Tweet
Today, we will continue with Com of Vong village: the cultural feature of eating and drinking containing the typical beauty of Vietnam.
Every autumn, around September and October, when the cool north-westerly wind brings a cold dew, the sticky rice ears bend themselves into arches waiting for ripe grains because these rice grains are at their fullest and the rice-milk is already concentrated in the grains, predicting that the com season has arrived.
To visit Hanoi, hardly anyone forgets a famous specialty being made from young grains, which is both simple and elegant namely “Com of Vong village”. Yes! It is unknown when Com of Vong village harmonized with the fall of Hanoi, to become the miss of Hanoi when being far away.
Com is often regarded as a simple gift of fields but almost all other villages do not have com so it becomes a simple but very precise of Hanoi only.
The green grains of com are both sticky and fragrant- the particular fragrance of new sticky rice passing the period of milk-rice and they are created from generation to generation by artisans to give the life a delicous meal containing the typical training of Vietnam.
The story is that a bridegroom in the old time wanted to win his parents-in-law’s heart, he made com present them. People gradually realized that the precise gift is suitable for rituals so people often make com to sacrifice their ancestor, pagoda rituals and at the wedding ceremony of Kinh Bac people. Up to now, com Vong is sold at every streets and markets of Hanoi. When the autumn comes, it can be seen that old and young women carry beautiful poles on their shoulders, tucking with young rice alreay being plucked off, going along the streets to vendor: “ Com here”, which sounds so familiar.
Com vong if eating fresh would be very delicious but if we want to bring far away, we can still ensure the taste and quality within several days if they are bundled carefully by wild taro and lotus leaves. Cool wild taro leaves help Com not to become dry and faint. Com is packed by lotus leaves which are more fragrant and delicious to compare to be packed with other types of leaves.
The person who is gastronomic in eating and drinking eating com grains of Vong village slowly with a cup of Thai Nguyen tea, or enjoying com Vong with red and succulent persimmons or over ripen aromatic bananas: “ the fresh green of com as precious pearls, the strong red of persimmons as old garnet. A simple thing with sweet taste more than anything else”. (Thach Lam - “Hanoi 36 streets”)
As from Com, people often make many special dishes no less attractive than that such as Xoi com, che com, cha com… Street. Com cake is regarded as wedding cake,being sent instead of wedding annoucement cards. The cake is made of Com vong frying with sugar and fats, adding stuffing by green bean being grinded smoothly to mix with sugar and some threads of white coco, packing in square shape and covering with green banana leaves and binding with red bamboo strings. The color of bamboo strings can be compared to the color of marriage ties. A tray of sticky and sweet com cakes has a deep meaning of the origin and the symbol to wish a happy life for the newly couple. When tet comes and springs arrives, Hanoians often remember to send dozens of Hang Than com cakes as gifts for their relatives, friends, and beloved ones from everywhere with their deep heart
When the autumn comes, the autumn of Hanoi seems to be more pure, may be due to the fragrance of Com of Vong village.
See you next time with Thanh Tri Stuffed Pancakes
Hue from Vietnam Pathfinder Travel.
Every autumn, around September and October, when the cool north-westerly wind brings a cold dew, the sticky rice ears bend themselves into arches waiting for ripe grains because these rice grains are at their fullest and the rice-milk is already concentrated in the grains, predicting that the com season has arrived.
To visit Hanoi, hardly anyone forgets a famous specialty being made from young grains, which is both simple and elegant namely “Com of Vong village”. Yes! It is unknown when Com of Vong village harmonized with the fall of Hanoi, to become the miss of Hanoi when being far away.
Com is often regarded as a simple gift of fields but almost all other villages do not have com so it becomes a simple but very precise of Hanoi only.
The green grains of com are both sticky and fragrant- the particular fragrance of new sticky rice passing the period of milk-rice and they are created from generation to generation by artisans to give the life a delicous meal containing the typical training of Vietnam.
The story is that a bridegroom in the old time wanted to win his parents-in-law’s heart, he made com present them. People gradually realized that the precise gift is suitable for rituals so people often make com to sacrifice their ancestor, pagoda rituals and at the wedding ceremony of Kinh Bac people. Up to now, com Vong is sold at every streets and markets of Hanoi. When the autumn comes, it can be seen that old and young women carry beautiful poles on their shoulders, tucking with young rice alreay being plucked off, going along the streets to vendor: “ Com here”, which sounds so familiar.
Com vong if eating fresh would be very delicious but if we want to bring far away, we can still ensure the taste and quality within several days if they are bundled carefully by wild taro and lotus leaves. Cool wild taro leaves help Com not to become dry and faint. Com is packed by lotus leaves which are more fragrant and delicious to compare to be packed with other types of leaves.
The person who is gastronomic in eating and drinking eating com grains of Vong village slowly with a cup of Thai Nguyen tea, or enjoying com Vong with red and succulent persimmons or over ripen aromatic bananas: “ the fresh green of com as precious pearls, the strong red of persimmons as old garnet. A simple thing with sweet taste more than anything else”. (Thach Lam - “Hanoi 36 streets”)
As from Com, people often make many special dishes no less attractive than that such as Xoi com, che com, cha com… Street. Com cake is regarded as wedding cake,being sent instead of wedding annoucement cards. The cake is made of Com vong frying with sugar and fats, adding stuffing by green bean being grinded smoothly to mix with sugar and some threads of white coco, packing in square shape and covering with green banana leaves and binding with red bamboo strings. The color of bamboo strings can be compared to the color of marriage ties. A tray of sticky and sweet com cakes has a deep meaning of the origin and the symbol to wish a happy life for the newly couple. When tet comes and springs arrives, Hanoians often remember to send dozens of Hang Than com cakes as gifts for their relatives, friends, and beloved ones from everywhere with their deep heart
When the autumn comes, the autumn of Hanoi seems to be more pure, may be due to the fragrance of Com of Vong village.
See you next time with Thanh Tri Stuffed Pancakes
Hue from Vietnam Pathfinder Travel.
Comment