The rice pounding festival marks the beginning of the harvest of the first ripe rice grains in the Ngoc Chien fields.

As part of the 2024 New Rice Festival in Ngoc Chien commune, Muong La district, the rice pounding competition attracted a large number of locals and tourists who came to watch and cheer. The rice pounding festival marks the beginning of the harvest of the first ripe rice grains in the Ngoc Chien fields, with the wish for favorable weather, a bountiful harvest, and prosperity.

Tan sticky rice is a specialty of Ngoc Chien region, with a distinctive aroma not found everywhere, cultivated by the White Thai people for generations. When the rice fields begin to ripen with the first grains, the Thai people of Ngoc Chien go down to the fields to select and pick the best quality grains to make com (a type of Vietnamese rice snack).

The rice pounding festival is part of the "New Rice Festival" of Ngoc Chien commune, held annually in August and September.
Photo: Nguyen Vinh

To make delicious cốm (roasted rice flakes), the rice must be selected from the local glutinous rice variety, avoiding those that are too old or too young. Then, the rice is roasted in a pan for 20-30 minutes until cooked, and then left to cool.

With thorough preparation, the 8 competing teams from various villages showcased their skill and experience in the process of making cốm (young rice flakes). The cốm is hand-threshed, then roasted over a moderate fire. This process requires dexterity; the cốm must be roasted evenly and continuously, allowing the young rice grains to cook slowly. Afterward, it is pounded in a mortar until the rice grains gradually separate from their husks, revealing the light green cốm. To preserve its natural color and flavor, the cốm is wrapped in dong leaves or banana leaves and tied with dried rice stalks.

The young rice grains are hand-pulled and then roasted over a moderate heat. Photo: Nguyen Vinh

The rice pounding festival is a beautiful cultural tradition of the Thai ethnic group.

According to the leaders of Ngoc Chien commune, the commune currently has over 660 hectares of rice fields, including about 50 hectares of glutinous rice. The pounding of rice flakes by the White Thai people is part of the "New Rice Festival". This ritual is of special importance and is an indispensable part of the festival, reflecting the beautiful traditional culture in the daily life of the White Thai people. Rice flakes are also an essential food item on the offering tray for the New Rice Festival in every family in Ngoc Chien commune.

The rice used to make cốm (a type of Vietnamese rice snack) must be glutinous rice, grown in a separate plot of land with good soil and clean water, and only organic fertilizers are used. Through this festival, the spiritual life of the people is enriched, attracting tourists to the beautiful land of Ngọc Chiến.

To preserve their natural color and flavor, green rice flakes are wrapped in dong leaves or banana leaves. Photo: Nguyen Vinh

Thai ethnic women participate in a rice pounding competition. Photo: Nguyen Vinh

The rice fields of Ngoc Chien commune, viewed from above. Photo: Nguyen Vinh