Rice paper festival opens in Tay Ninh

Tourists can also take part in various stages of the production process. (Photo: tienphong.vn)

Tay Ninh (VNA) – The southern province of Tay Ninh is hosting a festival highlighting the local specialty - banh trang phoi suong (rice paper exposed to the fog), which has been recognised as part of the National Intangible Heritage, with the aim to promote traditional food and handicrafts.

The event taking place from December 20-25 features 34 stalls offering the locally-made banh trang (rice paper for wrapping spring rolls), and tourists will have the chance to experience the various stages of making rice paper, from grinding the rice to baking it and drying it at night.

Various local dishes are also on offer including vegetarian food, beef, shrimp and wild vegetables.

The event also features exhibitions of traditional handicraft products from nearby areas, and is expected to receive up to 100,000 visitors. 

Banh trang phoi suong (rice paper exposed to the fog) made in Trang Bang is a special ingredient for various types of spring rolls.

According to locals, exposing the rice paper to the fog is the most important stage to ensure the rice paper is soft and flexible. The stage requires experienced people who know how long to leave the rice paper out for.

Dating back to the 13th century, the round rice paper in Trang Bang has a slightly salty flavour. Rice is soaked for 4-6 hours before being ground in water. The mixture is then filtered to remove hard substances. Some salt is added to keep it fresh in all kinds of weather. A big saucepan with water is brought to the boil, and cooks make the rice paper steamed on a cloth over the saucepan.  The rice paper is then dried under the sun for two days. Then it is baked for a short time before being put outside under fog. The fog is absorbed by the paper, making it soft and flexible.

The technique makes Trang Bang rice paper stand out from other localities across the country.-VNA