Rice cooking contest in Nghe An at the beginning of the new year

(Baonghean.vn) - After decades, the rice cooking competition was recreated in Hamlet 6 - Dien Thinh - Dien Chau, Nghe An, creating a joyful and healthy atmosphere during the traditional Tet holiday.

Teams pick out all the husks from the rice before cooking. Photo: Tran Canh Yen.

Starting from early morning on the 4th day of Tet, the teams and people of 9 self-governing groups (inter-family groups) gathered at the cultural area of ​​the hamlet to watch the teams practice cooking.

The teams climbed to the top of banana trees to make fire. Photo: Tran Canh Yen.

Today's rice cooking competition has some innovations compared to the past; for example, the step of using a mortar and pestle by hand to grind rice has now been replaced by the contestant having to pick out all the paddy mixed in with the rice to cook the rice.

Teams compete in cooking rice. Photo: Tran Canh Yen.

In the past, contestants had to rub two old bamboo sticks together to create fire to catch the tinder, but now it has been replaced by the contestant having to quickly climb to the top of a tall banana trunk that has been lubricated with grease to get the gas lighter down for their team.

The teams went in a circle to cook rice. Photo: Tran Canh Yen.

The remaining steps of cooking rice, the kidnapping and dropping of plates, male and female clowns... and the scoring method are not much different from the old days.

Judges score the teams' rice pots. Photo: Tran Canh Yen.

Although the game has been recreated, thanks to its attractive innovations suitable for reality, it has attracted a lot of young people to participate. Photo: Tran Canh Yen.

Cooking competition is a folk game imbued with the traditional cultural identity of Vietnamese villages; if we know how to innovate, preserve and encourage its organization during the traditional New Year, it will attract people, especially young people, to participate, creating a joyful and healthy atmosphere in the community; contributing to limiting social evils and unhealthy games among young people in the countryside.

Tran Canh Yen