COM – GREEN STICKY RICE
Com, a special gift from autumn, is a delicacy that had only in autumn and is very familiar with all Vietnamese. For Hanoians, nothing revives Hanoi autumn like the taste of young rice seeds, the seeds so sweetly scented that they left a strong impression for everyone. Com is the spirit of Vietnam’s ancient village. Vong village is the original of Com. Visit Vong village, you will have a chance to listen to the special melody pounding of wooden pestles against mortars filled with young rice seeds and see women shifting and winnowing the pounded young rice. Making Com used to be a common way, but it’s not easy, a quite complicated.
Com – Hanoi Local Food Tours
Firstly, in autumn, when the cool north – westerly wind brings a cold air, the sticky rice is fullest and the rice-milk is already concentrated in the grains. The best moment only gets sticky rice at early dawn. This is the best period to get the best quality sticky rice seed. The rice is plucked off manually so that the grains are not broken.
The next, the sticky rice were chosen very carefully, sift and wash. Those are dried in a large pan, over a soft fire, then pounded in stone mortars.This process is repeated sometimes until getting perfect Com. Com has a nice green color – a natural of young sticky rice seed. It cannot say that making Com seem is an art of a part of the process and how difficult for the whole process of Com making is. Having a thing to creat a unique Com in Vong village, It is a private a secret that is couldn’t share for others, even couldn’t share for women and daughter in each family. This will make a unique and brand of Vong village but still keep international the scent of Com.
Com – Hanoi Local Food Tours
Com is wrapped in lotus leaves, a pinch for a several time. When open lotus leaves, the scent of young sticky rice and lotus leave’s perfume are very cool, fresh and very comfortable. Seem to make us get them immediately. Com is used to be by hand. When eating “Cốm”, you must enjoy slowly and chew very deliberately in order to appreciate all the scents, tastes, and soft of the young rice which is sweet, nutty and buttery.
Com – Hanoi Local Food Tours
Nowadays, Com is used in some kind of Vietnam foods such as Banh Com – green sticky rice cake and Che Com – sweetened green sticky rice gruel. Banh Com believed to be a symbol of steadfast and eternal love is well-known as it is found at every engagement ceremony. The cakes are wrapped into squares boxes, tied with a red string and stamped on the outside with a Chinese character meaning “double happiness”. Those cakes are sold very much on Hang Than Street. So, very convenient to enjoy Banh Com in Hanoi street. Che Com – This Che is a combination of cassava flour sprinkle with green sticky rice sweet gruel, so it has a cool and sweet taste. You can take Che Com as a refreshment drink in hot summer or combination a hot green sticky rice with steamed glutinous rice in winter – Xoi Che. This Che Com is sold very popularly in Hanoi street. You could find it at Xoi Che Hang Bo store which places very famous with sweet cruel.