These days, Loc Khanh commune, Loc Ninh district, Binh Phuoc province is busier than ever. Khmer people are busy harvesting sticky rice to make Com Banh (Khmer pronunciation: Om Boc) - one of the unique dishes that cannot be missed in the Ok Om Bok festival of the Khmer people.
Not only a rustic dish, flattened green rice also has a deep spiritual meaning, imbued with the traditional culture of the Khmer people in general and Loc Khanh commune in particular. This dish is used to thank the heavens and Buddha for blessing them with a year of favorable weather and bountiful crops on the moon worshiping day - the main ritual in the Ok Om Bok festival.
Increase solidarity
Ok Om Bok is one of the major festivals of the Khmer people on the full moon day of the 10th lunar month every year. The festival is usually held in the temple grounds. About a week before the festival, village elders, prestigious people and people in the village and hamlet gather together in the temple to make flattened green rice. During the preparation process, everyone shares the work from choosing sticky rice, pounding sticky rice to roasting green rice, creating a joyful, united and close-knit atmosphere. On the night of the festival, everyone participates in cultural activities such as: chanting, feeding green rice and releasing flower lanterns.
Mr. Lam Bac, village elder in Cha Don hamlet, Loc Khanh commune said: “Making flattened green rice is very important, so I have encouraged people to gather at the pagoda to work together. The more people there are, the more green rice can be made. On this occasion, people can also meet and share experiences in raising livestock and growing crops. On the night of the festival, flattened green rice is used to worship the moon god and pray for peace and happiness. After the worship, everyone will take the flattened green rice and share it with the elderly and children and eat it together. This activity strengthens the bond between people, and is also a message to the younger generation to always unite and preserve the traditional culture of the Khmer people."
Venerable Lam Chha Ni, Deputy Abbot of Soc Lon Pagoda, Loc Khanh Commune, shared: “The Ok Om Bok Festival has a profound impact on the daily life of the Khmer people here. Because the festival takes place on the full moon day of the 10th lunar month (also known as Khe kađắc in Khmer), which means the last month in the Khmer calendar. This is also the month after the harvest season, when people can rest after a hard-working season, so the festival is an opportunity for people in the village and the village to meet, prepare and organize the Ok Om Bok festival together, thereby creating a strong connection in the Khmer community.
Preserving national identity
The Khmer people's specialty of flattened green rice has existed for a long time. Until now, this dish is still used by people to worship the moon god to express gratitude for a bountiful harvest and pray for a good harvest in the coming year.
Ms. Thi Tua in Loc Khanh commune said: "To make delicious flat rice, people have to harvest sticky rice before the harvest season. Because the sticky rice grains are not yet ripe, soft, and still have a little milk left at the tip of the rice grains, then sift to get the even, firm grains and roast them in a pan. When roasting the sticky rice, you have to do it evenly so that the rice grains are just cooked and crispy without burning, then put them in a mortar and pound them flat, then sift to separate the husk from the rice grains and mix them with coconut water, grated coconut, and sugar to make the rice grains softer and tastier."
Ms. Thi Tua shared: “To make flattened green rice requires many people to coordinate and support each other in every step. From old to young, everyone teaches each other how to make it. Adults will show the children with the hope that the younger generation will thoroughly understand this dish, thereby continuing to preserve and promote the traditional culture of the Khmer people."
Thi Sap Hat in Loc Khanh commune said: “I am very happy to participate in making flattened rice with the ladies and gentlemen. Through that, I understand more about the traditional food of my people. I will try to learn from the ladies and gentlemen to make delicious flattened rice, then teach the children. I hope that the traditional food of the Khmer people will be known by more people.”
The Khmer people in Loc Khanh commune mainly live on agriculture, so rice, rice, and flattened green rice are indispensable foods in daily life. Therefore, flattened green rice becomes a typical dish in the Ok Om Bok festival, passed down from generation to generation. We believe that the younger generations will continue and preserve this unique traditional culture.
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