Traditional crafts are gradually losing their followers.
For a long time, Tan Tho has been known as a traditional craft village with an indispensable item on the Tet (Lunar New Year) offering tray of the Quang Nam people: puffed rice cakes. These square, crispy cakes, fragrant with roasted glutinous rice blended with malt sugar, create a unique Tet flavor of the countryside along the Thu Bon River. As Tet approaches, while many places are filled with the colors of apricot blossoms, in Tan Tho, the clearest sign of spring is the never-ending fire in the kitchens. From early morning, families making these cakes are busy preparing their ingredients.
Ms. Bui Thi Muoi is packaging puffed rice cakes.
PHOTO: MANH CUONG
In previous years, during Tet (Lunar New Year), the rice crackers produced in Tan Tho were not only sold locally but also transported by traders to markets in neighboring provinces and cities, even reaching Hanoi , Ho Chi Minh City, and abroad. However, with the changes in lifestyle, the traditional rice cracker making craft in Tan Tho is now facing many difficulties. Currently, only a handful of households remain dedicated to this purely handcrafted profession. Income from making rice crackers is low, and the business only thrives during Tet, forcing many families to seek other means of livelihood.
Nevertheless, there are still those who persevere in this craft as a way of preserving culture and maintaining the memories of their homeland. They make cakes not only to earn a living, but also as a tribute to their grandparents and ancestors, maintaining the connection between the past and the present.
According to Mr. Huynh An Thu, puffed rice cakes are an indispensable flavor of Tet in the countryside.
PHOTO: MANH CUONG
Having been involved in the craft for nearly 30 years, Mrs. Bui Thi Muoi (66 years old) shared: "Making puffed rice cakes is very hard work, especially the roasting of the glutinous rice. You have to stand and watch constantly; if you let your hand slip even a little, the rice will burn and the whole batch of cakes will be ruined. My husband and I only make a few dozen kilograms of glutinous rice a day, working from morning until late at night. Just smelling the roasted glutinous rice makes me feel like Tet (Vietnamese New Year) is coming"... In her small kitchen, the fire is always warm in the days leading up to Tet, with one batch of roasted rice followed by another.
PRESERVING THE SPIRIT OF TET FOR THOSE FAR FROM HOME
Making puffed rice cakes requires patience. First, the shriveled grains are removed so that the rice puffs up properly during roasting. To obtain thousands of crispy, golden-brown puffed rice grains that don't burn, the cook must know how to adjust the fire. After roasting the rice, any remaining husks must be carefully removed. Next comes the sugar-making process, ensuring that the sugar and ginger are cooked without overcooking. Once the sugar has reduced in liquid, the puffed rice is mixed in, then the mixture is poured into molds, sealed tightly, and dried over charcoal.
Finished puffed rice cakes
PHOTO: MANH CUONG
According to Mrs. Mười, the business of making puffed rice cakes only really booms about a month before Tet (Lunar New Year), so the income is not high and is seasonal. "After deducting the cost of ingredients, each Tet season my family earns between 10 and 15 million VND, not high compared to many other professions, but enough to cover living expenses and prepare for Tet for our children and grandchildren. If you calculate the labor, it's not much, but the greatest reward is preserving the craft passed down from our parents. When our children and grandchildren live far away, they always ask, 'Mom, are you making puffed rice cakes this year?' Hearing that gives me the motivation to continue," Mrs. Mười said with a gentle smile.
Not only women, but many men in the village are also involved in the baking profession. Mr. Huynh An Thu (62 years old) said that this profession requires meticulousness and absolute cleanliness. "Some years, sales are slow, and the cakes we make have to be eaten gradually at home. But we can't bear to give up the profession. This is a craft passed down from our ancestors; abandoning it would be like losing a part of the village's memory," Mr. Thu mused.
Mr. Thu recounted that at one time, Tan Tho village had more than 40 establishments producing puffed rice cakes for Tet (Lunar New Year). These establishments weren't large, but they were all busy from morning till night, from preparing ingredients to shaping and drying the cakes. Currently, only about 15 families persevere in the craft, supplying shops and markets.
Mr. and Mrs. Huynh An Thu persevere in preserving the traditional craft of making puffed rice cakes.
PHOTO: MANH CUONG
According to Mr. Thu, the biggest challenge is the unstable market and the lack of successors. Because the cakes are handmade, the production volume is low, and the price is higher compared to mass-produced industrial cakes. Meanwhile, fewer and fewer young people are willing to sit for hours next to a charcoal stove. "The income from making puffed rice cakes isn't high; each cake only yields a few thousand dong in profit. Even so, I always believe in preserving the traditional flavor. A Tet without puffed rice cakes wouldn't truly be a Tet in the countryside anymore," Mr. Thu asserted.
Despite facing many difficulties, the bakers of Tan Tho remain steadfast in their craft, quietly preserving the traditional Tet (Lunar New Year) flavors amidst modern life, as a message to future generations about a profession that has sustained countless generations. (to be continued)
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/tet-ve-with-banh-no-tan-tho-185260127224201712.htm
