Fragrant and Sticky Bamboo Rice from Muong Dong

Bamboo rice has been a part of the daily life of Muong Dong people for generations. In the past, people often went to the forest and fields early in the morning to find food, sometimes even sleeping in the forest. From that, they created the method of using bamboo or reed tubes to put rice inside and roast it over a fire until cooked, which is called bamboo rice.

In the Mo Da area, Kim Boi commune today, people still preserve the traditional craft and develop Muong Dong bamboo rice into a 3-star OCOP specialty product that is favored by the market.

Those who make bamboo rice select fresh bamboo tubes with a dark green color to create the characteristic aroma, natural flavor, and sweet fragrance.

The mountain rice grains are opaque white, long-grained, and have a distinctive aroma.

After soaking, the rice is stuffed into about 2/3 of the bamboo tube, leaving space for the rice to expand after cooking.

Coconut water is added to the bamboo-cooked rice to create a delicious flavor and ensure the sticky rice cooks evenly and becomes soft and chewy.

The Muong women skillfully rotate the bamboo tubes, carefully controlling the heat to ensure the rice cooks evenly.

The bamboo-cooked rice tubes are neatly arranged in rows in the oven.

The baking time lasts from 40 to 45 minutes. When the tubes turn golden brown, emit a fragrant aroma, and steam rises, the rice is cooked evenly and is deliciously chewy.

In the Mo Da area of ​​Kim Boi commune, there are nearly 50 households producing bamboo-cooked rice.

The income of the workers ranges from 10-12 million VND per month.

Baked rice has become a popular specialty among tourists at the Kim Boi hot spring resort.

Baked rice is sold in various shops.

Each bamboo-cooked rice tube costs between 7,000 and 10,000 VND, depending on the quantity ordered by the customer.

Muong Dong bamboo-tube rice has been certified as a 3-star OCOP product, with an average of over 10,000 tubes sold to the market each month.

Duc Anh