Seasonal rice meal: Clean from field to table

The space of Tu Viet Rice Club is bustling with meals carrying the message "Clean from fields to table".

From early morning, the hall was bustling. On the long table, baskets of organic vegetables were beautifully displayed: fragrant rice, water chestnuts, lotus seeds, carrots, taro, pumpkins… all were selected from the fields, meeting organic standards.

Delegates excitedly listened to chef Thach Thien talk about how to prepare dishes from seasonal rice.

These seemingly familiar ingredients create a new look when delicately combined into five-color herbal seasonal rice - a dish that is both delicious and beautiful, reminiscent of the abundant harvest season in the river countryside.

Five-color herbal seasonal rice – a unique combination of country rice and natural vegetables, both delicious and beautiful.

The highlight of the seasonal rice meal is braised fish and the typical fish sauce of the Western region. Chef Thach Thien shared: “I want to connect farmers - people who have spent their whole lives with seasonal rice - with the kitchen. Therefore, I minimize industrial spices, instead using organic coconut oil to braise fish, creating a fatty and sweet taste while eliminating the fishy smell.

In particular, the fish sauce is made from snakehead fish sauce, no additional seasoning is needed but still rich, fragrant, and imbued with the soul of the countryside.

Braised fish with organic coconut oil and snakehead fish sauce is imbued with the soul of the Southern countryside.

Wild vegetables are picked in the rice fields.

On the dinner table, each dish has its own philosophy: Vegetables and fruits provide diverse nutrients, each with different flavors and uses, helping to balance nutrition; coconut water creates natural sweetness; snakehead fish sauce retains the identity of the countryside. This combination not only enriches the flavor but also elevates the bowl of seasonal rice to a new level - full of rural flavor but has the power to spread far and wide.

Each dish in the seasonal rice meal carries the philosophy of "eat clean, live green", taking advantage of the natural sweetness of vegetables and coconut water.

Mr. Le Quoc Viet, owner of Tu Viet Summer Rice Association, said that the farm is currently growing 13 precious old-season rice varieties such as Nang Thom, Chau Hong Vo, Huyet Rong, Nep Cai Hoa Vang, Lua Mua Noi, Trai May... Today's meal is cooked from Nang Thom Con Vinh Quoi rice - a delicious rice variety from old-season rice, with the characteristics of being fluffy, soft, and having a unique flavor, associated with memories of the countryside.

The 71m long S-shaped bridge was built from areca trunks, becoming a unique highlight of the rice-growing cultural space.

Not only stopping at preserving genetic resources, Mr. Tu Viet also built a 71m long S-shaped bridge from areca palm trunks, a familiar tree of Tac Cau land, to create a cultural highlight, connecting tourists with the organic rice field space.

Interestingly, not only the local people and farmers but also international friends have the opportunity to experience the seasonal rice meal. Mr. Alan Broughton - Vice President of the Organic Agriculture Association (OAA) Australia directly enjoyed the bowl of seasonal rice water, and commented with delight: "It's like milk, very strange and fragrant". This assessment has opened up the hope of bringing seasonal rice, the pride of An Giang, further into the international market.

Mr. Alan Broughton - Vice President of the Organic Agriculture Association (OAA) of Australia tastes a bowl of rice water.

Before sitting down to dinner, the delegates were given a tour of the rice culture space at the assembly hall. Ancient farming tools such as scythes, rice planting poles, bamboo baskets, traps, etc. were arranged simply but full of memories. Each item was a story, a memory of the hard-working and resilient life of Southern farmers.

Delegates visited the rice culture space with many ancient farming tools such as scythes, bamboo baskets, traps, etc., reminding them of farmers' lives.

The seasonal rice meal also had the participation of lecturers from An Giang University, members of Mekong Organic Organization and students from Ca Mau such as Huynh Phuc Minh (Phan Ngoc Hien Specialized School), Lam Thai Tuan Kiet (Hermann Gmeiner School).

Mr. Tu Viet caught a catfish that he raised in 2012 and fed it pineapple and banana peels every day to entertain guests from afar.

Children got to witness firsthand how a grain of rice turns into clean food, hear about the philosophy of “clean eating, green living”, and more importantly, feel pride in their hometown’s agricultural products.

Students from Ca Mau and lecturers from An Giang University experience the philosophy of "clean eating, green living" through a meal of seasonal rice.

Mr. Thach Thien - chef of Mekong Organics Organization confided: "I hope that the seasonal rice meal does not only stop at the culinary experience, but also becomes a bridge connecting farmers with the kitchen. From there, rice grains, fish, vegetables, fish sauce... not only feed farmers' families but also appear on dining tables everywhere, bringing the message of organic and sustainable agriculture."

Children get to experience how ancient people created seasonal rice grains.

Today’s meal, with fragrant five-color herbal rice wrapped in lotus leaves, with fish stewed in rich fish sauce, with dried snakehead fish, and catfish cooked with fermented rice… is not just about deliciousness. It is a story of trust and connection from the fields to the dining table, from the hands of farmers to the hearts of diners.

Children with their parents from Rach Gia ward experience a meal made from seasonal rice, vegetables, and rustic fish sauce.

And above all, it evokes the desire to bring the seasonal rice grains that have been associated with the people of the West for generations to the world, with the values of cleanliness, peace and full of love for the countryside.

Mr. Le Quoc Viet, owner of Tu Viet Summer Rice Club, gave chef Thach Thien two bags of fragrant rice from Con Vinh Quoi, which is being cultivated at the farm, before parting.

Article and photos: DANG LINH

Source: https://baoangiang.com.vn/bua-com-lua-mua-sach-tu-ruong-dong-den-ban-an-a460983.html