Keeping the soul of traditional craft village – Tuy loan rice paper

According to the customs of Tuy Loan village ( Hoa Phong commune , Hoa Vang Dist , Da Nang ) , every Lunar New Year festival, rice paper is the indispensable dish on a ancestors’ tray of offerings. Tuy Loan Rice paper today is not only the familiar dishe of the village, but also follows visitors and friends all over the world, and become one of the specialties in Da Nang. The cake production facilities operate in the form of village households in small scale.

Their products have seldom to bring to sell far from home because customers often make advanced orders. “However, that was the scene of ten years ago; today there are just over 20 village households who consider this profession as a surviving career at the end of the year. This job is too extreme, many stages, and raw material must be prepared from yesterday afternoon. The next day, we must wake from three or four o’clock in the morning, heading the kitchen until it is hot enough to start coated at 5:00 am. Rinse continuously till the sun off. Each kiln needs 2 people, one rinse and one dries, flailing from midnight to dusk” – Mr Dang Cong Be who has more than 30 years of working said.

The rice which used to rinse Tuy Loan rice paper must be the 13/2 type, this type cooks hard rice, but rinses a very tasty cake. Farmers here often sow in the winter-spring crop, each household sows a few perches, near Lunar new year Festival, they use to rinse rice paper, dry bread for the Lunar festival. Every crock of rice needs 12 cans of white peeled sesame, mix with additives like ginger , garlic , sugar , fish sauce or salt . Each rice paper must have 2 layers, in order to make the delicious cakes; it must be absolutely dried on charcoal fire, not dried in the sun… Skillful hands of the mothers, the sisters in rinsing cake, plus with the secret of mix the flour make the smooth, round and steady rice papers which is preferred by customers.

According to Ms. Ho Thi Gioi, Tuy Loan rice paper is famous, thanks to retransmissions experienced from grandparents, and grandchildren successors promoted. Making the delicious cakes, crispy chew and long time keeping, people have to choose the right varieties of rice , especially rice harvest is not selected , it should not be selected the too old rice. Drying and removing cake process is also an art. In order to make the intact cake, no warping, the drier have look for the drying kitchen to remove the right time. Then rearranging in the dozen, ballasting for plane before delivery.

In the previous time, the public sector also coated by oven baking but now only the family living by this craft continue working. Rice paper in Tuy Loan therefore is oblivious gradually. No one remembers exactly when this village formed, but according to Mrs. Dang Thi Tuy Phong cake coated with more than 50 years, in her childhood she had seen her parents did this job. Growing little, she knew how to dry cake. Each house had their own kilns, the crowded household could have two or three ones. Mrs Phong is also the rare performer in the family retain the jobs, but still could not hide her fears : ” if the weather is favorable , making and to earn is enough to survive. Several our grandparents, parents’ generation also lived by this job. Now it í different, the kids are going to be workers to have a more stable income. “

Tuy Loan lands have long been known for its famous Quang noodles and rice paper. While Quang noodles are still enjoyed by a large number of residents and visitors, Tuy loan rice paper is in danger of being lost. The main reason is due to difficulties in finding the output; people therefore only make to serve the needs of the festival, new year. ” In this village , though the income per worker does not get 100 thousand / day , no one gets rich by rice paper , but older people still do not want to quit , because we want to keep the soul, the jobs , keep his father’s trademark building ” – Ms. Phong said.

An Duong (Danang News)