‘The bowl of noodles when cooked is ivory white like the color of rice grains, the noodles are small, supple, rich in flavor and fragrant…’. That is the assessment of many people in Hop Tien commune (Dong Hy) when using rice noodles of the family of Mr. Bui Van Tuong and Ms. Duong Thi Dung, in Doan Ket hamlet. You are the pioneer and also one of 2 households making rice noodles in Hop Tien commune today.
Mr. Bui Van Tuong’s family, Doan Ket hamlet, Hop Tien commune (Dong Hy) pack freshly made rice noodles (photo taken before April 27, 2021). Perhaps when it comes to rice noodles products of Hop Tien commune, many people think that there are many households in the commune doing this job or that Hop Tien is an area specializing in producing rice noodles. However, when we found out information about rice noodles products in the commune, we were completely surprised that there were only 2 households in Hop Tien commune. In particular, Mr. Tuong’s family is known for the famous noodle product here. Telling us about the opportunity to come to the profession, Mr. Tuong said: My wife’s parents (in Phu Binh district) are households specializing in producing rice noodles since decades ago. Realizing that this is an easy-to-consume product, since 2006, my husband and I also started the profession. With the “craft” of the family, more careful work in the selection of ingredients and production, so the noodle products made by the family are all consumed by agents and people inside and outside the commune. On average, each month, my family sells about 6 tons of rice noodles, with the price of 22,000 VND/kg, earning about 130 million VND. Excluding expenses, my family earns from 18-20 million VND/month from making rice noodles. Not hiding his profession, Mr. Tuong freely shared with us about the stages of making standard rice noodles. Accordingly, to make the final noodle product, it has to go through many stages: Soaking rice, grinding flour, brewing flour, rolling noodles, washing, drying… At each stage, there must be separate attention to get the desired product. For example, when soaking rice, you have to wash the rice clean and then soak it. Soaking time must be enough 4 hours before grinding. Tuong added: Adjusting the temperature and putting the right amount of dough into the yarn rolling machine is extremely important. Because, if the temperature is too hot, but the amount of flour put into the machine is small, the noodles are easily broken. If you add a lot of flour but the temperature is not hot enough, the noodles will be raw, the noodles will not be clear. After being rolled, the flour is incubated overnight and then washed with cold water to separate the fibers, avoid sticking and finally dry in the sun. According to Mr. Tuong, the choice of rice to make noodles is equally important. The best rice is usually the Bao Thai variety, but the price is quite high, and the noodles are a bit sticky when cooked, so he and his wife use Khang Dan rice. Mr. Tuong shared: My family often buys Khang rice from people in the commune to grind to make rice noodles. Like Khang, local people are not hybridized like many other places, so the cooked noodles are not crushed. On average, each year, the family buys about 50 tons of rice for people in the commune. In addition, to make the color of white noodles beautiful, Mr. Tuong’s family focuses on drying in the sun. Noodles that are exposed to the sun for 1 day will be white. If it rains, your family has to dry the noodles with the heat of the industrial air conditioner, in the winter you can dry them in the sun and wind, so the noodles are still guaranteed in terms of design and quality. Thanks to the enthusiasm in each stage, the noodle product of Mr. Tuong’s family is always appreciated for its good quality and reasonable price, so it is supported by many people. Ms. Trieu Thi Vinh, from Bai Bong hamlet, Hop Tien commune confided: For more than 10 years, my family has regularly used rice noodles products of Mr. Tuong’s family. Noodles here are not mushy or crushed, fragrant with rice. Moreover, knowing well about your noodle making process, I feel secure when using it, not worrying about the use of harmful chemicals in the noodle product. Talking about his future plans, Mr. Tuong said: Currently, on average, my wife and I can make about 2 quintals of noodles per day, but we cannot supply enough for the market. The family also intends to expand the scale but still has trouble hiring workers, because the time to start making noodles is usually very early, from about 3-4 am, so it is difficult to hire people to do it. In addition, when the family wants to increase productivity, the family needs to invest in more machines and factories with high costs. However, in the long run, my wife and I will also consider investing in expanding production. Along with that, a trademark will be registered so that the product is known, trusted and used by more people.
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