Each person has a hobby and a job, but all aim to preserve and spread the cultural values that their ancestors left behind. Rcom H'Rim (21 years old, Mi Hoan hamlet, Ia Hiao commune, Phu Thien district) is a final year student at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Ho Chi Minh City. This Jrai girl is passionate about cooking traditional dishes of her people. Since childhood, H'Rim has been familiar with the aroma of cassava leaves, the bitter taste of wild eggplant and the strong aroma of dried stream fish.
“In the past, whenever my mother cooked stir-fried noodles with bitter eggplant, I would sit next to her and watch her crumple the noodles, cut the eggplant and prepare it. Now that I’ve grown up, I’ve recreated this dish for my friends to enjoy. Those who don’t know how to make it, I’ll show them, and those who already know how to make it together. I want to preserve the traditional dishes of the Jrai people so they won’t be lost, and at the same time introduce them to tourists from near and far,” H’Rim shared.
Not only is H'Rim passionate about stir-fried noodles with bitter eggplant, she also especially loves salted basil leaves. According to H'Rim, this is a simple dish but it captures the essence of the Central Highlands mountains and forests. Whenever she misses home, she and her friends go to the market to buy dried fish, chili and basil leaves to pound into salt. Many friends in the city who try it for the first time praise it as delicious.
As for Nay Gia Phuc (13 years old, Phu Ama Nher hamlet, Ia Rto commune, Ayun Pa town), his love for ethnic culture was nurtured through the sound of gongs and cymbals since childhood. Born into a family with a father who is a famous gong artist of the commune, Phuc was fascinated by the high and low sounds of this musical instrument since childhood.
Phuc said: At the age of 6, his father taught him how to hold the gong correctly, how to keep the rhythm and remember the songs. After that, he joined a gong class organized by his father. Up to now, he has mastered many gong songs and regularly performs at festivals organized by the commune and province, including the program "Weekend Gong - Enjoy and Experience" at Dai Doan Ket Square (Pleiku City).
“My father said that each gong piece is a separate story, and when played, the earth, the gods, and the deceased will listen. When I grow up, I want to become a good gong player like my father, and then teach other children. I don’t want the gong sounds of the village to be lost over time,” Phuc expressed his determination.
Besides young people who love food and handicrafts, many ethnic minority youths also preserve the craft of brewing rice wine. This is a sweet intoxicating wine, closely associated with the community life of the Central Highlands people for generations. Gôn (22 years old, Ar Det village, De Ar commune, Mang Yang district) is one of the young people who are passionate about the traditional craft of brewing rice wine. Born into a family with many generations of rice wine makers, Gôn has been familiar with the aroma of leaf yeast since childhood, with jars of wine neatly arranged in the corner of the stilt house.
Gôn shared: “According to Bahnar tradition, almost every house has a few jars of rice wine to entertain guests and as gifts. Since 6th grade, my mother taught me how to brew wine. This is not as simple as many people think, because each family has its own secret in choosing forest leaves to make yeast, cooking sticky rice and brewing wine. After that, I often replace my mother in brewing rice wine for the family.”
According to Gôn, to have a good jar of wine, you must first choose good yeast. “The rice cooking stage is also very important. The rice must be sticky rice, long grain, sticky and fragrant, cooked until just done, then cooled, mixed with yeast and left to ferment overnight. After that, the ingredients are put into the jar and placed in a cool place, away from sunlight. After 1 month, the aroma of wine and yeast blend together very uniquely, anyone who drinks it once will remember it forever,” Gôn excitedly said.
Gôn is also nurturing the idea of establishing a group of young people who love traditional culture, specializing in brewing rice wine to serve tourists and promote at local cultural events.
Source: https://baogialai.com.vn/tuoi-tre-giu-gin-van-hoa-truyen-thong-post326366.html
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