To Tan Tu Le (Tan Tú Lệ) barn of glutinous rice

Following reverse direction of highway 32 to Mu Cang Chai (Mù Cang Chải) from Van Chan (Văn Chấn) district for about 40km, going over meandering road crossing cloudy mountains, tourists then arrive in Tu Le busy town. From Cao Pha (Cao Phạ) mountain pass, Tu Le is picturesque as natural scenery with gleaming houses on stilts and immense rice fields. Fall sets in; the whole valley is overwhelmed with yellow color of sunlights and ripening rice.

	Tu Le rice field

Sipping tasty wine, enjoying steamed glutinous rice with hill-raised chicken meat or fat duck soup made of Tu Le glutinous rice (which is named Tan La - Tan Lả as slang) and then passionate in stretching dance of the Thai girls.

	Steamed glutinous rice

Legend has it about Tu Le glutinous rice that a tribe of Thai minority was given by a male fairy a valuable jar (coóng) of rice and told to find good soil to cultivate to get good and glutinous steamed rice. Referring to the fairy's advice, Thai people travel the whole North West to find the right place for their cultivation. However, rice did not bloom in some places or did bloom without having any good seeds as told. One day, they came to the foot of Cao Pha mountain pass, stopped at Muong Lung (Mường Lùng) brook to get some water. They found that water here was much clear, sweet, green valley with a lot of fruit trees, fresh air. The village patriarch made up his mind to settle down there. They took water from Muong Lung brook to irrigate their rice fields. Manifestly, these seeds came out well, giving plump rice which was white and aromatic when grinding and making very delicious steamed glutinous rice.

	A corner of Tu Le

Up to now, Tan La glutinous rice has become an indispensible part of the Thai minority in Tu Le as a daily dish at each family. Dishes made of glutinous rice such as steamed glutinous rice, green glutinous rice flakes have been well-known as specialties sold in Tu Le town.

Good fame had it wings reaching other villages and these dishes have been nation-wide famous. Tourists have never missed their chance to enjoy hot steamed glutinous rice with grilled meat, while sipping cups of wine which is also distilled from glutinous rice. To memorize those who greatly contributed to the reclamation, hamlet set-up, training descendants how to cultivate paddy rice; every lunar 15th December, people hold Long Tong (Lồng Tồng) ritual and their descendants reunite.

	A peaceful Tu Le

Tu Le is known for its peacefully beautiful landscapes and aromatic rice field of Tan La glutinous rice. Once reaching this place, try to work out a schedule to stay here for a couple of days to enjoy its specialties and admire its aromatic valley with hospitable Thai Tu Le people.

Collected

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Chronicle of Lac village (Bản Lác)

It is pretty cold in Hoa Binh (Hòa Bình) though spring has set in with some sunlight. I came to visit Hoa Binh right at blooming season of flowers with green trees. It was really an interesting journey. I always felt to be in deep passion of this fragrant land. Really strange.

I could immediately experienced fragrances as soon as I stepped foots onto this land when it was strongly foggy. I reached Lac village right after the sun was just shining with sweet lights, aroma of fresh rice, smoke spreading from a simple house on stilts in the village. I enjoyed bamboo-tube rice, drank a cup of hot tea, while admiring surroundings with feelings of peace and comfort. Lac village, though being a village for tourism, was not in mess or at least it has not been messy, not been commercialized to city residences for their return to countryside to relax. It was probably the plainness of local people that brought about friendliness and good nature.

Strolling around the village, aroma clung to me every step that I made. Hence, I really wanted to stop for long whenever I had to, just long enough to deeply inhale the village's spiritual values. I was invited to a local house which was full of females. A little girl was prettily threading courbary beads into nice rings which were then sold to tourists at several thousands for each. The landlady gently smiled, showing off her dyed teeth. She was pretty old, poured out a bowl of clear tea covered with smoke on its surface.

