The pearls of Tu Le

It seems people are already too familiar with the concept of " Hanoi autumn and Vong village's green rice flakes." But this autumn, if you're experiencing the golden season in the highlands, listen to the sound of pestles pounding green rice flakes in the villages to discover a delicious snack that's full of rustic emotions from the fields, mountains, and forests. Throughout the Northwest and Northeast regions, wherever there is newly harvested glutinous rice, people are busily harvesting, winnowing, and rhythmically pounding it to make green rice flakes, carrying the fragrant aroma of the countryside and hills in autumn. The road to Yen Bai during the golden season always captivates tourists, especially when passing through Tu Le town (Van Chan district). This town, with its beautiful name, is nestled in a valley between three high mountains: Khau Song, Khau Pha, and Khau Than. For generations, the people here have adapted to the terrain to cultivate rice on terraced fields. Among the various rice varieties grown in Tú Lệ, the traditional glutinous rice is considered the best in Vietnam, with valuable characteristics such as stickiness, aroma, richness, and a savory taste. It is this rice variety, which is only cultivated once a year, that gives rise to the famous specialty "Tu Le sticky rice". And of course, if the sticky rice is good, the green rice flakes (com) will also be good. From around mid-August to mid-October, when the villagers begin harvesting glutinous rice, the "rice flake making" workshops become bustling with activity throughout the villages. We didn't need to go far; we stopped at a house by the roadside in the town center that displayed a sign that read "Tu Le Rice Flakes" to learn about their production process. The Thai people here are very hospitable, always smiling when chatting with visitors from afar. They say that the rice used to make cốm (a type of Vietnamese rice snack) must be harvested at dawn, when the rice grains are still soaked with dew. The rice stalks are laden with large, round, plump grains, their husks a bluish-yellow color, and the tips still retaining a bit of milk. The glutinous rice is brought home and processed: threshed, sifted, rinsed with clean water, and then roasted in a cast-iron pan. Perhaps the most important step is roasting the rice, where the roaster must use their experience to control the temperature, pay attention to the time, and stir continuously so that the grains gradually separate from the husk. Afterward, they are spread out to cool and then pounded in a mortar. The mortar itself is rustic but captivating to visitors from the lowlands, who all eagerly ask to try making it themselves. The stone mortar and wooden pestle transmit force through a horizontal bar controlled by the foot. One person pedals the mortar to pound the rice, while another stirs the rice evenly. This rhythmic process continues until the rice husks are completely cracked, and the round, flat, green rice grains are sifted for the final time before being packaged in fresh green banana leaves. Visitors are delighted to sample the freshly made, warm, fragrant, and soft rice grains. Without hesitation, everyone buys them quickly, as if afraid of missing out on this delicious treat. Tu Le rice flakes are famous far and wide, providing the local people with additional income and motivation to expand their cultivation and production. For the people of Tu Le, making rice flakes is not only a traditional craft but also a means of livelihood for a more prosperous life.

Heritage Magazine

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