The famous My Long and Son Doc rice paper craft villages in Ben Tre province have existed for hundreds of years. But the taste of My Long Rice Paper still maintains its style, which is a famous specialty of the Mekong Delta. Although they are nearly thirty kilometers apart, the two craft villages are always mentioned together.
By Thomas Vietnam at vemekong.com | Official Ben Tre Visitor Guide
1. Better to Know as a Tourist
Ticket:
Spend-time: One and a half hour (approx)
Hours: Dawn – dusk
Food: Yes
Shop: Yes
Parking lot: Yes
Blog: https://vemekong.com/my-long-rice-paper-village-ben-tre/
Address: Located in Giong Trom District, Ben Tre province
Added values: My Long rice paper with Son Doc puff pastry is a dish that crystallizes the ingenuity and creativity of Ben Tre people, and the many products that nature has bestowed on coconut land. My Long rice paper and Son Doc puff pastry are becoming more and more famous, well-received, and recognized as an intangible cultural heritage of the nation. That is the pride worthy of the people of My Long Son Doc.
Nearby attractions and hidden gems: Looking for places to stop on your way to and from My Long – Son Doc Rice Paper Village? Ben Tre City (7 km), Dong Khoi Guerrilla Village (25 minutes), Ben Tre Brick Factory (21 km), Thoi Son Island (35 km), Cho Lach Flower Village (46 km), Ben Tre Coconut Candy (35 km),…
2. Travel Guide to My Long Rice Paper Village
Every year at the beginning of the 10th lunar month, the My Long rice paper craft village is bustling with production activities for the Lunar New Year, operating for 3 months. This can be said to be the happiest time of the year.
Traveling to Ben Tre to visit the craft village on this occasion, from afar, you can see along both sides of the front of the village road, in front of the yards of the baking households are rice paper rolls stretching straight out to be dried in the sun. consecutively from house to house. The aroma of the cake spreads into the atmosphere of the days approaching Tet, making everyone feel sobbing because Spring is coming very close. Here, regardless of the elderly, children, young people, women, everyone participates in the baking job very meticulously and skillfully.
The name My Long (Giong Trom district, Ben Tre province) actually used to refer to a small market that bought and sold local specialties, the most famous being the attractive rice paper that was loved by many diners. Every time someone mentions rice paper, people immediately think of My Long market, as well as the My Long rice paper brand that became famous throughout the Ben Tre region.
Famous for hundreds of years, but the birth time of My Long rice paper has not been specified. Asking the people working in the village, they received a sincere and rustic saying that: “It’s a traditional profession, few people know when it started, only know that when I was just a toddler… I stumbled across stacks of rice paper in the street. When you grow up, you follow your career, that’s how you make a living…”
The point that makes the My Long rice paper difference is for those who enjoys it once also remember the richness in each piece of crispy cake with the taste of coconut.
3. What to Do –See – Eat at My Long Rice Paper Village
Rice for coating the cake must be delicious, medium fragrant, not too dry, thoroughly washed and ground into powdered water. Previously, to get coconut milk, people had to grate the coconut and then squeeze out the juice, but now, thanks to the coconut press, the process is also much less arduous.
After pressing coconut milk, it must be brought to a boil in a pot, let it simmer until it becomes thick, then mix it with rice and then put it in a flour mill. Any house with a miracle is milled with a traditional stone mortar; If not, put it in a modern blender so that the coconut milk is evenly absorbed with the water powder, for every 10kg of rice, for 14-16kg of coconut. Mixing cake batter usually has to be done by experienced people. When the dough is mixed properly, the new cake will not stick to the mold when it is coated, and it is easy to turn over when drying.
The process of coating the cake is the most difficult stage, the water powder will be scooped into each patch and poured evenly on the surface of the cloth stretched over the pot of water so that the cake is cooked by steam. When the cake turns from opaque white to clear, lift it out with a bamboo tube, then spread it evenly over the coconut vermicelli and dry it in the sun. The person making the cake must be familiar with the hands, so the finished rice paper will be round and the thickness will be even.
Sun drying also requires meticulous care, not all types of sun are exposed, if the sun is small, the cake will not dry, if the sun is too hot, the cake will be broken. The standard dried cake is when you hold it in your hand, it feels smooth, there are no convex and concave air holes… Having witnessed it with your own eyes from the time you mixed the dough, coated the cake, dried it, etc., you could see that the cake was created from ingenuity and feats and was very delicate.
In addition to the traditional cake with coconut milk, the craft village also creates many types of rice paper such as rice paper with milk and egg yolk, salty cake with sausage and dried shrimp or gingerbread. But the most popular with tourists from all over the world is still the traditional coconut cake. The rice paper from My Long has its own characteristics with both fatty and spongy flavors, placed on the charcoal oven to give off a fragrant aroma, making anyone who comes to Ben Tre must definitely try it.
Currently, My Long rice paper craft village has more than 150 bakeries. Because it is a village that has been handed down for hundreds of years, there are households who are in the 2nd and 3rd generation making this rice paper craft. Each generation is passed down the secret to making delicious, unique cakes. Every villager making My Long rice paper is skillful like a real artist. Since then, My Long rice paper has been handed down to this day. At the end of 2018, My Long traditional village of rice paper was recognized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism as a national intangible cultural heritage. Since then, contributing to the brand of My Long rice paper is increasingly expanding the consumption market.
