My Long Rice Paper

This is a special food from the coconut area of Ben Tre. Coconut rice papers in My Long are famous because they are particularly fatty, tasty and aromatic when being roasted over a hot coal. The rice papers here are various with three main types: the normal rice paper with coconut but no milk; normal rice papers with milk but no coconut; special rice papers with coconut, milk and hens eggs.  
Photo: songmoi.vn

There is also another special rice paper that is used to roll with other food such as meat, fish and shrimp.  Almost all rice paper stoves in My Long are located in Nghia Huan, but the most delicious rice papers are produced in Areas II and IV. The local residents reveal that the quality of the rice papers in My Long is higher than other areas due to the special soft rice and the good coconut milk that can only be found in My Long. Tellingly, My Long rice papers are not only well-known in the domestic market, but also exported to other countries in the world.

Making rice paper begins at 3pm(am? Early morning? Ed.). Firstly, the flour is soaked under water and copra is taken from the coconut. The rice flour is then husked and mixed with the coconut milk. After that, the rice paper is coated in the early morning dew of the next day, and dried under natural sunlight. The process seems easy, but requires the skillful hands and diligence of the local people.  It is this combination of tradition and care which make the rice papers of My Long so delicious and a favorite to many visitors.