Traditional rice cooking contest in Thi Cam hamlet, Xuan Phuong ward of Hanoi’s South Tu Liem district on February 26th has been an event attracting majority of villagers.
Legend has it that, when Phan Tay Nhac, a general of the 18th Hung King and his wife Hoa Dung deployed his troops to Thi Cam village to drive Chinese Shu invaders out of the country, villagers asked him to join the troops. Then, the general organized a rice cooking contest to find the good chefs. After general Nhac and his wife died, local people annually organise the contest in commemoration of the general.
Here are some photos of the contest.
The traditional event taking place on the 8th day of the first lunar month
The annual festival wishes for a prosperous, happy and peaceful year for locals. In the picture is four stone hand-pounding mortars and pestles at the communal house's yard
At 10.00 hours, the participants start their competitions with essential things, such as rice, straw and pots
The contest begins with fire making competition
The team making fire first wins the competition
When water and fire is being prepared, the participating teams start boiling water
Each team is provided with 1kg of paddy. Male participants are in charge of grinding grains….
….while female ones screen husked rice to separate rice from husks with a hurry atmosphere
The most skillful person washes the screened rice until it is clean and white
The hour-long competition attracts lots of villagers
At 12.00 hours, the teams summit the cooked rice to the jury
Qualified rice must be glutinous and white
The participants tasting rice as luck of a new year
Source: zing.vn Translated by Tran Hoai
Đăng ký: VietNam News
