Moss Picking Job - VnExpress

Nghe An From September to December, people in the highlands go down to streams in Tuong Duong district to pick moss growing on rocks to make food or sell for 15,000-20,000 VND per kilogram.

On a mid-September morning, Ms. Lo Thi Hong, 36 years old, residing in Xieng My commune, Tuong Duong district, and 4 other women wearing protective gear, carrying baskets and basins, carried each other to the edge of the forest more than 2 km from their house, then walked to the streams in Phay, Khe Quynh, Pieng O villages to collect moss from rocks. This is seasonal work for the Thai and Kho Mu ethnic groups in the highlands.

The streams in Xieng My and Nga My communes are 5-10 m wide, 0.5-1 m deep, many spots are nearly 1.5 m deep, hundreds of meters long, surrounded by dense trees. At the bottom are many silver and red stones with diameters of 5-30 cm covered with natural green moss. The moss fibers are thin, only 1-3 cm long, and stick together, so people often pick up bunches.

A woman is picking moss from a stream in Xieng My commune, Tuong Duong district. Photo: Hung Le

Ms. Hong held a plastic basket and walked upstream from the end of the stream, constantly observing and picking up clumps of moss. With moss clinging firmly to the rocks, she had to use an aluminum spoon to scrape it for 30 seconds. Moss at the head of the stream was covered with dirt and sand, so people chose to "pick up" from the bottom up to get clumps of young moss with less sand.

"To pick moss, I have to soak in water for many hours, so my limbs turn white and wrinkled. Sometimes my hands bleed because they hit sharp rocks or obstacles like thorns and sharp sticks at the bottom of the stream," said Ms. Hong.

Moss picking season takes place in the last 3-4 months of the year. The work depends on the weather, if it rains, the water is muddy, it is difficult to do, on average, people can pick about 15 days a month. People usually go in groups of 4-6 people, bring food and water to work through lunch, and return home in the late afternoon.

Moss after being sorted and cleaned. Photo: Hung Le

During the past two weeks of sunny weather, Ms. Vi Thi My, 46 years old, living in Nga My commune, and her daughter took advantage of the opportunity to go to the stream 3 km from their house to collect moss. Every day, they worked from 9am to 4pm, collecting more than 20 kg, selling it to traders for 15,000-20,000 VND per kg. "On average, I earn 300,000-350,000 VND per day, which helps me improve my life," Ms. My said.

Besides the income, moss and stone picking also has many potential dangers. Some streams are located in deep forests, with rugged terrain. When wading into the water to pick moss, if you are not careful, you can easily step on slippery rocks, causing you to fall and get injured. Even if you work in the rain, if you fall, the risk is high, because the strong water flow from upstream will sweep you away, endangering your life.

Rock moss is purchased by traders to supply to restaurants and eateries as food, earning 5,000 VND per kg compared to the original price collected in the village. Highlanders always leave 1-2 kg of moss on each trip to collect, wash away the dirt and sand, pound it in a mortar for a few hours, and use a sharp knife to cut it into small pieces to prepare many dishes.

Moss mixed with spices is wrapped in banana leaves and steamed to make a specialty dish. Photo: Hung Le

Moss can be cooked in soup, stir-fried, and the best way to make moss (also known as sausage). To make sausage, moss is marinated with broken rice, hot chili, wild pepper, lemongrass, and crushed pork fat, then wrapped in banana leaves and grilled or steamed for an hour. With specialties made from moss, highland people often use it to entertain distinguished guests or during Tet, weddings, housewarming...

Mr. Lo Ba Lich, Chairman of Xieng My Commune, said that moss picking brings a good income to people during the off-season. Each day, a person can pick up 10 kg, and families with many workers can pick up more than 20 kg. "However, the forests and mountains are dangerous, so the authorities always advise people to go in groups when picking moss and avoid deep streams," said Mr. Lich.

Duc Hung

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