The Mold of Neighborhood Love
On the days before Tet, while making dry popped rice cakes to sell, Mr. Hoang Phuoc Vinh Tuong (48 years old, residing 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 popped rice cakes was done entirely 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 this 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 Hoa Nam cake brand for his family, said he did not know when the rice cake had been made, but when he grew up, he saw many families in the village making it. 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 cultural value of wet rice, 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, which is a typical cultural feature of the residents living next to the O Lau River," said Mr. Nam.
Fragrant sticky rice has ivory white color
The process of making dry popped rice cakes is summarized by Mr. Hoang Nam in a few steps, but in reality, to have a fragrant crispy 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 are roasted until fragrant, peeled, fresh ginger is crushed. In particular, carrots must be shredded into small pieces 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 into squares). The baker must use a large mallet to hit the wooden wedge until the cake is wedged tightly," said Mr. Tuong.
Charcoal-grilled 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, 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 crackers for three generations. During busy times, Mrs. Deo often helped make the cakes. Over time, she became a skilled cracker. After she passed away, other households gradually abandoned the profession because it was a laborious job with little profit.
Vinh An's dried popped rice cakes are special in that they have 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 uneven. 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 presses 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, 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 recipe for 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 that when sugar is added to the carrot, water will leak out. This water will create moisture, so when it is put into the machine to be packaged, no need to add a binder. When you don't add sticky rice flour, the popcorn is crispy and melts easily in your mouth. The cake has the aroma 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 holiday.
Mr. Tuong's way of cutting the cake is also different from before. He usually makes 300 pieces at a time and waits for 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 buyers can see the cakes inside, both rustic and visually stimulating. He also designs boxes to increase luxury, suitable for giving as Tet gifts. To meet the needs of customers, Mr. Tuong also finds a way to pop the charcoal sticky rice grains to press into cakes.
These days, passing by Mr. Tuong’s house, many people smell the fragrant aroma 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
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