Keeping the hundred-year-old profession of Trang

Keep the fire burning in the small kitchen

Traditional Trang Bang rice paper must be coated in two layers, grilled lightly and exposed to dew once before reaching customers (Photo: provided by local authorities)

Coming to Trang, it is not too difficult to find a family making rice paper, but to find the true origin of Trang Bang rice paper, we were guided to Loc Du quarter, Trang Bang ward, where there are families that have been making rice paper for 3 generations.

In the small, neat kitchen, Mr. Le Van Hung said that this is where he and his mother (artisan Pham Thi Phai) used to sit and make rice paper. When he was young, his mother assigned him the task of lighting the stove and drying the rice paper, and gradually she passed on the secret of making rice paper in the dew. "Rice paper in the dew is different from other types of rice paper in that it must be made in two layers, so that after being grilled and dried in the dew, the rice paper does not tear. But when making two layers, the worker must have enough experience to watch the right degree of doneness of the first layer to make the second layer, ensuring that the two layers of dough blend together, the rice paper is thick but still cooked evenly" - Mr. Hung confided.

As one of the few people who diligently preserve the traditional profession of making sun-dried rice paper, Mr. Hung knows by heart the “secrets” to having delicious rice paper, from choosing the right type of rice by just scooping rice into his hand to mixing the flour and “looking” at the sky to know if it is sunny, rainy or has a lot of dew or little dew. For him, it all comes down to experience, meticulousness and the heart of a traditional sun-dried rice paper maker.

Every day, when the weather is good, Mr. Hung starts his work day before the rooster crows to make the rice flour that he prepared the day before. The rice paper is then dried in the sun, grilled over charcoal, and then exposed to dew once more to achieve the desired softness and elasticity. It sounds easy and quick, but to have the finished product is extremely laborious, because if there is too much sun, not enough dew, or the oven fire is not right, all the days of effort will be wasted.

Knowing that the work is hard, Mr. Hung cannot give up the job of making rice paper and does not want to "upgrade" from a rice husk kiln to an electric kiln to save effort and increase productivity. He confided: "Before, I used to do other jobs, but when my mother got old and weak, I wanted to return to preserve the job that my grandmother passed on to her and that she has tried to preserve all her life, for 40 years now. Every time I sit in this kitchen making rice paper, I often remember the days I sat working with my mother and listened to her advice, trying to keep the job." And now, Mr. Hung is still diligently following his mother's advice. His kitchen is still red hot on beautiful days, with enough sunshine and dew. During Tet, sometimes he has to stay up all night making rice paper.

And because of his appreciation for his profession, he wholeheartedly shares and teaches the craft of making sun-dried rice paper to anyone who wants to learn. Because he knows that, with the hard manual work and just enough income, the traditional craft of making sun-dried rice paper is not really attractive to young people in his hometown. "I just hope that if a class can be organized, I am willing to teach it, completely free of charge, just hoping that the craft of Trang Bang sun-dried rice paper will not be lost" - Mr. Hung said.

The person who "continues" the profession

Naturally, according to the laws of the market and social needs, the number of people making traditional rice paper is not as large as before. Instead, many young people have begun to apply technology to the production process and with their creativity, they have created many different types of rice paper to meet the tastes of customers.

Today, Trang Bang rice paper is not only the traditional dew-dried rice paper eaten with boiled meat and raw vegetables, but there are also countless other types of rice paper created thanks to the delicate combination of rice paper and spices, especially chili salt, another specialty of Tay Ninh . So now, when visiting Trang, tourists can not only enjoy the famous specialty but also experience many other types of rice paper, diverse in types and flavors.

Most of the rice paper products at the store are created by Mr. Vo Minh Cong and Ms. Luong Thi Men (his friend) by combining rice paper and different spices.

Also growing up in Trang, seeing his relatives and neighbors making rice paper since childhood, Mr. Vo Minh Cong (living in An Khuong quarter, An Tinh ward, formerly Trang Bang town) nurtured the dream of spreading his hometown's rice paper to many places. Seeing the rice paper makers who had been making rice paper for many years had to quit their jobs, Mr. Cong knew that if he wanted to preserve the rice paper making profession, he must first connect customers and local rice paper makers. Thinking and doing, he and his friend - Ms. Luong Thi Men - started a business selling his hometown's specialty. Understanding the tastes of consumers, Mr. Cong and Ms. Men created many different types of rice paper: kumquat rice paper, tamarind rice paper, butter rice paper, cheese rice paper, etc. From there, the Co Men rice paper brand was born, becoming a brand that is loved by diners near and far, especially young customers.

Although rice paper mixed with spices is not traditional rice paper, it is still dried in the dew according to the right technique to make the rice paper soft, supple and have the sweetness of the night dew. To diversify the types of rice paper and spices as they are now, professionals like Mr. Cong and Ms. Men do not hesitate to stay up late, wake up early, and carefully prepare each ingredient to ensure that the spices and side dishes with rice paper are always of high quality, helping to enhance the flavor of the hometown cake.

Mr. Cong shared: “I think that, in order to preserve the craft village of his hometown, rice paper makers must first make a living from their profession. And doing business honestly from his hometown's specialties will not only help friends near and far know about his hometown, increase the value of the product, but also create a source of income for local rice paper makers. The people here are very creative and talented, just need to understand the preferences and requirements of diners, they can create many different, rich and delicious types of rice paper. Anyone can do that, not just me”. With his passion, Mr. Cong strives to connect rice paper makers and rice paper businesses with the orientation of making Trang Bang rice paper a specialty associated with tourism in his home province.

According to Mr. Vo Minh Cong, to preserve the rice paper making profession, we must first connect customers and local rice paper makers (In photo: Mr. Cong at his family's rice paper and chili salt shop)

And the expectations and efforts of the Trang Bang rice paper makers have been and are being "supported" by the government with the Trang Bang Rice Paper Making Culture and Tourism Festival. The festival is held every two years, a meaningful activity to connect heritage with tourism development, contributing to preserving and promoting the value of the national intangible cultural heritage of rice paper making, while honoring the artisans who are day and night preserving and passing on the traditional craft. Through that, the image of the homeland and people of Tay Ninh is more widely introduced.

With the joint efforts of enthusiastic hearts and favorable policies from the locality, despite the changes, the soul of Trang Bang rice paper is still preserved and passed down through each generation. With the diligence of those who hold the "secret" of the traditional craft and the creativity and enthusiasm of young people, the craft of making Trang Bang rice paper is still being continued, both preserving the old taste of the homeland and opening a new direction for Tay Ninh specialties. And then, in each soft sticky rice cake, people can not only taste the sweetness of the night dew but also feel the love of the land and people of Trang./.

Moc Chau

Source: https://baolongan.vn/giu-nghe-tram-nam-xu-trang-a204879.html