The vitality of the traditional sesame rice cracker making village in Luong

Holdrhythm lcenturies-old craft

One of the origins of the long-standing rice paper making craft in Luong region is Vinh Duc Village (now part of Do Luong commune). Over more than 300 years, the craft here has not only been preserved as a cultural heritage but has also developed in scale and quality.

Mr. Nguyen Van Cong - the owner of a rice cracker production facility inVinh Duc craft villageHe said:To prepare for making rice paper, we have to check the weather forecast many days in advance before deciding how to soak the rice, grind the flour, and make the rice paper. Because only with sunshine can the rice paper dry properly and taste good.

Standing next to Mr. Cong is his wife, Ms. Nguyen Thi Thao, who is busy finalizing orders to send to customers. Pointing to a box containing 200 unbaked rice crackers, Ms. Thao said: "This box of crackers is about to be sent to Phuc Loc commune for a customer to take as a gift to Germany."In the past, Do Luong rice crackers were only consumed within the province, but now they have spread far and wide, following the footsteps of the people of the homeland to all corners of the world.

According to the elders, the village professionVinh DucFor about 300 years, they have specialized in producing rice crackers of just the right thickness, crispy, topped with black sesame seeds, and with a fragrant, nutty, and rich flavor, all hand-fanned.

With a history spanning hundreds of years, the people in this profession have memorized how to fetch water, how to soak the rice, and how long to grind the flour to ensure the cake is crispy, fragrant, and captivating to diners.

Black sesame rice crackersAfter being steamed until cooked, the rice cakes are spread on bamboo mats and left to dry in the sun. During the drying process, the cakes must be continuously turned to ensure even drying and a beautiful color. For the best taste, the cakes must be dried at a temperature of 30-37 degrees Celsius. Around 11 am - 12 pm, when both sides of the cakes are evenly dry, they must be quickly collected because if the sun is too strong, the cakes will crack, break, and warp.

Older brotherNguyen Van CongIt states: To make delicious rice cakes, in addition to carefully selecting ingredients, the processes of soaking and fermenting the rice, making the batter, turning the cakes, and baking them are very important.important. ViaFor many years, experienced bakers have mastered the secrets of ensuring that the starch, when soaked in water for the right amount of time, swells evenly, resulting in soft, chewy cakes that are fragrant and not tough when baked. Additionally, when fanning the charcoal, it's crucial to fan frequently to ensure the cakes cook thoroughly and don't burn.

Since ancient times, when cakes and candies were still luxury treats, people in the rice paper making villages knew how to process ingredients from local agricultural products such as rice, peanuts, sesame seeds, etc., to create delicious and famous rice paper cakes, peanut candy, and sesame candy. Despite facing numerous ups and downs and intense competition from other traditional treats, artisans in Vinh Duc have always strived to innovate their thinking, methods, and marketing strategies to reach a wider market.

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According to long-time producers, after receiving guidance from relevant departments on documentation, quality control, food safety and hygiene inspections, and focusing on investing in better packaging, clear information, origin, and labeling, Luong rice crackers have been certified as a 3-star OCOP product. The product is now confidently showcased at trade fairs and sold in supermarkets across many provinces.

Currently, the village's monthly revenue exceeds 1 billion VND, a dream figure for many years... In addition, the products are also chosen by many agencies, organizations, and tourists from near and far as gifts, as a traditional local delicacy with a wide variety of sizes and types.This helps promote the image of the craft village and the homeland.

LIVECurrently, the Vinh Duc craft village has dozens of households making rice paper.This creates regular jobs for nearly 250 workers. Among them, 10 families produce rice paper on a large scale, investing in automatic rice paper making systems. Some families have been in this profession for 10 or 11 generations.

For about five years now, many households involved in this craft have invested in additional machinery and upgraded some production stages such as batter making and steaming. Using machines for molding and steaming the cakes helps to ensure uniform cake sizes, shortens production time, and reduces labor costs.MEach day, one person can make about 1,500 - 2,000 rice crackers. During peak season, many households have to hire additional seasonal workers.

Building on the success of traditional black sesame rice crackers, young people in Vinh Duc Craft Village continue to inherit the secrets of their ancestors' craft, innovating and refreshing the product by adding colors from various agricultural ingredients such as purple sweet potatoes, black glutinous rice, gac fruit, coconut, etc. Rice crackers made from gac fruit and purple sweet potatoes are more elaborate than other types and are made entirely from natural ingredients, making them quite popular in the market.

OutsideThe craft village of Vĩnh Đức, in Đô Lương commune, also has a cooperative producing rice crackers and dozens of other households producing them on a small scale at home. Not only in Đô Lương commune, but also in other localities of the former Đô Lương district, there are traditional rice cracker production facilities. For example, in Văn Thọ hamlet, Bạch Hà commune, there is a cooperative.Cuong Trang rice paper production facility The project achieved OCOP certification in 2024 with a total investment in machinery of approximately 180 million VND, creating regular jobs for 7 local workers, with an average income of 6-8 million VND/person/month.

In Van Hien commune, bDriven by determination and love for their hometown products, young entrepreneurs Nguyen Ngoc Phuong and Nguyen Ba Thang, both born in the 1990s, invested in a modern factory to produce rice crackers; simultaneously, they established Luong Son Food Production and Trading Company Limited.

Inheriting traditional craft secrets combined with modern production methods, all stages from dough making, pancake making, and drying are automated by Luong Son Food Production and Trading Company Limited using production lines and machinery with a capacity of 40 million products per year, creating jobs for 50 local workers.VWith two factories and a workforce of over 100 people, this company offers a wide variety of products including rice paper for spring rolls, peanut rice paper, coconut-flavored rice paper, brown rice paper, etc.

NIn 2022, the first shipments of Luong Son rice crackers were successfully exported.luxuriousJapan and South Korea are markets known for their strict standards regarding food quality and safety.Besides Japan and South Korea, the product is expanding into other potential markets such as the US, Germany, Australia, etc.

It is precisely this development that has given enduring vitality to the Luong rice cracker brand in the new context; both enhancing its value, preserving the traditional craft passed down from our ancestors, and fostering...liveThis creates opportunities for local employment and job creation, increases people's income, and thereby contributes to promoting the socio-economic development of the locality.