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| Many products made from young rice flakes are processed and packaged by the people of Me Tri village, contributing to preserving and spreading the traditional flavor of Hanoi 's young rice flakes. (Photo: Bach Duong) |
A renowned and elegant delicacy.
The craft of making puffed rice in Me Tri village (Tu Liem ward, Hanoi) Established at the beginning of the 20th century, it has existed for over a hundred years now.
Me Tri consists of two villages, Thuong and Ha, where many families are involved in the traditional craft of making sticky rice flakes (com). Today, Me Tri sticky rice flakes have become an indispensable part of Vietnamese culinary culture, a renowned and elegant gift from Hanoi.
Besides preserving their traditional craft, in recent years, the people of Me Tri village have also actively promoted their sticky rice flakes to international friends through cultural and diplomatic events and culinary exchanges. As a result, the aroma of Hanoi's sticky rice flakes is becoming increasingly well-known to tourists and international friends.
The people of Me Tri village are proud to have welcomed US President Barack Obama in 2016. In 2018, Me Tri's fresh green rice flakes, sticky rice with green rice flakes, and green rice flake patties were showcased at the National Convention Center during the US-North Korea summit. By 2019, the Me Tri green rice flake making craft was included in the list of 17 National Intangible Cultural Heritage, according to a decision by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
Mr. Nguyen Tien Hoa, the owner of a rice flake making facility in Me Tri Thuong village, who has been involved in the profession for over 50 years, said that most households making rice flakes in Me Tri have followed this profession for many generations.
"This craft has been passed down from our ancestors for hundreds of years. From the toddling footsteps of children around the mortar and pestle, to the curious attempts at threshing rice and roasting sticky rice, the craft of making cốm (roasted rice flakes) has become ingrained in the blood and flesh of the villagers and has been passed down to this day."
Me Tri village is busiest during the two main rice flake harvesting seasons of the year. The season is quite short, so many families proactively store several hundred kilograms of rice flakes after each harvest to process into various delicacies such as rice flake patties, sticky rice with rice flakes, or rice flake sausages. Thanks to this, the flavor of Me Tri's young rice can be served to diners throughout all four seasons.
Typically, from the beginning of July to the beginning of October in the lunar calendar each year, the villagers are busy with the biggest rice flake season. From 2-3 a.m., the fires are blazing, and the sounds of roasting rice and pounding rice fill the air throughout the village. Batches of young glutinous rice are roasted, pounded, and sifted continuously until late at night, creating batches of chewy green rice flakes, a familiar treat of Hanoi's autumn.
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| The fire in the rice roasting hearth glows red from dawn, producing batches of chewy green rice flakes from Me Tri village. (Photo: Bach Duong) |
Secrets to preserving the traditional flavor of sticky rice flakes.
With its long-standing tradition, the craft of making sticky rice flakes in Me Tri still preserves the unique secrets of making these flakes that cannot be found anywhere else. Various types of young glutinous rice such as Luong Phuong, fragrant glutinous rice, Tan glutinous rice, Quyt glutinous rice, and Hoa Cai Hoa Vang glutinous rice can all be used as ingredients for making sticky rice flakes. However, sticky rice flakes made from Hoa Cai Hoa Vang glutinous rice are the best, with plump, round, and glossy grains.
Previously, people in Me Tri often grew their own glutinous rice to make com (a type of Vietnamese rice snack). However, due to urbanization, the area of rice fields has shrunk. Therefore, many households engaged in this craft now have to buy glutinous rice from other rice-growing regions to maintain production.
Mr. Hoa revealed that to get delicious green rice flakes, the rice must be harvested at the right stage of milky stage, ideally in the early morning when the rice ears are still covered in dew. The night dew is what keeps the green rice flakes soft and fragrant. If left until the next day, the rice loses its dew, and the green rice flakes lose their "soul."
