Rice Balls to Drum Beats

Ever wonder how a rice ball sparked a drumming legend?

Rice Balls, Sesame Salt, Mo Cau

Cơm nắm (rice balls) are hands down the granddaddy of Vietnamese cuisine, so ancient that nobody can pinpoint their origin. Back in the day, they were the Vietnamese’s trusty road-trip companion and budget-friendly street snack.

Steaming hot rice gets scooped onto a cloth, then kneaded, pressed, and rolled around like it’s doing a workout, until it turns into a sticky, chewy mass, round or stretched out like a bánh tét log. The rice grains hold each other tight, firm yet gentle, warm and comforting, with that irresistible fresh rice scent blending with a hint of mo cau and banana leaf aroma – so delicious you’ll want to take a bite right away.

Mo cau is the loyal soulmate of rice balls. When an old palm frond falls, its curved, dark brown base becomes mo cau which is softened in water, wiped clean, and wrapped lovingly around rice balls. Tougher than banana leaves, mo cau keeps the rice balls in shape, preventing any sad squashing while ensuring they stay soft and moist. Talk about a match made in heaven!

As Băng Sơn wrote in his book Thú ăn chơi người Hà Nội (Văn Hóa Thông Tin Publishing House 2005, p. 57), he cherished his mom’s rice balls in mo cau: “Fresh rice, sweet and fragrant like green rice flakes, mingling with the nutty aroma of sesame salt; they are rich, sticky, and cool on the tongue with every bite. As I savored that precious morsel slowly, images of my mother and our village floated into my mind…” Chewing thoughtfully, he tasted not just rice but also nostalgia.

Rice balls have a lifelong pal in sesame salt. Up North, folks call the couple “cơm nắm muối vừng”, while in the Central and Southern regions, it’s “cơm vắt muối mè.” The magic starts with golden roasted sesame seeds, mixed with crushed peanuts and a pinch of salt, all pounded together. Down South and in the Center, they like to add a hint of sugar for a sweet twist. Poor peanuts – they do the heavy lifting in sesame salt but never get the credit they deserve.

In mid-20th-century Hanoi, rice balls were a beloved street treat. In Hà Nội 36 phố phường (Văn Hóa Thông Tin Publishing House 2000, p. 124), Thạch Lam sketches a vivid scene of a 1943 rice ball vendor “hair neatly tied, dressed in a crisp brown tunic and dark pants” who served a snack that was “clean and pure”, reflecting the capital’s refined palate. She sliced the rice ball into rounds, trimmed the edges with care, then cut them into neat rectangular pieces for the plate. Paired with cinnamon sausage or Vietnamese ham, it was so delicious you’d nearly bite your tongue in delight.

Writer Vũ Bằng tosses out two quirky sidekicks for rice balls: Ô Long fish sauce and mọc. He raves, “Dip those rice balls into a bowl of deep golden fish sauce, rich as chrysanthemum hues, and it feels like you’re swallowing pure fragrance of flowers!” As for mọc: “It is like Vietnamese ham with bits of skin, chewy and satisfying, covered by a light, sweet, and faintly aromatic broth.” (Món Ngon Hà Nội, Văn Học Publishing House 1994, p. 175)

Nowadays, with food popping up everywhere, no one bothers packing rice balls for the road anymore. Rice ball stalls have all but vanished. City folks and countryside dwellers alike have largely forgotten this gem. Yet in Hanoi, roaming vendors from Lạc Đạo village in Hưng Yên keep the tradition alive. It began with Mrs. Nguyễn Thị Đảo, the first from Lạc Đạo to sell rice balls with sesame salt in the city in the 1970s. Today, Lạc Đạo buzzes with activity, crafting rice balls for Hanoi and nearby provinces, thriving thanks to skilled hands and ingenuity. Proof that traditional food, given a clever twist, can still hold its own in modern times.

Rice Drums Beat with Soul

Have you ever heard of Vietnam’s trống cơm (rice drum)? Don’t be fooled, it’s not for calling folks to dinner. This drum boasts a cylindrical body, crafted from rustic wood with two taut buffalo-skin drumheads. Players sling it over their shoulder with a sash, anchoring it at their belly, hands pounding both sides in a rhythmic storm.

