to tell the story of the diligence, ingenuity and pride of the people in the garden.

At the end of the day, as the sun gradually sets behind the orchards, the green rice kilns and candy kilns begin to cool down. Workers clean up their mess, preparing for the next batch. Outside, people are leaving with a few packages of green rice and some coconut candy - small gifts that contain the soul of the countryside.

In Thoi Son, green rice flakes and coconut candy are not just a profession. They are a part of the memory of the West, a living heritage passed down through many generations by the hands, the breath and the perseverance of the people on this island.

And perhaps that is why each piece of crispy green rice, each piece of soft, sweet coconut candy carries the taste of the earth, of water, of people - a flavor that anyone who tastes it once will remember forever.

Today’s rice flake and candy kilns have been improved, but the cultural and spiritual values ​​of the traditional craft are still preserved intact. Thoi Son people continue to pass on their craft to the younger generation, so that the sounds of pestles, roasting machines, candy wrapping… still resound every day as the sound of perseverance and love for the craft.

MORNING

Source: https://baodongthap.vn/-giu-lua-com-nep-keo-dua-tren-cu-lao-thoi-son-a233796.html