Phu Thuong Sticky Rice: The exquisite flavors of Trang An

The aroma of sticky rice spreads throughout Ke Ga all year round. For hundreds of years, Phu Thuong sticky rice has created the color and flavor of Trang An. The delicious taste of sticky rice and the love of Ke Ga people become a strong glue that attracts diners.

Phu Thuong village sticky rice stall

For Hanoians , sticky rice from Ga village (Ke Ga, or Phu Gia village, located on the southern bank of the Red River, now in Phu Thuong ward, Tay Ho district, Hanoi) has become familiar. Just by looking at the plump, fragrant sticky rice grains, gourmets immediately know the origin of this famous and delicious sticky rice dish.

Over thousands of years of history, the cool water of the Nhi Ha River and fertile alluvium have created a village of green mulberry fields and a vast field of ripe rice. The agriculture mainly based on wet rice has created shiny golden sticky rice grains, which with the skillful hands of grandmothers, mothers, and sisters have been processed into gifts, cakes, and especially fragrant sticky rice grains, which have become famous specialties of Hanoi...

Even though today, it has become a “village within the city”, the traditional craft of Ga village is still continued, the aroma of sticky rice still spreads throughout the streets of the capital, and still enters the hearts of many generations of Hanoians every day. As if endowed with the profession, Ga villagers consider making sticky rice a family tradition. To have a delicious pot of sticky rice with the rich flavor of Phu Thuong sticky rice, Ga villagers have to spend a lot of effort and go through many stages.

First is the rice. The maker chooses round, plump, golden sticky rice grains, not mixed with regular rice, and soaks them for about 4-5 hours. Next, wash them and drain them. To make delicious sticky rice, you have to steam them twice. The first time is from the previous afternoon until they are about 80% cooked, then take them out and put them on a rack to cool and drain. At about 3am the next morning, steam them a second time until they are cooked, the sticky rice grains are both firm and sticky. When steaming, you have to keep the heat steady, a little too much, so that the cooked rice grains are shiny and plump as if greased. And each sticky rice dish has its own way of steaming, and each method is meticulous and detailed...

In the past, sticky rice baskets only had green bean sticky rice and gac sticky rice. Nowadays, Ke Ga sticky rice has become more diverse with new types of sticky rice such as: coconut sticky rice, xeo sticky rice, peanut sticky rice, vo sticky rice, rice with rice (corn sticky rice)... Ke Ga sticky rice is unique because each season uses a different type of leaf to wrap the sticky rice. Ga villagers choose to wrap the sticky rice with a typical type of leaf: lotus leaf, young dong leaf, banana leaf. The fragrant smell of sticky rice mixed with the smell of the leaves makes people want to eat it immediately.

Several generations of Phu Thuong villagers have refined and created soul for baskets of sticky rice, for a popular breakfast dish. Sticky rice for breakfast, sticky rice for weddings, birthday parties, receptions, even sticky rice as gifts... The brand of Phu Thuong village sticky rice has been enriching the culinary culture of Hanoi. Through the ups and downs, up to now, the people of Ga village still preserve and develop the craft. The village was recognized by the city as a "Traditional Craft Village" in 2016. Notably, recently, "Phu Thuong Sticky Rice Making Craft" was listed in the National Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Every year, when spring comes, the whole Phu Thuong village bustles with the traditional sticky rice festival. For the people here, the traditional sticky rice festival of Phu Thuong is an opportunity for people to pay their respects to the village's tutelary god, the ancestors who created and passed down the profession so that their descendants can continue to teach each other to preserve the village's traditions and the craft.

The life-long sticky rice burden of mothers and sisters not only helped each family of the ancient Ga village overcome famine but also helped them get rich today. Honoring the beauty is to be passed on, honoring also gives the craft village more opportunities to develop, Phu Thuong sticky rice craft village is not outside of those wishes.

The raspberries are the crystallization of the quintessence of heaven and earth, combined with the creative talent of humans, promising to bring a spring of prosperity and happiness to the suburban village. Diners from all over the world have more opportunities to enjoy the charming dish of fragrant, plump Ke Ga sticky rice.

Source: http://baolamdong.vn/du-lich/202406/xoi-phu-thuong-tinh-te-huong-sac-trang-an-b312a5c/