Three teams from three residential areas, mostly men
The fire-pulling rice cooking competition is usually held together with the elephant procession on January 28. This is the most anticipated part of the festival by villagers and also attracts the most spectators. This year, the competition includes three competing teams from three residential areas. Each team has three members, regardless of age, as long as they are healthy, agile, and skillful. The equipment for the rice cooking competition includes a stove, a cast iron or aluminum pot, a mortar and pestle for pounding rice, dry straw or firewood, a rice sieve, a plate, a beautiful combed rooster weighing 1.5 - 2 kg, rice, etc.
After the judges’ introduction, the head judge shouted: “Begin”, the drum sounded, and the three teams officially competed. The first unique thing was that the contestants were not allowed to use matches or lighters, but had to light the fire with a special tool. It was a cylindrical wooden tube with a cross-hole, the diameter of which was just enough to thread a braided rope made from young giang tree trunks, the kind of rope often used to wrap banh chung.
Traditional ignition process
The person who makes the fire must pull the rope continuously until the friction between the rope and the wood creates sparks, then quickly put the steel wool on to light the fire, at the same time, put both hands together and blow hard to make the fire flare up before putting it on the stove. The person who makes the fire must be patient and skillful because if he pulls too lightly, he will not create friction to light the fire, too hard, the rope will break and it will take time to replace the new rope, affecting the speed of cooking rice. This is the traditional way of making fire that has been passed down from generation to generation.
After lighting the fire, everyone was busy with their own tasks. One person pounded rice, another slaughtered a chicken, and another cooked the food. The chicken chosen was a rooster, weighing 1.5 - 2 kg, with a beautiful comb, which would be gutted and shaped into fairy wings for a beautiful presentation. The rice was pounded in a wooden mortar until it was smooth and white, and the bran and chaff were blown away, while the water was just boiling. After the ingredients were prepared, the three members gathered around the stove to cook rice and boil the chicken.
After lighting the fire, the teams quickly lit the stove and prepared to cook rice.
People around cheered for the teams.
The judges will directly taste the rice and chicken from each kitchen. The scores will be compiled based on the following factors: Time to complete the tray of food, quality of the dishes, aesthetics of the tray of food, and compliance with the competition rules. After discussion and agreement, the chief judge will announce and award the first prize to the winning team amidst the cheers and encouragement of the villagers.
Comrade Le Quoc Ky - Chairman of the People's Committee of Dao Xa commune said: "The fire-making competition has a history of hundreds of years, parallel to the elephant procession in Dao Xa. The competition is organized to review the historical traditions of our ancestors through the primitive fire-making method, typical of the rice-growing people in the delta region".
Nowadays, the fire-pulling rice cooking competition is not only held in Dao Xa but also spreads to many village festivals, especially the annual Hung Temple Festival. This is the highlight that attracts tourists to this ancient land with a rich history and traditional culture.
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