New green rice season in Cu K'nia,

The soul of the countryside in the scent of new green rice

Every autumn, when the glutinous rice grains are full, not too old and not too young, and starting to turn yellow, Tay women in Cu K'nia commune harvest them and thresh the grains. The plump grains are chosen to make green rice flakes.

From sticky rice grains to make fragrant, soft green rice flakes containing the soul of the countryside, Tay women have to put in a lot of effort and go through many stages.

Green rice flakes are made from delicious sticky rice, when the rice grains are full, but still milky and not too old.

Mrs. Hoang Thi Hoan, a Tay ethnic in village 5, Cu K'nia commune, is famous for making delicious green rice flakes. Every autumn, Mrs. Hoan is busy preparing for the new green rice crop of the year. Early in the morning, when the night dew is still on each rice flower waiting for the morning sun, Mrs. Hoan goes to the field to cut rice to make green rice flakes. The rice must be cut in the morning, avoiding sunlight because when it is exposed to sunlight, the sap will dry out, making the green rice flakes not delicious or sticky.

Holding a sickle in one hand, Mrs. Hoan quickly cut the plump and even glutinous rice flowers. The harvesting of glutinous rice to make green rice flakes is not done on a mass scale; she only cuts the amount of rice needed. Because when the rice is harvested, it must be threshed to make green rice flakes. If the rice is left overnight, the green rice flakes will become bland and not delicious.

September has come, the sticky rice fields of the Tay people in Cu K'nia commune, Cu Jut district have begun to bloom evenly, preparing for the new green rice season.

After threshing the rice, Mrs. Hoan washed the rice and removed the broken grains that floated on the water surface. Next, she put the rice in a pot to steam until the grains were evenly cooked and soft.

After steaming the sticky rice, Mrs. Hoan poured it into a basket to drain. Then she roasted it on the stove until it was dry. When the sticky rice had cooled, she put it in a stone mortar and pounded it until she saw the husks. Then she scooped it out, sifted it, and pounded it again. After the careful pounding, sifting, and winnowing process, she obtained green sticky rice grains with the scent of young rice, which were also known as green rice flakes.

Every year, Ms. Hoang Thi Hoan makes delicious batches of green rice for her family and neighbors.

Talking about the secret to making delicious green rice, Ms. Hoang Thi Hoan shared: “When the rice flowers bloom evenly, start to wilt for a week, the rice color is still green, then it is best to make green rice. Old rice cannot be used, the grains are yellow, hard, and not delicious. During the steaming process, you have to stir 3 times so that the sticky rice grains are evenly cooked. When roasting, you have to stir continuously, watch until the color of the shell changes slightly, the shell peels off the grain.”

Each step is meticulously done, containing both passion and accumulated experience, secrets passed down from generation to generation of the Tay people.

Com is processed by the Tay people into many special dishes, containing a rich, sweet, and attractive flavor such as: banh chung com, com lam, com sausage, com lam che, com xoi... Com has its own sweetness. The sweetness of young rice grains, of the autumn sun. The aroma of com is the quintessence and richness in the culinary art of the Tay people.

The plump sticky rice grains have to go through many stages to become delicious green rice flakes.

In the Tay villages of Cu K'nia, the elderly and children are eager to enjoy new green rice. The scent of the first young rice of the season always makes everyone eagerly wait, it is the whole childhood sky of the children here. Ha Thi Truc, village 5, Cu K'nia commune shared: "Green rice is sticky, fragrant and very delicious. During the green rice season, I really like to make green rice with my grandmother and mother".

Wish for prosperity

Like Mrs. Hoan, in the memory of Mrs. Nong Thi Hanh, a Tay ethnic in village 3, Cu K'nia commune, green rice reminds her of the hard years of working by the stream and on the hills. Bringing with her the golden sticky rice of her homeland and the love of her family and village, Mrs. Hanh planted it on the land of Cu K'nia. Her love and attachment to the new land also sprouted from there. In the fields, the rice plants grew, filled with hope and wishes for a prosperous and fulfilling life for her family.

“The yellow sticky rice variety brought from the countryside has large, round grains, making green green rice flakes that are both soft and delicious. It takes 6 months from sowing to harvest. The rice plants must be almost as tall as a person’s head,” Ms. Hanh shared.

The new green rice season is also the time when the rice fields of the Tay people in Cu K'nia commune, Cu Jut district turn yellow, waiting for a happy harvest season.

For the Tay people, the new green rice season is also the time when farmers prepare to harvest the biggest summer-autumn rice crop of the year. It is the result of months of hard work, imbued with effort and love.

Autumn is also the season of new green rice, the Tay people celebrate the new rice, as if they were celebrating a new year. Young sticky rice is a symbol of the freshness and purity of heaven and earth, symbolizing fertility and growth. Making green rice from young sticky rice is considered a spiritual ritual, praying for favorable weather and bountiful crops.

Ms. Vi Thi Hue, a Tay ethnic in village 3, Cu K'nia commune, said: "Before the whole family sits together to enjoy the new green rice, we always have to light incense and invite our ancestors first. The elderly and children are all eager to enjoy the autumn specialty, the result of the family's hard work, and look forward to a prosperous harvest season."

The fresh green color and special aroma of young rice have become a unique autumn dish of the Tay people in Cu K'nia commune, Cu Jut district.

The young, fragrant, green rice grains are both simple and warm with humanity, made by the kind hearts of the Tay ethnic people. This rustic dish is not only a rich culinary art but also a sacred traditional value, a unique cultural identity of the Tay people.

According to Mr. Ma Van Loc, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Cu K'nia commune, the Tay people in the commune have 454 households, more than 1,910 people, mainly concentrated in villages 2, 3, 4, 5 and 8. The Tay households originate from Cao Bang, Bac Kan, Thai Nguyen... Up to now, the lives of Tay households are basically stable. Many households have built a new, prosperous life and actively participated in local activities and movements. The Tay people also preserve and promote traditional cultural identities in their second homeland such as costumes, cuisine, music... The commune has also established a Tay and Nung club for playing Tinh and Then singing, which operates effectively.

Source: https://baodaknong.vn/deo-thom-huong-com-cu-k-nia-228311.html