I have never seen any residences at a tourism village of such hospitability and adorability. It is these characters that also attract a lot of overseas tourists since they always expect to experience a really pure Vietnam, which is not affected by development plans as these plans may frame and automate all kinds of daily activities like a machine system, which can not be of great attraction. Lac village did avoid those concerns since local residences naturally live their lives as the way they are. That is really a great attraction.

The village was in peace even when it was receiving a great deal of tourists. Sounds of bamboo-made wind-bells were sometimes heard somewhere. Sounds of wooden bell for buffalo, of guitar of a musician, pealing laughter of a girl of awkward age; all seem to be harmoniously mixed up. An overseas family with a little girl of pink lips, fair complexion, who bustled on large rice fields. Cows leisurely grazed grass at mountain foot, which really attracted kids' curiosity. Some photographers selected a nice corner for their works. I did not belong to artistic world, only strolled to discover a new place. I am not also fastidious to select angles. I therefore snapped every landscape anywhere at the village.

Nothing was more interesting than relaxing and enjoying simple dishes of the village at bamboo table arranged at the entrance of village. Feeling of amazingly strong attachment was flooding my mind when I sat to enjoy evening shadow behind mountains, the feeling that might not cling to me everywhere. I seemed to have returned to my childhood without any concerns.

The blind was lowered at night; the whole village sank in quietness. Somewhere twinkled fire, no matter you grilled bamboo-tube rice or lighted fire for bamboo-pole dance, you might feel a very cozy atmosphere. It was so cold outside with lots of fog; people might sit side by side close to camp-fire at fields, baked sweet potatoes with great interest. In here, there seemed to have no distance among tourists and between tourists and local residences. This was actually considered to be another attraction to tourists. Additionally, it was fragrances of rice, corn, potato, tapioca, of entire field, straw, and firewood smoke.

I looked for a house on stilts to sleep overnight. This kind of house was so large that it may hold several tens of people at night. That was really a noisy and crowded sleep, If you are not for that kind of sleep, you may ask for sleeping with the host whose house on stilts is not that big, that would be much more interesting. Thick buffer, soft blanket and mosquito net should be carefully prepared to prevent attack of mosquitoes. It is a greatly natural deed at mountainous areas like this village.

I had a very good sleep thanks to actually pleasant atmosphere. A good sleep may work in the sense that you may have a very good start next morning.

Leaving Lac village, I had feelings of tough to part this village because of its charming peacefulness. I will memorize for ever hot bamboo-tube rice before leaving the village, brilliant smiles and gentle glints of local residences. They will be in my mind for ever. It is still very vivid in my mind with an image of a nice Lac village, its affection, and picturesque orchids in Spring which are in bright bloom at the village.

Hai Luu
Photo source: TTVNO

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Discovery of Hoc (Hốc) village - to the West of Yen Bai (Yên Bái)

Hoc village is a peaceful village of the Thai minority, which is 5km from Van Chan (Văn Chấn) district. This village is loved by those who are fond of discovering path to the West of Yen Bai and take this as their first stop-over to refresh themselves for next routes.

House on stilts in Hoc village (ttvnol)

Following North West path of highway 32 for about 190km from Ha Noi (Hà Nội), people may reach the village. In this village, there has Nhi (Nhì) brook taking its source from Hoa waterfall in Tram Tau (Trạm Tấu) with hot water. Temperature of this brook is about 500C - 600C on the average, of pretty good mineral quality. Tourists may choose lake of mineral water set up by local people at the cost of about 7,000 to 10,000VND per capita. For those who love wild nature may soak their body in the brook to comfortably enjoy natural atmosphere. It may cost tourists about 20,000 - 30,000VND per capita to have a night at houses on stilts, enjoying the Thai specialties such as bee wince of Hoc village, bamboo-tube rice with grilled fish, swallow meat, etc and join traditional dances such as: stretching dance, bamboo-pole dance with Thai girls. During daytime, tourists may stroll around the village to admire ancient house on stilts, Thai girls in their traditional dress flashing behind weaving frames.

