So Village in Cong Hoa Commune, Quoc Oai District, Hanoi is well-known for its traditional product - arrowroot vermicelli which has been the favourite in the domestic market for many years.
The name of So Village is closely attached to the village’s So communal house which is considered “the most beautiful one in the ancient area of Doai”. No one in the village knows exactly when the trade of making vermicelli appeared in the village, but it is clear that it has been handed down from generation to generation.
We luckily arrived in So Village at the peak of producing vermicelli for the upcoming Tet holiday to feel the exciting working atmosphere in the village and to witness the vermicelli making process, including powder making, thread forming and vermicelli drying. A normal working day in So Village often starts as early as 5a.m. when every vermicelli workshop begins. The clanking and pounding sounds of powder stirring and vermicelli making machines last until 7p.m. when a hard working day comes to an end. However, during peak time, many villagers like Nguyen Thi Ha, owner of Ha Tien vermicelli workshop with a production capacity of 4-5 tonnes of powder/day in Village 5, Cong Hoa Commune have to get up at 3 a.m. to make vermicelli to supply the market before Tet.
Making vermicelli in So Village (Cong Hoa Commune, Quoc Oai, Hanoi) is a traditional craft
handed down from generation to generation. Photo: Viet Cuong/VNP
So villagers place vermicelli in the communal house’s yard for sun-drying. Photo: Viet Cuong/VNP
Vermicelli is formed into thin sheets before slicing into threads and sun-drying. Photo: Viet Cuong/VNP
So village’s vermicelli is still sun-dried although there are many new drying techniques.
Photo: Viet Cuong/VNP
Collecting sun-dried vermicelli. Photo: Viet Cuong/VNP
So Village hosts about 70-80 vermicelli workshops,
each employing from 7 to 8 local workers. Photo: Viet Cuong/VNP
According to Nguyen Thi Ha, owner of a vermicelli workshop in So Village,
the village’s vermicelli receives much praises from customers because it is produced
based on traditional methods with the products of good texture and flavour. Photo: Viet Cuong/VNP
Packaging finished vermicelli at a workshop in So Village. Photo: Viet Cuong/VNP |
Ha said that since having engaged in the traditional profession of her ancestors, her family’s vermicelli productivity has consistently increased. About 10 years ago, the workshop only produced a few hundred kilograms of vermicelli per day. Now, her workshop is producing about four tonnes of vermicelli per day, which is sold out right after they finish production. Sometimes, they cannot produce enough vermicelli to meet the customer’s demand.
Recently, drying technology has been widely used in many production areas but in So Village, vermicelli is still sun-dried. This is the reason why one can catch the sight of numerous white vermicelli panels neatly placed side by side on the dike running along the Day River whenever visiting So Village.
So villagers opt for sun-drying instead of other drying techniques because it is the secret in making So Village’s vermicelli more flavourful with a better texture. Due to absolute dependence on nature, people in So Village have to closely watch out for weather all the time, Ha shared.
Story: Vy Thao - Photos: Viet Cuong