Despite many ups and downs, the people of the craft village still burn furnaces to light fires, grind flour, roll cakes, etc., persisting with the years. The rustic, faithful nature of the craftsman, of the cake with the intact flavor of coconut has made the culinary culture of the coconut countryside, completely worthy of being honored as a national intangible cultural heritage craft village family.
4. Free Itineraries from VeMekong
As a local travel expert, we have some ideas for you to think about.
From Ben Tre city center:
Route 1:
Route 2:
Route 3:
If you do not have much time left, it is easy to check out spots in one full day by boat or with bike or with motorbike and car. But there are much more than tourist sites like these in Ben Tre. Make sure you have more time to feel and explore more about the hidden gems and the culture, food, night life, wildlife and forest as well. Top tip: Stay in a homestay nearby, so you have more chances to visit it and surroundings. If you are looking for the package Ben Tre daily tour with local, you can contact www.vemekong.com or Hotline/WhatsApp/WeChat/Zalo +84939888559; email: hello@vemekong.com
5. Google Maps of My Long Rice Paper Village
Google Maps made a name for itself helping people travel from one place to another, avoid traffic (You probably know the route from your hotel to the gas station by heart, but what you can’t be sure about is gridlock), measure a distance, get back to the hotel on time, share the location…
6. Visit My Long Rice Paper Village by yourself
Solo traveller? Travelling on your own means you will get out of any difficult situations by yourself. This, in turn, leads to more satisfying travel experiences and helps you improve your problem-solving skills. Those days we rarely get the chance to sit with ourselves and simply be. That’s why you should consider the time you spend alone on your trip as a gift.
It is possible for solo travellers to use google maps and do it alone. But sometimes they need to update local maintained roads and bridges which close and lead you a longer road than the road from Google maps. It is just about the time. It takes more time to find the correct garden to come. Adventure is always fun. Wifi is strong in Ben Tre village! The locals find it hard to speak English as well. Top tip: Sticking to one canal and keeping going along it which gives you more things to see and avoids getting lost. Contact vemekong.com to hire a car, scooter with English-speaking-guide or cycling tours in Ben Tre.
7. Responsible Travel and Advice My Long Rice Paper Village
Don’t get us wrong. But we assure you that you totally agree with us. “Do not give candy and things to the children when you plan to visit any local villages”, the kids will leave the school and follow the sweets and later they find some things to give you or sell to you. The garden is a little forest, don’t pick and touch the flowers or fruits without the local’s smiles. We deal with traveling green and leaving green behind, not plastic. Top tip: Vemekong.com are some of the companies that care a lot about responsible travel and local respectation.
8. Amazing Video flycam/drone of My Long Rice Paper Village (4k)
If a picture says a thousand words, it stands to reason that the video says many times more.
9. Incredible Tips for Photography, Specialists, KOLs, Media and Influencers
To get the best of the best for your unique writing, featuring, photo, video and insider’s stories. We do recommend you to have a local travel expert, the one who always gets more ground information and makes sure every single element is solved perfectly. The Vemekong (very exclusive Mekong) team is your priority choice. Email and have a private talk with them to customize your journey smoothly, personal and the most ultimately amazing. You can contact www.vemekong.com or Hotline/WhatsApp/WeChat/Zalo +84939888559; email: hello@vemekong.com
10. Pro Tips
You can stay in a homestay which is near the riverside, this will help you out the best option. Then you can hire a scooter, car or bike and explore it by yourself and I hope you have an amazing Mekong Delta river sunrise.
If you plan to extend your travel to Ben Tre homestay, do not forget to bring mosquito repellent cream.
Visit Ben Tre or do any customized tours, please choose reputable providers with boat trips equipped with lifebuoys, jackets, motorcycle and cycling tours with the helmets and. Safety is a priority! Choose Ben Tre responsible tours which help you give back while traveling. It’s a cliché, but it’s true.
Ben Tre food & drink guide ranges from street food, authentic, fancy to fusion foods. As a tropical land of many fresh vegetables and homegrown gardens, which always make Ben Tre cuisines fresh, close to nature and very traditional. If you are a food lover, don’t hesitate to put other bites onto your food lists such as Cai Mon durian, Phu Le Rice Wine, coconut wine, coconut candy, coconut rice, snail pancake, elephant ear fish, Coconut Worm, Young Coconut Salad with Shrimp & Pork…
Bring your hat, sunglasses, and sunblock, scarf to wear when visiting temples, pagodas, and the cathedral.
Bring the raincoat if you’re planning a trip to Ben Tre in the rainy season, as Ben Tre always looks fantastic in the full rain and full sun.
Ben Tre tourist attractions are magnificent itself, but if you have enough time, don’t forget to put other places onto your bucket lists such as Ben Tre brick & pottery kiln, Coconut Candy Traditional Village & Small Canals, mighty Mekong river cruise, educational tour and community tour in Ben Tre, Ben Tre homestay 2D1N, cocohome homestay, Ben Tre cycling tours, Son Doc Puff Rice Paper Village, Dong Khoi Guerrilla Village, Vam Ho bird sanctuary, Cai Mon Ornamental Flower Village in Cho Lach, Ben Tre Museum, An Hiep Nhon Thanh Mat Weaving Villages, Ben Tre Night Market, Phung Island (Phoenix islet), Thoi Son Island, Turtle Islet (Con Quy)…
Hopefully, the above tips will help you to come up with a great plan for your adventure in Ben Tre province, Mekong Delta, Vietnam. Have a safe trip!
“Sleep less, travel more, respect more” – Thomas Vietnam – Local travel expert.
Thank you
