Crispy, fragrant, dry popped rice Vinh An

C THE MOLD OF NEIGHBORHOOD LOVE

On the days before Tet, while sitting making dry rice cakes to sell, Mr. Hoang Phuoc Vinh Tuong (48 years old, living in Vinh An village, Phong Binh commune, Phong Dien town, Hue city) recalled the story of his family's wooden cake mold that once brought joy to many households in the village. About 30 years ago, in the middle of December, people came to borrow the cake mold. Each family made about 5-7 cakes and then passed them on to other families. On the 27th and 28th of Tet, the mold returned to his family. "Back then, making dry rice cakes was completely done by hand. Every family knew how to do it and often made a few cakes to enjoy during Tet. Now that scene no longer exists, only my family considers it a way to make a living, so we follow the profession...", Mr. Tuong said.

Mr. Hoang Phuoc Vinh Tuong is drying popped rice cakes to serve during Tet holiday.

Mr. Hoang Nam (75 years old, Mr. Tuong's father), who created the family's Hoa Nam cake brand, said he did not know when the rice cake had been made, but when he grew up, he saw many families making it in the village. Mr. Nam learned the craft from his father and now passes it on to his children. "This is a type of cake with a long tradition and has been passed down through generations in his hometown of Vinh An. Rice cake is a type of cake that carries the value of rice culture, because the main ingredients are agricultural products grown by the people. Rice cake is also one of the traditional cakes that farmers only make for offerings, gifts and to entertain guests during Tet, a cultural feature of the residents living next to the O Lau River," said Mr. Nam.

Fragrant sticky rice has ivory color

The process of making dry popped rice cakes is summarized by Mr. Hoang Nam in a few steps, but in reality, to get a crispy and fragrant cake, the baker must put in a lot of effort. First, the delicious sticky rice must be selected to roast and pop into popcorn. The white, puffed grains will be selected on the sieve. "Peanuts must be roasted until fragrant, peeled, fresh ginger crushed. In particular, carrots must be shredded and mixed with sugar. All are mixed well, then gradually poured into a mold made from 4 pieces of wood (about 50 cm long, joined together to form a square). The baker must use a large mallet to hit the wooden wedge until the cake is wedged tightly," said Mr. Tuong.

Charcoal-grilled sticky rice still retains its characteristic color.

After this step, the cake out of the mold is about 40 cm long, each side of the cake is about 5 cm thick. The baker uses a long, large and sharp knife to cut the cake into slices about 0.5 cm thick. The cake is dried and then served to guests, placed on the altar during Tet.

LET GO OF YOUR JOB, KEEP THE OLD TET

When Mr. Hoang Phuoc Vinh Tuong recounted his old profession, his eyes filled with tears as he remembered his aunt (Mrs. Phan Thi Deo) who passed away in 2023. Mr. Tuong's family has been making dried rice cakes for three generations. During busy times, Mrs. Deo often helped make the cakes. Over time, she became a skilled dry rice cake maker. After she passed away, other households gradually abandoned the profession because it was a laborious job with little profit.

Vinh An puffed rice cake is special in that it has the added step of caramelizing carrots with white sugar.

He explained that the old manual method depended heavily on the health and skill of the person holding the hammer, so the quality of the cakes was not consistent. Some cakes were too hard because they were tightly packed, while others were loose because the hammer was weak. Therefore, he researched and invented a hydraulic press that could press 16 cakes at the same time (2 bars produce 2 bags of cakes, 45 pieces/bag). Mr. Tuong also asked people to go abroad to import rice-popping equipment to proactively source raw materials for production. Previously, people used hard-grained sticky rice to pop the cakes, but now he has switched to fragrant sticky rice so that the grains pop evenly and are more delicious.

"Many people worry that the quality of making popcorn by machine will not be as good as before, but this profession of making popcorn depends on the secret of choosing sticky rice, the formula of mixing ingredients... For example, in the past, bakers often had to add a little cooked sticky rice flour to bind it, so after drying, the cake was often quite hard. I learned from experience, when adding sugar to the carrot mixture, water will leak out. This water will create moisture, so when put into the machine to seal, there is no need to add adhesive. When not adding sticky rice flour, biting into the popcorn is both crispy and easy to melt in the mouth. The cake has the fragrant smell of ginger and the fatty taste of sticky rice, peanuts, and the sweetness of carrots...", he shared.

Vinh An popped rice cake with ingredients including agricultural products is a cake with the rich flavor of the old Tet.

Mr. Tuong's way of cutting the cake is also different from before. He usually makes 300 pieces at a time and waits 1 day and 1 night for the sugar to mix with the sticky rice. At this time, cutting the cake is both soft and gentle. The dried cake will be put into a transparent plastic bag so that the buyer can see the cakes inside, both rustic and visually stimulating. He also designs the box to increase the luxury, suitable for giving as a Tet gift. To meet the needs of customers, Mr. Tuong also finds a way to pop the sticky rice grains to press them into cakes.

These days, passing by Mr. Tuong’s house, many people smell the fragrant smell of roasted sticky rice. The crispy, fragrant cakes from his house follow the spring buses to the roofs, becoming a simple hometown gift every Tet holiday, making those who have tasted them feel nostalgic for their childhood…( to be continued )

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/giu-huong-tet-xua-gion-thom-kho-no-vinh-an-185250115213627179.htm