A warm pastry in the late autumn weather.

In the highland villages of northern Thai Nguyen province, when the weather turns cool, many kitchens are filled with laughter and conversation around pots of steaming glutinous rice balls. Here, the glutinous rice balls are not eaten with sugar but with a meat filling. These large, round balls are a warm treat, evoking many old memories for the Tay and Dao people of this region.

A Dao ethnic woman in Yen Thinh commune skillfully scoops out batches of perfectly cooked glutinous rice dumplings.

In the small kitchen of Mrs. Hoang Thi Dien in Phuc Loc commune, the fire blazes brightly, spreading warmth throughout the house. On the wooden table, smooth, white glutinous rice balls are made one after another, round and neat, like the simple joys of the Tay ethnic people here.

With nimble hands scooping up the dumplings, Mrs. Dien happily recalled childhood memories. From a young age, she knew and eagerly awaited the rice harvest season, because that's when the young cabbages would begin to sprout, and her mother would make glutinous rice dumplings with meat filling. Back then, they were poor, so sometimes there wasn't any meat; the filling was just finely chopped cabbage, shaped into balls, and boiled to eat instead of rice.

Life is different now. The sturdy one-story house, the still-burning stove, and the ingredients for making the cakes are more readily available: minced meat, scallions, and fresh green vegetables. Glutinous rice is mixed with a little regular rice, soaked thoroughly, then ground into a smooth paste and kneaded until pliable. The filling is seasoned to taste, rolled into balls, and wrapped in a soft white dough. When dropped into boiling water, the cakes gradually float to the surface, their outer layer translucent and glossy. Once cooked, they are simply removed from the pot, placed in a savory soup, and ready to be enjoyed.

The Tày people's glutinous rice balls with meat filling have a chewy, light texture, blended with the subtle aroma of young mustard greens. With one bite, the sweetness of the rice, the richness of the meat, and the scent of green onions combine to create a unique, delicate, and rustic flavor.

From Ba Be, I traveled to Yen Thinh commune, where the Dao ethnic people still maintain the tradition of making glutinous rice balls with meat filling on the 9th day of the 9th lunar month every year, during the Double Ninth Festival.

Ms. Hoang Thi Dang, over 60 years old, a Dao woman from Ban Thi village, shared: "We have to do this every year; if we don't, something feels missing. We do it to remember our childhood days, so that our children and grandchildren can come home to reunite and not forget our ethnic identity."

According to tradition, the Double Ninth Festival is an occasion for the Dao people to give thanks to the Thunder God, the deity who brought rain to their fields throughout the growing season. It is also a day to bid farewell to the Thunder God as he returns to heaven, praying for a favorable dry season and prosperity for the village. On this occasion, everyone wants to return home to make cakes with their relatives, light incense for their ancestors, and gather around a reunion meal.

Unlike the glutinous rice dumplings of the Tay people, the glutinous rice dumplings of the Dao people have a distinctive filling made from minced meat, red banana blossoms, and chives. The banana blossoms are finely chopped, stir-fried with the meat and chives, and then used as the filling. When the dumplings are cooked, the aroma of the glutinous rice and banana blossoms creates a unique, rich flavor. Typically, the dumplings are eaten with chicken soup cooked with ginger and turmeric, a dish that is both warming and full of the flavors of the mountains and forests.

Ms. Dang recounted that back then, children were very excited. The adults made the rice dumplings, and the little ones stood around the kitchen waiting to eat them. Some families wrapped a few dozen extra dumplings in banana leaves for those working far away to take with them. That rice dumpling dish was not just food, but a bond that kept the Dao people close together every autumn.

From the story, I can almost picture the smoky kitchen, filled with lively laughter and conversation. Mrs. Dang's family gathered around the fire, the white rice dumplings gradually floating to the surface. The aroma of sticky rice, meat, and banana blossoms mingled and filled the house. Meat-filled rice dumplings, a simple, rustic treat made by the hands of the highlanders, become a gift of memories, of kinship, of gratitude. They remind the children and grandchildren of the land and sky, of their parents, of the seasons of favorable weather and abundant harvests...

Source: https://baothainguyen.vn/van-hoa/202511/thuc-banh-am-giua-troi-cuoi-thu-8320bcd/