FLAVOR OF MOUNTAINS

As one of the “big trees” of So Ma Hang B village, Mrs. Ro H’Pem no longer remembers how many farming seasons she has gone through, or when she learned how to make rice wine. She only remembers that, since she was little, she followed her parents into the forest to collect raw materials to make wine yeast.

In her memory, the whole family could eat moldy rice and cassava, but the wine had to be made from the best upland rice grains as a way to show respect to the gods. Using the aroma of the wine as a measure of a woman’s industriousness and skill, the day she “caught” her husband, the first jars of wine she made herself became an offering to the Gods, to thank both parents, and to treat the villagers.

To preserve the flavor of the wine her ancestors left behind, Mrs. H'Pem diligently passed on the secret to her children. Among them, her youngest daughter, Ro H'Leng, is considered one of the best wine makers in the region. At the age of 16, H'Leng was able to brew jars of fragrant wine herself.

Although ready-made yeast is sold on the market, H'Leng does not use it. Instead, he travels into the forest to find the ingredients and then meticulously processes them, creating unique jars of wine that captivate everyone until the last drop.

Showing us 3 jars of wine that have been brewed for nearly a month, H'Leng shared: To have a jar of delicious wine requires a lot of time and effort. Forest plants that make wine yeast are becoming increasingly rare. Therefore, she and her husband have to go deep into the forest to search for them.

She herself did not know the exact names of those plants. Some she dug up for the roots, some for the leaves, and some for the bark. After being crushed with sugarcane, galangal, chili, etc., these ingredients were squeezed into hand-sized pieces and dried to create yeast. When making wine, the dry yeast was crushed into powder and mixed with the cooked ingredients, cooled, and then put into a jar to ferment. After about a month, it could be drunk; the longer it was left, the more delicious the wine became.

According to Ms. H'Leng, each type of ingredient brings a different characteristic flavor. Ia Peng wine is a blend of sour, sweet, bitter, and spicy flavors on the tip of the tongue, the more you drink, the more delicious it becomes. Because it is made from completely natural ingredients, the wine does not cause headaches and can be preserved for a long time.

Sharing her experience, Ms. H'Leng said: “The rice used to make wine is rice that has been milled once, with the husk still remaining. During the cooking process, instead of the usual way, I wait until the water boils before adding the rice. The cooked rice is poured into a tray, wait until it is still warm enough, mix it with yeast and leave it for about 2 nights before putting it in the jar. If the rice is still hot, the wine will be sour, if it is too cold, it will take a long time to ferment. This is an extremely important step to have a good jar of wine.”

PRESERVING TRADITIONAL WORK

For the Jrai people in So Ma Hang B village, rice wine is not only an important offering in rituals but also a bond that binds the community. Whenever the village has a festival, households contribute rice wine to celebrate. When there is a wedding, instead of sending money, relatives bring a jar of wine to congratulate.

That is why, although life is increasingly developed, each stilt house here always has 3-10 jars of ready-made wine. Apart from important occasions, whenever there are distinguished guests coming to the house, people bring out jars of wine to show their hospitality.

With the goal of preserving the traditional jar wine flavor, in 2022, the Commune Farmers' Association launched the Ia Peng Wine Yeast Professional Association in So Ma Hang B village, consisting of 11 members. Ms. Ro H'Lak (Head of the group) said: With the development of life, many types of yeast sold on the market pose a potential risk of food safety. Therefore, the Wine Yeast Professional Association was established to gather women together to preserve the wine yeast making method of their ancestors.

“The members agree to go up the mountain once a month to collect raw materials to make yeast. It is a bit hard work, but the jar wine retains its unique flavor and is safe for health. This is also a way to preserve and promote the unique culture of our people,” Ms. H’Lak said.

Ms. Pham Thi Ngoc Huyen - President of Ia Peng Commune Farmers' Association - commented: What makes Ia Peng wine special is that it is made from ingredients available in nature.

Through many stages, the sisters have created a blend of flavors between bitter, spicy, slightly astringent and sweet, gradually permeating from the tip of the tongue to the throat.

The Association is also supporting women in building their image and expanding product promotion on social networks, thereby not only helping local ethnic minorities preserve their traditional crafts but also contributing to promoting and creating conditions for members of the Association to earn more income and improve their lives.

Source: https://baogialai.com.vn/giu-huong-ruou-can-ia-peng-post315677.html