(Baonghean.vn) - "Lu dua" is the name of a special traditional food of the Mong people in Nghe An during cold winter days.
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Lu dua, also known as sticky rice cake, originated in China and is made by the Mong people from pure white sticky rice grown on swidden fields. |
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Sticky rice is soaked overnight and then drained. |
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Sticky rice is put in a steamer and cooked for about 1 hour. |
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When the sticky rice is cooked, pour it out onto the bed to pound. |
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Pounding sticky rice is also very elaborate and hard work, so it requires strong and resilient men. |
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Pounding and mixing at the same time will make the sticky rice smooth. |
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To make cakes from pounded sticky rice, Mong women must rub boiled egg yolks on their hands. |
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After the men pound the rice, the women are responsible for wrapping the cakes in banana leaves that have been heated over a fire and washed. |
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The cake is pure white. |

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In the cool climate all year round, Mong people's sticky rice cakes can be preserved for a month to eat gradually. |
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Before serving the cake, the Mong people often grill the cake on a charcoal stove. This is the most popular dish among the Mong people because of the cake's characteristic aroma. |
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The joy of childhood when eating "lu dua" |
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For Mong children, eating lu dua is not only a gift but also a way for Mong people to pass on to future generations the culinary characteristics of their ethnic group. |
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Every time Mong children come home from school, they often rush to the kitchen to bake cakes to eat. “Lu dua” has followed Mong people since the days of migration from China to Vietnam. Like the banh chung and banh day of Kinh people, “lu dua” of Mong people is also used to worship heaven, earth and ancestors during Tet. |
Dao Tho - Huu Vi