Thanh Huong's Sweet Rice Essence - Essence of Thai Binh Countryside

Famed as the '5-ton rice homeland', Thai Binh is also known for its distinctive specialties from the rice-growing countryside. From large, plump grains of glutinous rice, the villagers of Thanh Huong have crafted the fragrant and sweet Thanh Huong's Sweet Rice Essence.

Thanh Huong's Sweet Rice Essence - Essence of Thai Binh Countryside

During the harvest season, the sight of fresh green rice flakes beside plump red persimmons is a familiar scene in the Northern countryside. Many villages have long been intertwined with rice flake crafting, among them is Thanh Huong village in Dong Thanh commune, Vu Thu district, Thai Binh province. It remains one of the thriving craft villages to this day.

No one in the village knows when Thanh Huong's Sweet Rice Essence originated. They only know that the locals here have grown up alongside the sound of rice pounding and the gentle scent of glutinous rice.

Different from other rice flake villages that primarily produce seasonally, Thanh Huong's Sweet Rice Essence is produced year-round. However, the best quality is achieved from making rice flakes from July to October in the lunar calendar. During this time, the rice flakes are made from new rice, grains that exude the fragrance of young milk, with just the right level of chewiness.

Rice selected for making rice flakes must be delicious glutinous rice, with even grains, ideally the golden flower variety, a fragrant type of glutinous rice used in many delightful dishes. When the rice in the field has bent over, indicating it's ripe, villagers harvest it, removing the small broken grains and retaining the plump ones.

The rice is then roasted in an iron pan over low heat until it's cooked through, not overly crispy, just until the aroma emerges, then it's taken off the heat. Next, the rice is put into a mortar and pestle and pounded until it releases thin flakes resembling meadow leaves. After thorough sieving, only the pure white rice flakes remain, completing the rice flake-making process.

There are two types of rice flakes: plain white rice flakes for sale to processing facilities for making rice cakes, rice pudding, rice cake rolls, etc., and colored rice flakes for immediate consumption. To color the rice flakes, people use various types of leaves such as banana leaves, ginger leaves, betel leaves, etc. These leaves are crushed to extract the juice, which is then mixed with plain rice flakes to give them a visually appealing green color. The rice flakes are wrapped in lotus leaves, emitting a faint fragrance, making them a popular gift item.

According to tradition, villagers in Thanh Huong's rice flake village have strict rules for labor allocation. Men are tasked with pounding the rice flakes, while women handle tasks like turning the rice flakes and sieving them. Nowadays, most tasks are performed by machines, yet this doesn't detract from the traditional flavor of the rice flakes passed down through generations.

In addition to the traditional rice flake-making trade, some families have expanded into producing additional items such as rice cakes, rice cake candies, etc., to meet market demands. Particularly, since the establishment of the Thanh Huong Cooperative, rice flake-producing households have undergone changes in their economic activities. These households have formed alliances, collectively improving and enhancing product quality, actively seeking markets, finding distribution channels, resulting in stable income growth.

 According to Mytour

***

Reference: Travel Guide by Mytour