Tú Lệ green rice offers a chewy, fragrant and refreshing taste unique to the highlands. — VNA/VNS Photos

LÀO CAI — Nestled in a lush valley surrounded by the peaks of Khau Phạ, Khau Thán and Khau Song, Tú Lệ in Lào Cai Province is famous for more than just its stunning landscape. It is the proud home of one of Việt Nam’s finest glutinous rice varieties — Tú Lệ green rice (cốm – young rice flakes made from glutinous rice), known locally as nếp Tan Lả. This seasonal delicacy, made from tender young grains, has become a cherished culinary treasure deeply rooted in local culture and tradition.

A culinary gem of the Thai people

Tú Lệ’s climate, with cooler nights and fertile porous soil, provides ideal conditions for nếp Tan Lả to thrive. The grains grown here are celebrated as some of the most fragrant and supple in the country, producing rice that is clean, aromatic and naturally sweet.

Turning these emerald grains into cốm requires skill and tradition. At dawn, when dew still clings to the leaves, Thai women harvest the young, milky rice ears. The rice must be processed on the same day to preserve its freshness. After winnowing and removing empty husks, the grains are carefully roasted in large pans over a steady flame. This stage is crucial: too much heat makes the rice hard, too little robs it of its signature chewiness.

The pounding process is no less delicate. Using a large mortar and pestle, one person rhythmically pounds while another turns the rice. Around ten rounds of pounding are needed for a perfect batch. Finally, the cốm is wrapped in green dong leaves, which enhance its colour and preserve its fragrance.

Come autumn, the scent of Tú Lệ green rice lingers in the cool mountain air, travelling with visitors as they leave Tú Lệ, carrying with them a taste of the highlands.

Festival of flavours and traditions

Thai women demonstrate their skillful rice pounding techniques during the Green Rice Festival.

This year, from September 13–21, the Tú Lệ Green Rice Festival returns under the theme 'Colours of Autumn in Tú Lệ.' The event, held at Le Champ Resort in Nước Nóng Hamlet, will officially open on September 20 with a ritual to welcome the new cốm.

Festival-goers can look forward to a wide range of activities: cốm-making demonstrations, pounding competitions, goat fighting contests, traditional food displays, ethnic costume shows and sticky rice cake pounding challenges. Folk games such as tug-of-war, blindfolded duck catching, pole climbing, sack races and stilt walking will add to the fun, alongside cultural performances and the 'Beauty of the Green Rice Land' pageant.

The festival is not only entertainment but also an expression of gratitude. Every lunar August, the local Thai community holds the 'New Rice Ceremony' to thank ancestors and the spirits for a good harvest and to pray for favourable weather and prosperity.

This year’s pounding contest will see teams from nine hamlets competing, with men and women working together to harvest, roast, pound and wrap their rice into the most fragrant and tender cốm.

Flying high over golden fields

Paragliders soar above the terraced fields during the “Flying over Golden Fields” Festival.

Adding to the festive spirit, from September 13 through to the end of October, the 'Flying over Golden Fields' Paragliding Festival will take place in Lìm Thái Hamlet. Pilots and tourists will soar above the iconic terraced rice fields, with tandem flights, accuracy-landing contests and countless photo opportunities that promise a truly unforgettable adventure.

Together, the Green Rice Festival and paragliding showcase not only Tú Lệ’s culinary heritage but also its natural beauty, offering visitors a full taste of highland life — fragrant, colourful and soaring. — VNS