The vermicelli village on the Red River is vibrant during Tet

Quy Mong commune is located on the Red River, about 20km from the center of Yen Bai province. This place is gradually forming a craft village producing vermicelli (dong vermicelli) with an increasingly expanding and modern scale, bringing a decent life to the people.

There was a time when vermicelli replaced rice

In the last days of the Year of the Cat, we were present in the fields of Thinh An village (Quy Mong commune), only meeting a few households harvesting the last beds of arrowroot plants. Some people are digging the ground and choosing bulbs for the spring crop.

About a month ago, the entire vast field along the Red River was covered with the dark green color of galangal trees. When the dandelion flowers bloom bright red, it is time to harvest the tubers. During the galangal harvest season, young and old, both male and female, all went to the fields, plowing and hoeing were bustling, chattering throughout the field. Hundreds of sacks filled with tubers are stacked in the fields waiting for trucks to transport them to the place for processing and making starch.

Ms. Pham Thi Lan in Thinh An village has spent weeks outdoors this year, her hands still quickly picking up the tubers, pounding the ground, cutting the roots to put in bags. Her family planted more than 6 acres of galangal. This year the weather has been rainy so the yield has decreased, but the price of the galangal has doubled compared to the previous crop so the income is higher. Each acre (2m360) yields about 2 tons of tubers, with a selling price of 3 - 2.500 VND/kg. This year, Ms. Lan's family earned more than 2.700 million VND, which will help her family have a fuller Tet.

With a gentle smile, Ms. Lan shared that her family has been growing peach trees since the 70s of the last century. In the past, people here only grew the long-rooted variety with small tubers and many roots, but now people have switched to growing the high-yielding variety with large roots, few roots, and higher productivity. In the past, there were many households in the village growing daggers, mainly growing them in gardens and along streams for processing as food. Every step from grinding flour, developing vermicelli, and slicing fibers is done by hand, most of which have to be done in the evening to have enough food for the whole family. Instead of rice, vermicelli is often cooked with crabs and fish caught in the fields and ditches, yet it still feeds a family of more than a dozen people through difficult times.

For many generations, hundreds of hectares of agricultural land in Quy Mong commune have been deposited by the Red River with fertile alluvium, suitable for the growth and development of galangal plants. Every year, people in the commune actively convert ineffective rice land, garden land, and sandbanks to grow galangal into a concentrated area, maintaining a stable area of ​​70 - 80 hectares.

Mr. Nguyen Van Vong, a resident of Thinh An village, shared: In the past, there were no vehicles or machinery, so expanding the area for growing galangal was very difficult and there was not enough human strength to do it. In the past ten years, many local households have purchased machinery to transport, process starch and make vermicelli, so people feel secure in expanding their area and their income is getting better and better.

Galangal is a very easy plant to grow, easy to care for and has few pests. Each year, galangal is usually planted in the spring and harvested at the end of the year. In addition to pure cultivation, the peach tree can also be intercropped with other crops such as corn, peanuts, and beans. In 2023, Mr. Vong's family planted more than 5 acres of tubers and harvested more than 10 tons of tubers. Households in the village exchange labor to dig tubers, pound the ground, then the tubers are bagged right in the field waiting for trucks to transport them to the starch processing factory.

Producing clean vermicelli using modern technology

Currently, Quy Mong commune has 4 flour factories, all facilities are invested in complete machinery from the stages of washing tubers, milling, filtering and settling flour. Each facility can process 15 - 20 tons of tubers and produce more than 4 tons of starch/day, ensuring food safety and hygiene. 

Mr. Phi Dac Hung - owner of the knife starch processing facility, said his family has been attached to the knife since 40 years ago. Currently, each year Mr. Hung's family plants more than 1 hectare of galangal, harvesting hundreds of tons of tubers. Seeing the increased need for starch processing among people, in 2015, his family invested in opening a workshop to process starch for his family and households in need. For every 10kg of tubers, 4kg of starch can be processed, minus the cost of renting machinery and labor, farmers have nearly double the profit compared to selling tubers.

