The feat of turning young rice into malt, a famous specialty of Quang Ngai people

After decades of existence, with its sweet aroma and flavor, and transparent golden color, Quang Ngai malt has become famous throughout the regions at home and abroad.

Rice husk, one of the main ingredients for making malt by people in Duc Hoa commune, Mo Duc district, Quang Ngai province. Photo: XN

However, not everyone knows that making the famous malt specialty is a feat that lasts nearly a month, confided Mr. Nguyen Quang Tam, a malt maker in Duc Hoa commune, Mo Duc district.

Accordingly, the first step is to choose rice varieties for sowing, which must be beautiful, of good quality and delicious.

After soaking overnight, the rice is placed in a plastic basket and germinated in a dark room, so that the seedlings (young rice) retain their light green color, bringing the best quality to the malt (when cooked later).

After germinating for about 10-15 days, harvest is carried out and according to Mr. Tam, choosing the right time to harvest the seedlings is very important, one of the factors that determine the quality of the malt when cooking.

"If we harvest late, the seedlings will grow strongly and the dark green leaves will not produce good malt," said Mr. Nguyen Quang Tam.

After harvesting, young rice seedlings are separated, washed, dried thoroughly and then ground into powder.

Young rice flour is mixed with sticky rice (steamed) in a certain ratio, the mixture is incubated overnight in a sealed container, then pressed to get the juice to cook.

After 6-7 hours of continuous cooking, the starch water (young rice, sticky rice) will gradually condense and form the malt product.

According to Ms. Tran Thi Kim Hong, a malt brewer in Duc Hoa commune, Mo Duc district, the cooking process is the most difficult and arduous step, especially when the malt is gradually condensing.

Along with keeping the fire burning evenly, the cook must stand and continuously stir the malt so that it thickens. If you are negligent and stop stirring, the malt will not thicken… and the whole pot will be thrown away, Ms. Hong said.

Malt is not only a specialty of Mo Duc but also a specialty of Quang Ngai. Photo: XN

Recently, some malt distilleries have invested in buying machines to reduce labor. However, many malt distilleries in Mo Duc district (Quang Ngai province) still use manual methods and cook with wood stoves to preserve the traditional flavor of this famous specialty.