"If harvested late, the rice flakes will be hard; if not roasted properly, the flakes will be bland; and if pounded too forcefully, the rice flakes will easily break apart. On average, one hundred kilograms of rice only yields about 17-18 kilograms of finished rice flakes," he said.
The process of making cốm (roasted rice flakes) is quite elaborate, involving many meticulous steps such as roasting, sifting, and pounding... to ensure the rice flakes achieve the desired chewy, smooth texture and characteristic light green color. In particular, the roasting process is an art form. The rice grains must be roasted to achieve the perfect chewy and elastic texture.
To achieve this, the fire needs to be carefully controlled so that the rice grains are cooked through, neither undercooked nor broken. For fragrant puffed rice, it must be roasted over a wood fire, with constant attention to maintaining a steady flame. Initially, use a high, even fire; when the rice turns pale white, reduce the heat and stir continuously to ensure the grains cook evenly without breaking or the husks separating.
"Making puffed rice requires waking up early; the roasting process alone takes more than two and a half hours. It's tiring, but hearing the pounding of the pestle and smelling the aroma of the puffed rice spreading throughout the yard makes you forget all the fatigue," he said humorously.
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| Mr. Nguyen Tien Hoa, the owner of a rice flake making facility in Me Tri Thuong village, shares his experience in making rice flakes. (Photo: Bach Duong) |
Each batch of freshly roasted rice flakes, still hot, is immediately pounded in a large stone mortar. The mortar is buried under the floor to reduce noise and ensure a firm consistency.
A mortar holds about 5kg of rice flakes, and the pestle continuously grinds them up and down in a rhythmic motion to achieve the right softness, elasticity, thinness, and fluffiness without crumbling. Afterward, the rice flakes are sifted to remove the husks; this process must be repeated 4-5 times to complete one batch of rice flakes.
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| Each batch of puffed rice is carefully sifted by artisans in Me Tri village after pounding. (Photo: Bach Duong) |
Sharing his thoughts on the changes in the craft village, Mr. Hoa said that the introduction of machinery into production 30 years ago has significantly reduced labor. Previously, each batch of manually pounded rice only yielded a little over 1 kg, but now the capacity has increased many times over, reaching 40 to 45 kg while still ensuring consistent quality of the rice flakes. However, he affirmed that no matter how modern the technology becomes, the meticulousness and skillful hands of the craftsman remain the key elements that give this delicacy its soul.
Creativity is key to keeping the passion alive in the profession.
Along with preserving traditional production methods, many households in Me Tri are proactively creating new products from young rice flakes such as young rice flake sausages, young rice flake cakes, young rice flake yogurt, young rice flake milk tea, or young rice flake mochi.
These variations not only enrich the menu of sticky rice dishes but also offer a novel experience, attracting the younger generation who appreciate the balance between heritage and modern culinary trends.
In addition, the promotion and sale of products are gradually shifting to online platforms. Many families in the village have taken advantage of social media, livestreaming, and e-commerce platforms to introduce their products.
Furthermore, households also focus on enhancing the product's quality, emphasizing its cultural value and making it suitable as a gift or token of appreciation. As a result, Me Tri rice flakes are not only popular among Hanoi residents but also reach customers in many other localities and countries.
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| Many new products made from young rice flakes offer a new culinary experience for young people. (Photo: Bach Duong) |
Despite facing the changes of modern life, many people in Me Tri village remain steadfast in their traditional craft. "We hope our children and grandchildren will continue to preserve the craft of our ancestors. As long as the sound of pestles pounding rice still resonates, the spirit of Hanoi's autumn will remain intact over time," Mr. Hoa expressed.
Batch of green rice flakes are still regularly produced each day by the diligent hands of the artisans in Me Tri village. Each fragrant, chewy grain of rice retains the pure flavor of freshly harvested rice, carrying the dedication of the craftsmen. Through the changes of time, this delicious treat has been preserved and continued as a distinctive traditional cultural feature of Hanoi.
Source: https://baoquocte.vn/lang-com-me-tri-giu-gin-huong-nep-tram-nam-373117.html
