Tet flavor in Gang village molasses

The molasses making profession in Gang village, Nghia Hung commune has existed since the 1960s and was recognized as a craft village in 2013. From around the middle of the 11th lunar month, when the sugarcane has accumulated enough sugar, people in Nghia Hung commune, Nghia Dan district begin harvesting sugarcane to press molasses. Photo: Gia Huy

After harvesting, sugarcane is bundled and waiting to be transported to the mills. Photo: Gia Huy

The traditional molasses making profession has created jobs and increased income for local people. Mr. Nguyen Van Hieu (42 years old) in Nghia Nhan hamlet, Nghia Hung commune said that sugarcane cutters like him can earn 200,000 VND/day thanks to this seasonal job. Photo: Gia Huy

The leader of Nghia Hung commune said that the whole commune has about 500 hectares of sugarcane. Of which, only a small part is imported by the people for the sugar factory, the majority will be sold to the molasses processing facilities in Gang village. In the photo: Sugarcane is gathered at the kilns to prepare for the pressing stage. Photo: Gia Huy

After being selected and processed, the plump, firm, sweet sugarcane stalks are put into the juicer. Instead of manually squeezing, which takes a lot of time and is quite hard, according to Mr. Nguyen The Vinh - Deputy Director of the Gang Village Molasses Processing Craft Cooperative: The sugarcane pressing process has been mechanized by using modern machinery, helping to increase the pressing productivity, thoroughly extract the amount of sugar water in the sugarcane stalk and minimize labor and workers. Currently, the craft village cooperative has 71 member households. The sugarcane pressing and molasses cooking profession has created jobs for more than 200 workers in Gang village with an income of about 6 million VND/month. Photo: Gia Huy

After drying, people use bagasse as fuel and the ash is used to fertilize plants. Photo: Gia Huy

Many member households of the Lang Gang Molasses Processing Village Cooperative (Nghia Hung Commune, Nghia Dan District) have invested in a system of furnaces and cast iron pans to serve molasses cooking. Photo: Gia Huy

Every time Tet comes, Spring comes, the molasses furnaces in Gang village are red hot, smoke billows, carrying sweet aromas, wafting everywhere. Photo: Gia Huy

After being pressed into the tank, the sugarcane juice will be cooked on a stove system with large cast iron pans, which can cook 5 pans at the same time. According to experienced workers: Maintaining the fire to ensure the temperature in the stove is extremely important. Each batch of molasses will be cooked for about 1.5 hours. During that time, fuel must be continuously added and the temperature of the stove maintained. The boiling sound of the molasses pot mixed with the sweet aroma that permeates the whole area. Photo: Gia Huy

When the honey boils and bubbles, the cook must keep an eye on it, constantly using a long spoon to skim off the foam, remove the residue, and especially, adjust the heat appropriately so that the honey does not overflow, as well as burn the bottom, to produce clear, golden, high-quality batches of honey. During the process of cooking honey, the heat of the pans of honey must be thick, but if the heat is too high, the foam will become mushy and the honey will not be beautiful. Photo: Gia Huy

People of Gang village, Nghia Hung commune, Nghia Dan district, press sugarcane and cook molasses. Clip: Gia Huy

Once the sugarcane juice has been condensed into molasses, the foam will be skimmed off once more before being cooled and pumped into barrels for storage. The sediment filtering process continues during the molasses storage process to ensure the molasses has good quality and beautiful color. Photo: Gia Huy

Each drop of smooth honey is the crystallization of a whole process of hard work. Each drop of honey is not only a product of nature but also the passion and love that the worker puts into it. From the stage of selecting sugarcane, pressing sugarcane, to the process of cooking, sieving and bottling, each stage requires meticulousness and experience. The secret to having a delicious batch of honey is to choose old, sweet sugarcane, keep the heat steady, and skim off the foam carefully. Photo: Gia Huy

Gang village molasses has its own flavor, smooth, clear, sweet aroma, pure, no color, no additives. According to Mr. Vo Dinh Luong - Director of Gang village molasses processing craft village cooperative: During Tet, each 200-liter jar of molasses costs 4 - 4.2 million VND. This season, his family is expected to produce 60 jars of molasses, after deducting production costs, raw materials, and labor, he will earn over 60 million VND. Every 2-3 days, when there are enough raw materials, molasses makers will produce once. The molasses cooking time usually lasts from 4 to 20 hours. From mid-December, molasses cooking furnaces are almost always on fire all day to have enough goods to supply the market. Photo: Gia Huy

In addition to the molasses product supplied to the Lunar New Year market, molasses makers in Gang village often reserve a portion and store it in barrels to crystallize into rock sugar. The process of crystallizing molasses into rock sugar takes 8-9 months. Every 200-liter barrel of molasses will crystallize about 40 kg of rock sugar. Compared to selling molasses, rock sugar has a higher economic value of 1.2-1.5 million VND/barrel. Currently, the two main products, molasses and rock sugar, have both met the 3-star OCOP (One Commune One Product) product standard by 2023. Photo: Gia Huy

Famous far and wide for its delicious, smooth taste, the products of Gang village's molasses processing craft village are produced and consumed, especially during the Lunar New Year. Molasses making is not only a handicraft but also a part of the nation's soul, passed down from generation to generation. By maintaining the traditional molasses pressing craft, people's lives are increasingly improved. Photo: Gia Huy

Gang village molasses is often used to braise fish, braise meat, and prepare food, especially during Tet. Molasses is like a natural spice, the essence of heaven and earth, to cook sweet soup and make offerings to ancestors. Many people also love sticky rice, banh chung, banh gio, banh nep, sweet potatoes, cassava... dipped in molasses with its delicious, characteristic sweet flavor. Molasses is also a special gift that relatives and friends send to each other during Tet, hoping for a new year as sweet as honey. When heaven and earth turn to Spring: "Passing by the fragrant sugarcane kiln/Wanting to be sworn brothers with someone?" That is the scent of heaven and earth blending, imbued with the hardships and efforts of the workers, which have been maintained and developed by the people of Gang village. Photo: Gia Huy