The taste of home: sticky rice dumplings from Lieu Pass.

Nestled amidst the misty hills of Thanh Binh commune (Da Nang city), lies a small mountain pass called Lieu Pass.

Delicious sticky rice dumplings from Lieu Pass. PHOTO: MEN NGUYEN

Not only is it a stopover for travelers, this place is famous far and wide for its rustic and flavorful Lieu Pass rice dumplings, associated with Mrs. Doan Thi Ngo, who has preserved the craft for the past 35 years.

A small kitchen corner by the mountain pass.

During a volunteer trip to Nam Tra My commune, following recommendations from many people, we had the opportunity to visit Mrs. Ngo's small rice dumpling shop at the foot of Lieu Pass. Without a sign or flashy advertising, this simple shop is just a small kitchen corner by the pass.

It was only 5 a.m., but there was a constant stream of customers coming and going. Some were waiting to buy cakes, others were enjoying them right there, and there were even customers from distant cities waiting to receive cakes to take home as gifts.

Mrs. Ngo started wrapping rice dumplings when she was a young woman of 25. Now, in her 60s, her hands are still nimble and agile, wrapping each dumpling with a skill and proficiency that not everyone possesses.

Mrs. Ngo learned the art of wrapping rice dumplings from her mother. Each time she wraps them, she feels like she's reliving her childhood memories, reliving the old hearth where her mother taught her how to choose the sticky rice, marinate the meat, and tear the leaves...

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Without any machinery, every step from wrapping to cooking is done manually. For over 35 years, Mrs. Ngo and her husband have woken up at 2 a.m. to light the fire, wrap the cakes, and cook them in time to deliver them to customers at dawn.

Upon hearing that a charitable group had come to buy cakes, Mr. Le Cuong (68 years old, Mrs. Ngo's husband) happily donated an additional 20 cakes to the group without taking any money. "Whenever a charity group comes here, my wife and I always want to contribute our small effort to make their meals warmer," Mr. Cuong said.

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What makes the Lieu Pass sticky rice cake so special is the carefully selected ingredients, sourced from the finest and most rustic produce of the mountains and forests. The glutinous rice used to wrap the cakes is a fragrant and sticky variety grown by locals on the hillsides around the area, preserving its unique and unmistakable flavor.

The pork filling is not from industrially raised pigs but from free-range pigs, so the fat is rich, fragrant, and very palatable. When combined with the fresh green banana leaves, the Lieu Pass rice dumpling is not only delicious but also embodies the soul of the midland region.

The fire used to cook the cakes is lit using acacia wood, a type of tree commonly grown in the hills of Tien Phuoc. This wood burns for a long time, distributing heat evenly, ensuring the cakes are thoroughly cooked, soft, chewy, and retain their characteristic natural flavor.

Without extensive advertising, Mrs. Ngo's sticky rice dumplings from Lieu Pass are still ordered by many people from the city. However, due to her limited health, she only sells them directly on the spot to locals and travelers stopping along the pass; a small portion is supplied to boarding schools in the area.

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They mainly make a profit from their labor, with each cake selling for only about 2,500 dong.

Bidding farewell to Mrs. Ngo and her husband in a warm atmosphere, amidst the sweet aroma emanating from the freshly cooked rice dumplings from the wood-fired stove, one's heart is still filled with the lingering taste of simple, sincere homeland.

Source: https://baodanang.vn/vi-que-banh-u-deo-lieu-3308318.html