So why’s it called a rice drum? You guessed it: a rice ball’s the star. Artisan Phạm Chí Khang from Đọi Tam drum village in Hà Nam spills the details: back in the day, folks would slap a rice ball on one side. That little lump transformed the sound into a deep, earthy thud dubbed the “earth tone”, while the untouched side rang out bright and clear, tagged the “metal tone”. Nowadays, drum makers ditch the rice for a tough, handy rubber or plastic patch instead – no grains wasted.

Triều Khúc village in Tân Triều commune, Hanoi, clings to the bồng dance for ceremonies at Phùng Hưng’s temple. Legend says that in 791, rebel leader Phùng Hưng rallied his troops here to battle the Tang dynasty. After each win, with no women around to spice up the celebration, some clever soldiers donned colorful skirts and tops, strapped on rice drums, and danced and sang their hearts out. Today, Triều Khúc’s men keep the tradition alive, dressed in white outfits, red raven-beak kerchiefs, and multicolored skirts, swaying with grace. This funky dance also pops up at the Chử Đồng Tử festival in Đa Hòa village, Hưng Yên, stealing the show wherever it goes.

For ages, Vietnamese folks have passed down a heart-tugging tale about the rice drum. Picture this: a poor scholar, flunking exam after exam, runs out of money and ends up begging on the streets. One day, shuffling past a house, he’s handed a rice ball by its kind-hearted owner. It turns into a daily ritual, like a meal delivery service. A year later, determined to turn his life around, he stops by to thank them and meets the homeowner’s stunning daughter. She slips him some travel cash and a gentle “go chase your dreams” send-off.

Three years later, our guy’s a star, leading a music troupe, and strides back home in glory. But fate stings! He arrives just as the girl from years ago is laid to rest. Gutted, he crafts the rice drum to honor her: one side plastered with a rice ball to echo her gift, white cords as a mourner’s tribute, and a pulsing beat for her farewell song. This tale shows how a simple rice ball can turn a life upside down and carve a deep, unshakable love into eternity.

Over in the quan họ community of Bắc Ninh, there’s a famous folk song called “Rice Drum”. It starts with a bang: “Love’s like a rice drum, hats off to whoever taps it so sweet, turning beats into blooming flowers…” Sounds like it’s all about the drum, doesn’t it? Think again. 

Out of nowhere, it tosses in “a pack of kids splashing through rivers to search” and “I miss someone, my eyes drifting shut in a dreamy haze”. Missing someone so hard you’re lost in a dreamy fog, sending kids to wade rivers in search of them? Then comes “a swarm of spiders spinning webs, oh those pink threads, I miss someone…” See, love’s all knotted up in “pink threads”, as messy and wild as spider webs. What a fierce, tangled passion!

The closing line, ‘fate ties us to the tang bồng,’ is a wordplay gem. “Tang bồng” captures a man’s grand ambitions, charging off to conquer the world and dreaming of a triumphant return as his destined path. Meanwhile, she waits, breath held, for her dreamer to strike it big and ride back, embracing her share of the cosmic deal. The song stops there, dangling the ending for you to spin as blissful or bittersweet, whatever stirs your imagination.

Some versions trade “con nít” (kids) for “con sít” (tiny birds) or “con nhít” (a vintage term for kids), and they’re honestly pretty neat. But I’m team “con nít” all the way because it’s straightforward and hits the mark. The “Rice Drum” song bursts with a peppy, cheerful rhythm, with little ones rocking quan họ áo dài, strapping on rice drums, and belting out tunes while twirling. They are cute enough to melt your heart on the spot.

Nowadays, rice drum isn’t the rockstar it once was, but its folk song and legend keep it kicking in Vietnamese culture. From a humble rice ball to a musical marvel, a love story, and a catchy song, rice balls and rice drums are true cultural stars. So, next time if someone hands you a rice ball, hold off on scarfing it down. What if it’s the spark for a swoony romance or a game-changing invention like the rice drum itself?

The rice drum’s more than just a beat-box, it’s a treasure chest of memories. If you get the chance, lend an ear to its lively thump-thump; you might just catch a whiff of that homey rice aroma and feel the warm human touch in every rhythm. Who knows? It might even stir up a craving for a rice ball of your own.

mlefood – Minh Lê