‘Dong’ leaf village in northern Vietnam
Wednesday, February 11, 2015, 11:54 GMT+7
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| Since a few weeks before Tet, Trang Cat villagers have become busier harvesting “dong” leaves to provide for traders. |
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| Trang Cat Village is famous among many villages and provinces in the northern region thanks to its 600-year history of planting “dong” leaves. |
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| “Dong” leaves are sold not only during Tet but all round year for wrapping “banh chung” and “gio cha” (Vietnamese traditional ham). Leaves dedicated to the Lunar New Year are carefully taken care of to ensure quality and color. |
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| Growers often leave young “dong” leaves so they can continue to grow and can be served in the next growing season. |
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| It does not take much time to grow “dong” plants but forming such a big, long-standing traditional village as Trang Cat is not an easy task. “Dong” leaves are classified by color and size after the harvest. According to a villager, “dong” leaves grown in Trang Cat Village have beautiful color and an irresistible taste. |
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| For 3-4 weeks before Tet, locals start harvesting “dong” leaves to provide for other provinces. The leaves are soaked in water to maintain freshness. |
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| Nguyen Thi Nga, 83, a Trang Cat villager, said she has grown “dong” leaves since she was young and now helps her children harvest leaves. |
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| “Dong” leaves are tied together as a bundle of 100. A big bundle costs VND100,000 (US$4.6) while a small one is priced from VND40,000 ($1.86) to VND50,000 ($2.33). |
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| These days, Trang Cat Village is always bustling and crowded as people are rushing to distribute “dong” leaves to other regions. |