With a mineral stream and beautiful surroundings, Hoc village is being selected as the destination of many people. From the first stop-over in Hoc village of West route of Yen Bai, visitors may keep on going to Muong Lo (Mường Lò), Tu Le (Tú Lệ), Mu Cang Chai (Mù Căng Chải), etc and then back to Hoc village as the end of their itinerary.

Thuy Vi

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A tour in Ngoi Tu (Ngòi Tu)

Locating near Thac Ba (Thác Bà) lake, Ngoi Tu hamlet; Vu Linh (Vũ Linh) district, Yen Binh (Yên Bình), Yen Bai (Yên Bái); is granted with cool and fresh air. This peaceful countryside is entirely covered by a quiet lake. Houses on stilts are both hiding and turning up among forest of trees palm-tree hill, which are lake-side and people in Ngoi Tu are good-natured and hospitable.

Visiting Ngoi Tu in any seasons should be fine. Visitors may indulge themselves in peaceful landscapes in the morning, at a windy lake; feel relaxed with fishing, etc. Once feeling tired, visitors may then relax at houses on stilts facing immense Thac Ba lake, enjoy popular dishes made by the locals such as: fish mixture (fish and vegetable); banana inflorescence mixture, chicken soup with sour bamboo shoot, or amazingly delicious vegetables; sipping alcohol yeast while enjoying dances of the Dao beautiful girls.

Not only splendid and exciting, Ngoi Tu possesses its own unique features of a long-standing culture. On the occasion of Tet, festivals, local people together head for hamlet's meeting-hall to reminisce about folk songs, attend an expiatory mass, honor-conferring ceremony, bride-bringing ceremony of the white Dao minority which has been long-standing for years.

On these days in Spring, if you get chance to visit Yen Bai, do not miss Ngoi Tu to indulge yourself in the atmosphere of Spring and jubilant festivals of a highland village to the North of Vietnam.

Source Yen Bai E-Newspaper

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Be full with fried “chưng” cake in a winter afternoon.

People from the North of Vietnam have "chưng" cake year around. That is a small kind of "chưng" cake, only with size of a palm. People like to have it hot or fried and enjoyed with vegetable pickles and soya sauce. Only a small pick-up can make you feel comfort...

	Much simple, fried "chưng" cake in winter days.

In the North, especially in Ha Noi (Hà Nội), there are a lot of ambulatory vendors of "chưng" cake or roadside small tottering shops. No matter what kind of sales vendors may follow, fried "chưng" cakes stay as a popular dish that may easily meet up with enjoyers' tastes.

As to elegant restaurants, every crispily-fried "chưng" cake is cut into small pieces, served with vegetable pickles, dipped in soya sauce, had with fork. This is really a combination of both oriental and occidental style applied to a traditional dish of Vietnamese cuisine. It is actually an amazing curiosity to enjoyers.

Small tottering shops offer more simple "chưng" cakes with only an oven, which is carried everywhere with cakes put in bamboo baskets. Once having a "client", vendor stops and sits down, peels cake(s), heats up oil, and fries these cakes until they turn out to be yellow. The way enjoying these cakes is also much simple with a small plate, a pair of chopsticks, chilly sauce, or soya sauce, sitting flat on the ground or on a low plastic chair, eating while blowing to cool down. After a short while, it is done, then payment. Just to be so full.

There are various kinds of snacks between meals in winter in the North that may help you to get rid of hunger. Nevertheless, the best snack to keep you away from hunger is still fried "chưng" cake. In Winter, having a piece of this cake will definitely lead you to another one...

Hai Luu

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Spring colors with pairs of red watermelon

Spring sets in, every family jubilantly welcomes Tet festival with green "chưng" cakes, fat meat, vegetable pickles, etc and being laid onto any altar is a five-fruit tray with a pair of red watermelon as an indispensible component.

"Tết, Tết, Tết , Tết đến rồi..." (Tet, Tet, Tet comes) is a very popular song that always make people agitated. Tet is coming much close; peach has not bloomed, yellow plum flower has not shown off its beauty, but people are all eager for it. Tet is greatly important to Vietnamese people since it is the occasion for their family, friends to unite, for them to memorize their ancestors. Hence, anyone who lives far away from their hometown longs to return to reunite during Tet festival.

