Preserving the traditional craft of making glutinous rice dumplings with lye water.

With their skillful hands, the Hoa ethnic minority women in Bui Thi Them hamlet, Vinh Tuy commune, have preserved their family's traditional craft of wrapping glutinous rice dumplings in lye water, creating a stable livelihood and providing a steady income for their families.

Ms. Tran Thi Pha (on the right) and members of the Hoa ethnic minority women's group stringing rice dumplings together. Photo: CAM TU

Before 2021, the craft of making glutinous rice dumplings in Bui Thi Them hamlet was limited to household-scale production, with each person making and selling their own, resulting in unstable income. Ms. Tran Thi Pha, Head of the Women's Association in Bui Thi Them hamlet, shared: “Seeing that the Hoa ethnic minority women were skilled and made delicious dumplings, but the market was unstable, we proposed gathering them and establishing a Women's Group specializing in making glutinous rice dumplings using lye water. This is not only to preserve the craft but also to help each other earn a living .”

After establishing the group, the Women's Association of Bui Thi Them hamlet acted as a bridge, strengthening support for members in introducing their rice cakes and finding markets for their products. As a result, the group's rice cakes became known to many customers, leading to an increasing number of orders. To date, the group operates effectively, with members collaborating in their work, contributing to stable employment and increased income.

Currently, the Hoa ethnic minority women's group specializing in making glutinous rice dumplings in the hamlet has 10 members. Most of the women in the group have years of experience making dumplings, with at least 5 years of experience and some having over 20 years. Notably, making glutinous rice dumplings is a family tradition, preserved and cherished by many of the women. The Hoa ethnic minority women's group holds monthly meetings, primarily to disseminate information about women's association activities and to provide opportunities for members to share their experiences in making dumplings and improve product quality.

Ms. Ha Ngoc Thuy, head of the Hoa ethnic minority women's group specializing in making glutinous rice dumplings with lye water, shared: "For me, making glutinous rice dumplings with lye water is a family tradition that has been maintained for over 20 years. Because I love the craft, I always strive to improve the quality of the product and better serve customer needs. Since joining this group, I have learned experience and knowledge in making dumplings and been introduced to distributors. Thanks to this, my family has a stable income of about 6 million VND per month."

Currently, Ms. Thuy makes rice dumplings to order for parties, events, festivals, wholesale, and market sales. Each dozen (10 dumplings) costs 35,000 VND. According to many customers who buy Ms. Thuy's traditional rice dumplings, the dumplings are irresistibly delicious, with translucent, fragrant glutinous rice grains, a subtly sweet and nutty mung bean filling, and a soft, chewy texture that melts in your mouth, leaving a lasting impression. Thanks to her skillful hands in making rice dumplings with a distinctive flavor, Ms. Thuy receives many orders from customers in neighboring communes, Rach Gia ward, and Can Tho city.

At first glance, the craft of making glutinous rice dumplings with ash water seems simple, but creating dumplings with a translucent yellow color and delicate flavor is not easy; it's extremely elaborate, requiring skill and meticulousness through many steps. The secret lies in the process of settling the ash water. The women must choose ash from mangrove, melaleuca, or other similar trees. Next, they put the ash into a ceramic basin, add water, and soak it for 1-2 days, then take the clear water from the top. This ash water is then used to soak the washed glutinous rice according to a special recipe, resulting in dumplings with a beautiful translucent yellow color and a distinctive flavor. The glutinous rice used must be of high quality, with even, sticky grains.

Sticky rice dumplings are wrapped in fresh bamboo leaves to create a beautiful shape and preserve their flavor. When wrapping, the women stack two bamboo leaves together, rolling the ends into a funnel shape. They scoop in the sticky rice, then place the filling on top, and cover with another layer of sticky rice. They gently press the rice down with their fingers to make it firm. They fold the remaining corners of the leaf tightly and tie the dumpling with string. The resulting dumplings have evenly spaced, attractive corners; ten dumplings are tied together in a bunch.

The rice cakes are wrapped and then cooked. This step requires close attention; if the water runs low during cooking, add more boiling water, but do not add cold water, otherwise the rice will become tough and the cakes will not taste good. After a few hours, the cakes are cooked. Take them out, rinse them with cold water, and hang them in a cool, airy place. The cakes do not contain preservatives and can be consumed within 3-4 days.

Besides focusing on improving the quality of the rice cakes, the members of the cooperative also actively promote and introduce their products through events and festivals. Many women use Facebook and Zalo to promote and introduce their lye water rice cakes to customers within and outside the commune. Smartphones have become powerful tools for them to promote and bring their products closer to customers.

CAM TU

Source: https://baoangiang.com.vn/giu-nghe-goi-banh-u-nuoc-tro-a482998.html