One of the most highlight thing to see and eat in Cai Be, Vinh Long is the popped rice cake traditional village. Pop rice is a traditional Vietnamese puffed rice treat originating from Cai Be, Tien Giang, Vinh Long and the Mekong Delta area. This crispy puffed rice is made with a decades-old technique.
By Thomas Vietnam at vemekong.com | Official Tien Giang Visitor Guide
1. Better to Know as a Tourist
Ticket: Free
Spend-time: One hour (approx)
Hours: Dawn – dusk
Food: Yes, traditional candy, rice cakes, jasmine tea, snake wine…
Shop: Yes
Parking lot: Yes, boat, car, coach
Blog: https://vemekong.com/pop-rice-cake-traditional-village-cai-be-vinh-long-mekong-delta/
Address: If you travel from Ho Chi Minh City, you can visit Cai Be pop rice village (112km). If you travel from Can Tho City, you can visit Vinh Long popped rice village (40km).
Added values: One of the Delta’s specialities is a crispy puffed rice snack which comes in a variety of flavours. And any traveller passing through the area should certainly not pass up the chance to witness its fascinating manufacturing process.
Nearby attractions and hidden gems: Looking for places to stop on your way to and from Cai Be pop rice cake village? Or maybe you found it too crowded here? We’ve got some ideas! Check out our list: Cai Be floating market (10 minutes away), Tan Phong island & small canal (20 minutes away by boat), fruit gardens (30 minutes away by boat), Cao Dai temple in Cai Be, Brick and pottery kiln in Vinh Long, Mekong delta river excursion…
2. Travel Guide to Poprice Cake Village in Cai Be & Vinh Long
Whole grains of rice with their husks intact are poured into a large pot that’s previously been filled with black sand from the Mekong River.
This decades-old technique of cooking pop-rice begins with pouring whole grains of rice (including husk) into a large, wok-shaped pot filled along with black Mekong River sand over fire. As the worker stirs the mixture, the rice then launches into an explosive spectacle for the eyes and ears.
The popped rice is then filtered through a mesh screen twice, first to sift out the black sand and once again to remove the remaining rice husks (which are then used as fuel for the fire).
As the mixture is stirred over a fire, the rice begins to puff and pop, and it is later filtered twice through a mesh in order to remove the black sand and the remaining husks. The crispy rice is then placed into another wok-shaped pot and mixed with a syrup consisting of sugar and water.
The syrup can be additionally flavored with anything from coconut milk, green tea, and caramel to peanuts or ginger. While still hot, the rice and syrup mixture is flattened with a rolling pin and cut into squares before it’s enjoyed or sold to hungry customers.
3. Free Itineraries from VeMekong
As a local travel expert, we have some ideas for you to think about.
From Can Tho city center:
Route 1: Hotel in Can Tho center – Vinh Long boat station – Traditional Brick & pottery kiln factory – Vinh Long poprice cake factory – Local garden – Sampan ride – Lunch on the islet – Hotel in Can Tho center [Full day]
Route 2: Hotel in Can Tho center – Cai Be boat station – Cai Be poprice cake factory – Local garden – Sampan ride – Lunch on the islet – Traditional Brick & pottery kiln factory – Hotel in Can Tho center [Full day]
From Ho Chi Minh city center:
Route 1: Hotel in HCMC center – Cai Be boat station – Cai Be poprice cake factory – Local garden – Sampan ride – Lunch on the islet – Vinh Long Traditional Brick & pottery kiln factory – Hotel in Can Tho center or back to hotel in HCMC [Full day]
Route 2: Hotel in HCMC center – Cai Be boat station – Cai Be poprice cake factory – Local garden – Sampan ride – Lunch on the islet – Back to Cai Be – Back to hotel in HCMC [Full day]
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 Cai Be & Vinh Long. Make sure you have more time to feel and explore more about the hidden gems and the culture, food, night life, Mekong nature 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 Cai Be Vinh Long day tour with local, you can contact www.vemekong.com or Hotline/WhatsApp/WeChat/Zalo +84939888559; email: hello@vemekong.com
4. Google Maps of Cai Be Poprice Cake 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…
5. Google Maps of Vinh Long Poprice Cake 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 Cai Be Poprice Cake 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. These 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 village to come. Adventure is always fun. Wifi is strong in Cai Be, Vinh Long 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 and homestay tours in Cai Be, Vinh Long.
7. Responsible Travel and Advice to Visit Poprice Cake Traditional Village
It is always good to repeat “responsible travel” over and over. Traditional cuisine itself is facing so many challenges from fast foods and fusion foods with imported ingredients. We do appreciate any of you who do visit and take good behavior to this local village and the traditional factory. Top tip: There are less and less traditional places like this in Vietnam because of fast and morden life.
8. 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. 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
9. Pro Tips
Best time to visit Cai Be floating market is from 5:30am-6:30am. I hope you have an amazing sunrise on the Mekong Delta river.
You can stay in a homestay which is near the floating market, this will help you out the best option. Then you can hire a scooter, car or bike and explore it by yourself, but you still need to hire a boat for the Cai Be floating market.
If you plan to extend your travel to Cai Be Vinh Long homestay, do not forget to bring mosquito repellent cream.
Visit Vinh Long 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 Vinh Long responsible tours which help you give back while traveling. It’s a cliché, but it’s true.
Vinh Long 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 Vinh Long 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 Hu Tieu My Tho (a kind of noodle soup but it is really yummy), elephant ear fish, snails with pepper, rambutan jam, snake wine, coconut candy, pop rice, Durian Ri6…
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 Vinh Long in the rainy season, as Vinh Long always looks fantastic in the full rain and full sun.
Vinh Long tourist attractions are magnificent itself, but if you have enough time, don’t forget to put other places onto your bucket lists such as Vinh Long brick & pottery kiln, Coconut candy village & sampan (small boat) ride in small canals, mighty Mekong river cruise, educational tour and community tour in Cai Be Vinh Long, Cai Be – Vinh Long homestay 2D1N, Cai Be floating market & small canals, amazing Vinh Long homestays on the islets, An Binh Islet, Vinh Long Fruit Garden, cocohome homestay, Puffed Rice Cake Traditional Village In Cai Be & Vinh Long, Cai Cuong Ancient House, May Islet (Luc Si Thanh Islet), Phu Ly Khmer Pagoda, Phat Ngoc Xa Loi Pagoda Vinh Long (Jade Buddha), Vinh Long Cycling Tours…
Hopefully, the above tips will help you to come up with a great plan for your adventure in Vinh Long province, Mekong Delta, Vietnam. Have a safe trip!
“Sleep less, travel more, respect more” – Thomas Vietnam – Local travel expert.
Thank you
