| Description |
The profession of making Dew-wet Rice Paper in Trảng Bàng district is more than 200 years old, originating from the land of Ngũ Quảng, Bình Định.
The stages include choosing good rice, grinding rice into flour, coating the cake, drying the cake, baking, and dew drying. In particular, the point that makes the difference of dew-dried rice paper is that rice flour is added with a little salt to make it more flavorful and flexible; The paper is coated with two layers so that it is crispy when baked and exposed to dew at night without tearing. The paper is dried on a canopy during the day to dry, then taken down to bake. The oven is an aluminum pot (round-bottomed pot for cooking wine) placed at an angle. The worker quickly rotates the rice paper so that it puffs evenly, with small bubbles on both sides, and turns opaque white. The fuel for baking rice paper is peanut shells.
After being baked, the rice paper is placed on a frame and waited until the dew falls, then the cake is exposed to dry for a short period of time. The mist slowly penetrates into the cake, making it soft, does not change color, and does not need to be dipped in water before eating. The person drying the paper must "wake up" with the paper, and wait until the rice paper has just absorbed the dew and is soft enough to put it in a bag lined with banana leaves to keep it soft and spongy. In addition to the skills taught, bakers need to be talented and know how to use their senses to feel the flavor of the paper.
When eating, people peel off a sheet of rice paper, place it on a plate, then put in their favorite vegetables, melons, and bean sprouts, then add one or two pieces of meat and roll it up to fit their mouth, dipping in the water of fish sauce. |
