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 Son Doc Puff 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/son-doc-puff-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 Son Doc Puff Rice Paper Village
Son Doc puff pastry is more than 100 years old, and is the destination of many tourists to feel the traditional culture here.
Son Doc puff pastry is characterized by the taste of dense coconut milk mixed with water, that delicious flavor is complete on a cake. Glutinous rice cakes in Son Doc must be waxy, flexible, and fragrant. This rice is brought to the sticky rice until cooked, then mixed with sugar, vanilla powder and then spread. When sweeping, it is necessary to choose an experienced person so that they can brush it thoroughly and return it evenly, otherwise the dough will be boggy, the rolled cake will not be of good quality and very bad.
Nowadays, with the development of science and technology, most households in Son Doc puff pastry village are equipped with sweeping machines and rolling machines, making the baking process somewhat less strenuous. Thanks to that, the production of cakes is also increasing day by day.
Son Doc puff pastry village currently has more than 30 puff pastry production establishments. In addition to puff pastry, people here also produce a number of other types of cakes such as banana puff pastry, bread puff pastry, jackfruit puff pastry, onion puff pastry to meet the increasingly diverse needs of the market.
3. What to Do –See – Eat at Son Doc Rice Paper Village
Son Doc puff pastry is made with waxy glutinous rice, a famous glutinous rice variety of Ben Tre, glutinous rice is made into sticky rice and then pounded into a mortar along with other ingredients such as sugar, coconut milk… Arrive at the craft village in the morning. We easily know whose house will make puff pastry by hearing the pounding noise. This is also the most tiring stage when making puff pastry.
To make the cake bigger, you can add a little pureed soybean flour. When the dough is spread evenly, the spices will be molded into balls and rolled. The rolling person must ensure that the cake rolls quickly and skillfully. After rolling the cake, it is immediately dried on a new mat spread in the crisp sun. The drying process seems to be simple, but it is quite laborious. The sun should not be too weak or too harsh. When the cake has just dried, remove the cake, it must be shaken and fanned to cool before arranging the cake.
Each Son Doc puff pastry has a diameter of 18cm. After baking, the cake is 2-3 times bigger than the original. To be delicious, Son Doc puff pastry must be baked on a fiery red charcoal stove. The baked goods are fragrant, spongy, and delicious. The taste of the cake is fatty, sweet, and salty.
Initially, Son Doc puff pastry appeared only on traditional holidays and Tet. But it is the delicious, sweet and crispy taste, the puff pastry has become the hometown gift that generations of Son Doc children have been waiting for. Over time, from generation to generation, puff pastry is still loved by many people and has since become a traditional specialty of the people here. Every visitor coming to Ben Tre must find his way to Son Doc to enjoy the puff pastry or witness first-hand how the cake is made, and then buy it as a gift for relatives.
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 Son Doc Puff 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 Son Doc Puff 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 Son Doc Puff 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 Son Doc Puff 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
