The culinary essence from glutinous rice.

In the highland communes of Tuyen Quang, glutinous rice not only sustains the people but also contributes to nurturing the culture and customs of the community. On the rice paddies, the glutinous rice ripens to a golden yellow, emitting a fragrant aroma, and the local people creatively transform it into many unique dishes. Among them, three typical dishes closely associated with the lives of the ethnic minorities in Tuyen Quang are bamboo-cooked rice, sticky rice cakes, and five-colored sticky rice.

Sticky rice cooked in bamboo tubes - a flavor from the mountains and forests.

Sticky rice cooked in bamboo tubes (Cơm lam) is a familiar dish of the Tay, Dao, and Mong ethnic groups. Fragrant glutinous rice is washed clean, soaked in cool spring water, then placed into young bamboo tubes, sealed with banana leaves at both ends, and roasted over hot coals. When the bamboo tube is slightly charred, emitting a pungent aroma of bamboo mixed with the smell of cooked rice, the sticky rice is ready. Cơm lam is not only a daily meal in the fields and on the farm, but also a symbol of connection with nature and the spirit of persistent labor in the mountains and forests.

Sticky rice cake - a dish of festivals and family reunions.

In the lives of the Hmong, Dao, and Tay people, sticky rice cakes are an indispensable dish during Tet (Lunar New Year) and other festivals. Glutinous rice is steamed until cooked, then pounded in a wooden mortar with a large pestle to form a smooth, pliable dough, which is then shaped into round, pristine white cakes. Sticky rice cakes symbolize completeness and abundance, closely associated with agricultural beliefs and prayers for favorable weather. In many highland villages of Tuyen Quang, during festivals and Tet, there is always a tray of sticky rice cakes offered to ancestors, then shared with children, grandchildren, and visitors to enjoy.

Five-colored sticky rice - a tapestry of the forest region.

While bamboo-cooked rice is simple and sticky rice cakes symbolize abundance, five-colored sticky rice is as vibrant as a tapestry on a celebratory feast table. Skilled women in the highlands dye the rice grains with natural colors: purple from perilla leaves, red from gac fruit, yellow from turmeric, green from cooked rice, and the original white color of the rice itself...

These three dishes – sticky rice cooked in bamboo tubes, rice cakes, and five-colored sticky rice – although prepared differently, share a common point: they are the culmination of fragrant, sticky rice grains, diligent labor, and the creativity of the ethnic people.

Source: https://baotuyenquang.com.vn/van-hoa/am-thuc/202508/tinh-hoa-am-thuc-tu-lua-nep-e5d3ede/