Preserving the hundred-year-old profession of Trang Bang land

Keeping the passion

Traditional Trang Bang dew-wetted rice paper must be spread in two layers, grilled briefly and exposed to dew once before reaching the customers (Photo provided by the locals)

Visiting Trang Bang, it is not too difficult to find a family making rice paper, but to find the true origin of Trang Bang dew-wetted rice paper, we were guided to Loc Du quarter, Trang Bang ward, where there are families that have been making dew-wetted rice paper for three generations.

In the small, neat kitchen, Mr. Le Van Hung said that this is where he and his mother (artisan Pham Thi Phai) made rice paper. When he was young, his mother assigned him the task of lighting the stove, drying the rice paper, and gradually she passed on the secret of making dew-wetted rice paper. “Dew-wetted rice paper is different from other types because it must be spread in two layers so that after being lightly grilled, the rice paper will not tear apart. However, the worker must have enough experience to measure the right level of doneness of the first layer to spread the second layer, ensuring that the two layers blend together, thick but still cooked evenly” - Mr. Hung confided.

As one of the few people who diligently preserve the traditional profession of making dew-wetted rice paper, Mr. Hung knows by heart the secrets, from choosing the right type of rice to mixing the dough and observing at the sky to know if it is sunny, rainy, has a lot of or little dew. For him, it is all about experience, meticulousness and the heart of a traditional dew-wetted rice paper maker.

Every day, when the weather is good, Mr. Hung starts his workday before the rooster crows to spread the batch of rice dough prepared the day before. The finished rice paper is dried in the sun, grilled over charcoal and then wetted in dew once more to achieve the desired softness. It sounds easy and quick, but to have the finished product is extremely laborious, because if there is too much sun, not enough dew or the oven heat is not right, all the days of effort will be wasted.

Despite the hard work, Mr. Hung cannot give up the job of making rice paper, nor does he want to upgrade from a rice husk kiln to an electric kiln to save effort and increase productivity. He confided, "Before, I used to do other jobs, but when my mother got old and weak, I wanted to return to preserve the job that my grandmother passed on to her, and she tried to preserve it all her life; until now, it has been 40 years. Every time I sit in this kitchen making rice paper, I often remember the days I sat working with my mother and listened to her advice." And now, Mr. Hung is still diligently following his mother's advice. His kitchen is still red hot on beautiful days, with enough sunshine and dew. During Tet, sometimes he has to stay up all night.

Because of his appreciation for his profession, he wholeheartedly shares and teaches the craft to anyone who wants to learn. Because he knows that, with the hard manual work that brings in just enough income, the traditional craft of making dew-wetted rice paper is not really attractive to young people in his hometown. "I just hope that I can organize a class to teach the craft. I am willing to teach it, completely free of charge, just hoping that the Trang Bang dew-wetted rice paper craft will not vanish," Mr. Hung said.

The person who inheriting the craft

Naturally, according to the laws of the market and social needs, the number of people making traditional rice paper is not as high as before. Instead, many young people have begun to apply technology to the production process. With their creativity, they have created many different types of rice paper, meeting the tastes of customers.

Today, Trang Bang rice paper is not only the traditional one eaten with boiled meat and raw vegetables but also countless other types thanks to the delicate combination of rice paper and spices, especially chili salt, another specialty of Tay Ninh. When visiting Trang Bang, visitors can not only enjoy the famous specialty but also experience many other types of rice paper, diverse in types and flavors.

Most of the rice paper products at the store are created by Vo Minh Cong and his friend Luong Thi Men, combining rice paper with different spices

Also growing up in Trang Bang, having seen relatives and neighbors making rice paper since childhood, Vo Minh Cong (living in An Khuong quarter, An Tinh ward, formerly Trang Bang town) nurtured the dream of spreading his hometown's specialty to many places. Seeing rice paper makers who had to quit their jobs, he knew that if he wanted to preserve the rice paper making profession, he must first connect customers and local rice paper makers. Mr. Cong and his friend—Luong Thi Men—started a business selling his hometown's specialty. Grasping the tastes of consumers, Mr. Cong and Ms. Men created many different types of rice paper: kumquat rice paper, tamarind rice paper, butter rice paper, cheese rice paper, etc. From there, the brand of Co Men rice paper was born and is loved by diners near and far, especially young customers.

Although the rice paper mixed with spices is not traditional, it is also wetted in the dew according to the right technique to make the rice paper soft, supple and have the sweetness. To diversify the types of rice paper and spices, Mr. Cong and Ms. Men do not hesitate to stay up late, wake up early, and carefully prepare each ingredient to ensure that the spices and side dishes with the rice paper are always of good quality, enhancing the flavor of the hometown specialty.

Mr. Cong shared, “I think that, to preserve the craft village of his hometown, the rice paper makers must first make a living from their profession. And doing business honestly from hometown's specialties will not only help friends near and far know about this place and increase the value of the product but also create a source of income for local rice paper makers. The people here are very creative and talented; they just need to understand the preferences and requirements of diners, and they can create many different, rich and delicious lines of product. Anyone can do that, not just me.” With his passion, Mr. Cong strives to connect rice paper makers and businesses with the orientation of making Trang Bang rice paper a specialty associated with tourism in his home province.

According to Mr. Vo Minh Cong, to preserve the rice paper making profession, first of all, we must connect customers and local rice paper makers (Photo: Mr. Cong at his family's rice paper and chili salt shop)

And the expectations and efforts of the Trang Bang rice paper makers have been supported by the government with the Trang Bang Rice Paper Making Culture and Tourism Festival. The festival is held every two years, a meaningful activity to connect heritage with tourism development, contributing to preserving and promoting the value of the national intangible cultural heritage of rice paper making, while honoring the artisans who are day and night preserving and passing on the traditional craft. Through that, the image of the homeland and people of Tay Ninh is more widely introduced.

With the joint efforts of dedicated hearts and favorable policies from the locality, despite changes, the soul of Trang Bang rice paper is still preserved and passed down through each generation. With the diligence of those who hold the secret of the traditional craft and the creativity and enthusiasm of young people, the craft of making Trang Bang rice paper is still being continued, both preserving the old taste of the countryside and opening a new direction for Tay Ninh specialties. And then, in each soft piece of rice paper, people can not only taste the sweetness of the night dew but also feel the love of the land and people of Trang Bang./.

By Moc Chau - Translated by Q. Thien

Source: https://baolongan.vn/giu-nghe-tram-nam-xu-trang-a204879.html