First, let me explain the name "malt syrup." According to someone in the traditional malt syrup making village, the recipe was passed down by a Chinese person. Initially, I was half-skeptical, half-believing. But after checking the dictionary, I found that the word "malt syrup" is a metaphor for the ingredients of this dish: sprouted rice and regular rice (nowadays glutinous rice). This is also the origin of the name of this specialty dish.
I don't know the details of malt-making, only the basics: sprout rice about 5 cm deep, then dry it, and then grind it into powder. Glutinous rice is cooked and mixed with the sprouted rice powder, then mixed with water and left to ferment again. Finally, the liquid is squeezed out, and the mixture is cooked until it thickens.
Malt syrup is best eaten with rice crackers.
When I heard writer Nguyen Nhat Anh recount the joys of his childhood, my own memories suddenly tasted sweet like malt candy.
When I was a child, I lived in the countryside. Back then, the variety of sweets and snacks wasn't as extensive as it is now, and imported goods were even rarer. My grandmother often bought me "Thien But" malt syrup (a famous malt syrup brand in Quang Ngai ). At that time, the malt syrup was packaged in condensed milk cans, with tin lids made from recycled bird's nest drink cans.
Holding the chopsticks and scooping the malt syrup out of the can filled my heart with joy. I happily ate the malt syrup with chopsticks, just like eating a lollipop I'd always dreamed of. Eating malt syrup used up quite a few chopsticks in my house. Because when scooping the syrup, I often stuck them deep into the can and held on tightly, so I frequently broke the chopsticks. Every time this happened, I had to ask my grandmother for help. She would help me retrieve the broken chopsticks and then make me a "childhood specialty": malt syrup rice crackers.
I mentioned it, and writer Nguyen Nhat Anh nodded in agreement. Malt syrup must be eaten with rice crackers to be considered authentic, proper, and to show that one is a connoisseur of malt syrup. My grandmother scooped the malt syrup very elegantly and neatly. In an instant, you could see the glistening strands of malt syrup spread thinly on the crispy golden rice cracker, like freshly woven silk threads still lying on the loom.
I eagerly awaited it. When she broke the rice paper in half, folded it up, and handed it to me, my joy was overwhelming. I sat still and quickly savored the taste of this simple treat, my stomach leaping with excitement. The crispy, fragrant rice paper combined with the sweet flavor of the malt candy made me forget my craving from standing at the grocery store. If you added some peanuts, this malt rice paper snack would be just as delicious as sesame candy or peanut brittle.
Because memories suddenly awakened, one day when I returned to Quang Ngai, I rushed to the town to buy a jar of malt syrup. That's how I learned that Quang Ngai malt syrup now comes in many brands and varieties. There's the "Thien But" brand, some are registered under the OCOP (One Commune One Product) program, some are in plastic containers, some in glass jars… As for me, I had to find the kind that came in a condensed milk can. Perhaps it was to perfectly match my memories.
Back home, my grandmother and I opened the can of malt syrup. She praised, "The bakery used less malt, so the syrup is clear and sweet." Then she smiled warmly, her eyes gazing thoughtfully at the can of malt syrup. Perhaps, like me, she was reminiscing about a time long gone...
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