Over 20 years of making glutinous rice dumplings with ash.

For over 20 years, Ms. Quách Thị Búi, residing in Minh Phú neighborhood, Châu Thành commune, has been dedicated to the craft of wrapping glutinous rice dumplings wrapped in banana leaves, preserving the rustic flavor that has become a cherished memory for many on the 5th day of the 5th lunar month.

Ms. Bui is busy wrapping glutinous rice dumplings to prepare for delivery to customers during the Dragon Boat Festival. Photo: TUONG VI

Located in a small alley along the Minh Luong River in Chau Thanh commune, Mrs. Bui's house is bustling these days as the Dragon Boat Festival approaches. Early in the morning, family members are busy preparing to wrap the cakes. Some wash the sticky rice, others arrange the leaves, and still others prepare the filling. In the back room, stoves are burning brightly, preparing for the first batches of cakes. In the middle of the house, Mrs. Bui sits beside baskets of carefully soaked white sticky rice, baskets of fresh green bamboo leaves, and trays of round mung bean filling. Despite being over 70 years old, her hands are still nimble and skillful. Mrs. Bui arranges the leaves into a cone shape, adds the right amount of sticky rice, places the filling in the center, covers it with another layer of sticky rice, and ties it tightly with string. The finished cakes are strung together in bunches, waiting to be put into the pot to cook. Each cake takes Mrs. Bui a few minutes to complete. "Anyone who comes to my house and sees me sitting here wrapping bánh chưng (Vietnamese rice cakes) is surprised and asks how I can still be so nimble at over 70 years old. I've been doing this for over 20 years, wrapping them every day, so it's become a habit," Mrs. Búi said.

When it comes to making glutinous rice cakes with ash water, Mrs. Búi knows each step by heart. According to her, to get those fragrant, translucent, and beautifully golden cakes, the maker must start with selecting the ingredients. For over 20 years, she has chosen glutinous rice from Trà Vinh because the grains are uniform, fragrant, and sticky. After being carefully selected, the rice is soaked in ash water for 8-10 hours. The filling is also meticulously prepared. Mung beans are cooked, mashed, and then mixed with sugar and grated coconut to create a characteristic rich and creamy flavor. These mixtures are then rolled into small, round balls before being wrapped with the rice. According to Mrs. Búi, if the filling is too dry, the cake loses its harmony, while if it's too runny, it's difficult to wrap and affects the taste. Therefore, the maker must adjust the filling to maintain the right level of richness, fragrance, and cohesion.

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Preserving the traditional glutinous rice cake making craft in Hoi An.(QNO) - Ash-wrapped rice dumplings are a traditional dish in Hoi An city during the Dragon Boat Festival (the 15th day of the 5th lunar month every year), but this craft is gradually disappearing.

The bamboo leaves used to wrap the glutinous rice dumplings must be thoroughly washed, dried, and carefully selected to prevent tearing or fraying at the edges. Additionally, the string used to tie the dumplings is chosen by the family from banana fibers grown in their garden, then shredded and dried for use. According to Mrs. Búi, this type of string is both strong and helps preserve the traditional way of making glutinous rice dumplings that her family has maintained for many years.

Besides the traditional glutinous rice dumplings, in recent years Mrs. Bui has also started making mini glutinous rice dumplings to meet customer demand. These dumplings are sold for 20,000 VND per 10 pieces and are popular choices for personal enjoyment or as gifts. According to Mrs. Bui, she sells an average of 1,000 dumplings per day. During the period leading up to the Dragon Boat Festival, orders increase sharply, with production often ranging from 2,000 to 3,000 dumplings per day. To keep up with customer demand, many processes have been improved. Previously, she ground the mung beans herself for the filling, but now she uses machinery to save time and effort. However, important steps such as preparing the ingredients, monitoring the consistency of the filling, and wrapping the dumplings are still carefully performed by her to maintain the familiar flavor that has been a part of her customers' lives for many years.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Tuyet Phuong, residing in Minh Phu neighborhood, came to Ms. Bui's house to pick up 50 glutinous rice dumplings she had ordered in advance. Without waiting to be called, Ms. Phuong familiarly walked into the house, asked a few questions, and quickly received the prepared dumplings. According to Ms. Phuong, her family has been buying glutinous rice dumplings from Ms. Bui for many years. "I've eaten Ms. Bui's dumplings since I was little. Back then, every year during the Dragon Boat Festival, my parents would buy them to offer as sacrifices. It's still the same now; every year my family orders dumplings from her. Many people in the neighborhood also come to her house to buy dumplings," Ms. Phuong shared.

TUONG VI

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Source: https://baoangiang.com.vn/hon-20-nam-lam-banh-u-tro-a488825.html