No matter how poor or rich, people try to prepare a well-off Tet festival for their family. Five-fruit tray is indispensible on every ancestor altar in families. A pair of red watermelon is displayed in the middle of altar with deep spiritual significance. According to Vietnamese cuisine, it is believed that a watermelon with red pulp will be luck and good fortune for their family for entire year to come. As a result, housewives always have thorough selection of watermelons.

Watermelon holds a legend of a brave An Tiem (An Tiêm) who himself settled down. During three days of Tet festival, pair of red watermelon really warms up Tet atmosphere and solemnize ancestor altar. Watermelon at this time is not only a refresher as usual; it actually becomes a symbol of Spring which may bring about Luck-Fortune to all families in early days of a lunar new year.

According to experience descended a watermelon of big size, round shape, bass slap, bright skin with hair covered, that could be a good one with red and solid pulp. Being a belief, members in a family together sit on dining table to cut watermelons to get luck. Their family will overwhelm with lots of luck if watermelon's pulp is red and succulent, its skin is green. Each member is given a piece of crescent-moon- shaped-watermelon as luck division in early days of a lunar new year.

Red watermelon, one of component on five-fruit tray during tet festival, is much useful since it is a good refresher that can ease your thirst; watermelon with its skin and pulp functioning as febrifuge remedies which are widely used in oriental medical treatment. With skillful hands of housewives or girls, watermelon's look may be magically changed to be greatly splendid in a shape of a flower vase, a boat, etc to warm up dining table during Tet festival.

Source "Ha Noi - Delicious dishes"

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“Lạp cá” dish of the Thai minority

Mentioning the Thai minority's villages, tourists may recall of tides, Thai girls in their traditional graceful dress. For those who have ever visited Thai villages, it is definitely memorable dishes made of fishes among which "lạp cá" is a really special one.

	Flesh of Onychostoma laticeps is pretty nice, often selected for making "Lạp cá" dish.

As a matter of fact, the Thai people normally settle down by big rivers, brooks and fishes are much fresh and delicious. "lạp cá" dish is made of the biggest fish to entertain distinguished guests on early days of Spring or on important occasions of their family.

As soon as being caught, fish are processed by skilful Thai girls to make sure that they are hygienic. They are then skinned, made dry by means of rice bran and then sliced into small pieces. Slices of fish are then cut into thread-shaped pieces and then dipped into condensed bamboo shoot solution or sour water made of grinded clausena excavate burn leaves to turn fish rare. Fish flesh can only be fished out after 30 minutes to let dry, and then mixed up with spices such as chilli, fresh ginger, roasted sesame, powdered grilled rice, and many kinds of leaves to make it aromatic; then put onto plates dusted with fish grinded crispy-roasted skin.

"Lạp cá" is enjoyed with fig leaves or tender guava leaves and sometimes with "rượu cần" (a kind of wine drunk out of a jar through pipes). Fat and chilly taste of the fish mixing up with acridity of leaves certainly fascinates a lot of tourists.

Thuy Vi

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Hoa Binh (Hòa Bình) “rượu cần” (wine drunk out of a jar with pipes)

"Rượu cần" (wine drunk out of a jar with pipes)

In the old days, Muong (Mường) minority possessed their custom of drinking "rượu cần" (wine drunk out of a jar with pipes). Pipes are made of ivory bamboo or unchocked pipes. Fresh unchocked pipes are shortly exposed onto fire to easily bend up to jar shape. Particularly, pipe forms depend much on the host's personality. As a result, these pipes certainly differ from one another. Jars are heirlooms which are getting more and more valuable and rare by the time goes and later on it will be considered as dowry.