In the past, most people in Quy Mong only grew galangal to eat. Those who grew a lot sold the roots to starch processing facilities in downstream provinces such as Hanoi, Hung Yen and some craft villages. vermicelli production in Phuc Loc commune, Gioi Phien (Yen Bai city). In the past 5 years, cooperatives and cooperative groups have been established in the commune to produce vermicelli. With support from the state, vermicelli makers have invested in modern machinery such as boilers, fiber presses, slicers, cutters, bagging machines... 

Mr. Do Danh Toan - Director of Toan Nga Green Startup Cooperative (Quy Mong commune) shared: His family has been making vermicelli since 40 years ago. Since he was young, Mr. Toan has seen his parents grind cassava roots to make flour using a foot pedal, then the starch is put in a steamer, when the flour is cooked, it is wrapped in a thin plastic bag, brought out in the sun for about 30 minutes, then Then put it into a hand crank machine to cut it into fibers. Each batch of vermicelli can only process a few pounds but it is very difficult.

The profession of making vermicelli has been lost for many years. In 2021, Mr. Toan decided to establish a cooperative to produce vermicelli. With modern technology and machinery, vermicelli production has high productivity, guaranteed quality, and more beautiful designs.

According to Mr. Toan, to make delicious vermicelli, people in the village use 100% pure galangal plant powder. The flour is soaked and washed thoroughly to settle, impurities are removed, and filtered 3 times will produce clean starch. Then, put the starch into the pot and cook over even fire, stirring continuously so that the raw powder does not settle. When the dough is cooked, immediately put it into the mold of the fiber press.

The steaming vermicelli sticks will be brought out to dry in the sun. The vermicelli drying racks are woven from bamboo stems and are kept clean. The drying area is often chosen on the banks of ponds, fields, away from roads to avoid dust. After drying for about 3 hours, the vermicelli fibers will dry evenly and continue to be put into the cutting and packaging machine.

Building a 5-star OCOP vermicelli product for export

Vermicelli noodles in Quy Mong are produced all year round, however the last months of the year are the busiest because people focus on producing Tet goods. Investing in semi-automatic machinery systems in production has helped reduce labor, giving high productivity and guaranteed quality. On average, each facility can produce 300 - 400kg of vermicelli/day. Quy Mong vermicelli is produced cleanly by cooperatives, without the use of preservatives or additives, so it has a clear white color, naturally chewy and crispy fibers, and when cooked over heat, it does not become mushy or sticky.

Gradually forming a vermicelli making village not only helps preserve the traditional profession but also creates jobs for people to earn regular income. During the holidays, the vermicelli business becomes even more vibrant thanks to quality products, moderate prices, and the ability to prepare many delicious dishes. 

Thanks to the application of science and technology and putting machinery into production, the profession of growing ao dai and making vermicelli is increasingly developing. In the coming time, Quy Mong commune is encouraging people to maintain and expand the area and develop acacia growing areas according to VietGAP standards. In addition, coordinate with functional agencies and entities to upgrade OCOP products from 4 stars to 5 stars to export traditional vermicelli products.

Mr. Tran Van Chung - Chairman of Quy Mong Commune People's Committee said that the commune currently has 4 cooperatives and vermicelli production cooperative groups. Thanks to the improved design and quality, the average price of vermicelli ranges from 60.000 - 70.000 VND/kg. There are 2 vermicelli products of Viet Hai Dang Cooperative and Toan Nga Green Startup Cooperative that have been recognized as OCOP products at the provincial level. Vermicelli products are regularly promoted and introduced at major fairs and exhibitions in Yen Bai province. Quy Mong's vermicelli products are increasingly affirming their reputation and popularity with consumers, which is the motivation for people in the commune to continue promoting their values ​​and building brands for traditional products of their homeland.