To have a tasty jar of wine requires meticulous methodology. The processing procedure should be as follows: a small handful of grinded cinnamon leaves are mixed up with rice powder, then thoroughly kneaded and rolled into balls of chicken egg size, placed in a bamboo basket whose bottom is lined with dry banana leaves and placed at ventilated places without sunlight to make yeast cakes. Bran is to be wiped out of yeast cakes. Glutinous rice is soaked and then mixed up with rice and bran with the ratio of 1 rice, two brans. This rice is then steamed without being covered; waiting for it to be cooled down, dusted with yeast powder, covered with banana leaves, exposed to sunlight to be dry, then put into jars, again covered with banana leaves, sealed with wet ash. After three or five days, half opening the cover of jars, which are poured into with hygiene water up to its neck where bamboo splints are pinned, and then jars are filled with some leaves. Pipes are plugged into jars' mouth and enjoy drinking.

Custom of drinking this kind of wine requires pairs: the even goes with the even, the odd with the odd, or two or three pipes are used at the same time. No matter how much wine is drunk, water is then filled accordingly to make sure its level is up to jar's mouth. Sometimes, drinkers are divided into two groups, group that drinks less then the other will be poured with water on their heads.

Custom of drinking this kind of wine is often done in groups to be crowded and exciting. People all enjoy a nice custom of their village.

If receiving guests, the host will stretch out a mat in the middle of the floor and place jar of wine onto that mat and invite others to sit around the jar. After exchanging regards, the host invites others to drink the wine to drive away tiredness. Muong people normally consider it to be the first step of drinking custom (alternatively to ventilate pipes). Next should be for couple drinking (host and guest), male and female, four-people drinking, six-people drinking, and more. They sing while enjoying the wine, exchanging information, singing for invitation, seeing-off, or promise. Nowadays, "rượu cần" has become a well-known specialty of Hoa Binh.

D.Loan (Collected)

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Five-color steamed glutinous rice

A tray of five-color steamed glutinous rice during competition festival.

Visiting Muong Lo (Mường Lò), a land in the West of Yen Bai (Yên Bái) province in first days in Spring, tourists may not only be in deep passion of peaceful landscapes in Northwest mountains and forests, but also enjoy charming dances, popular foods which are considered to be specialties of the Thai in Muong Lo such as bamboo-tube rice, five-color steamed glutinous rice.

Both traditional and modern values, which express conceptions of universe, yin-yang doctrine, and noble humanity, are all converged in five-color glutinous rice. "Khẩu cắm lanh" is the red glutinous rice symbolizing for desire; "Khẩu cắm lăm" is the purple symbolizing for the populous and rich earth; "Khẩu cắm hương" is the yellow symbolizing for prosperity; "Khẩu khiêu" is the green symbolizing for greenness of forests and mountains in Northwest; "Khẩu nón" is the white symbolizing for pure and loyal love.

To have delicious and glutinous rice, procedures need strictly obeying from leave selection for dyeing to steaming. The ingredient prepared for making glutinous rice must be Tu Le rice with big and pure grains; this is one of the four most famous kinds of glutinous rice in this area. Four kinds of leaves used for making colors of green, red, purple, and yellow are carefully selected to make sure they are not too tender or too aged. This rice is then clearly washed and steamed with brook water taken from brook-head in Tu Le commune. Once colored solution is available, glutinous rice is soaked for about 10 hours and then let dry. The rice is then cooked in a traditional steamer which is called Mo Lung (Mỏ Lửng) - Tay Lung. This steamer is oval, made of either body of palm tree or aromatic wood, which is whittled to have two holes at both ends, the upper part is covered with a lid. The lower part is lined with a bamboo wattle, each steamer may hold over 1kg of rice. Steaming process must have steady fire. Once ripening, rice becomes glutinous, strongly tasty, and will not be sticky in your fist no matter how hot or cool it is.

Ripening steamed glutinous rice is then served onto plates or up to different ideas with five different colors: green, red, purple, yellow, white). These five colors are joined together to make a Bauhinia flower-shaped tray of glutinous rice, which symbolizes for the doctrine of yin and yang, five basic elements. At the same time, it expresses desire for love and compassion, loyal love, respectfulness to the beloved of the Thai people in Northwest.

D.Loan (Collected)

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