Inside Tho Ha village - The traditional craft of making rice crackers

Nestled along the banks of the Cau River, Tho Ha village in northern Bac Ninh province transforms into a vast open-air “drying yard” on sunny days.

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Nearly a thousand years ago, Tho Ha was a renowned centre of ceramics, and traces of that craft still linger today in walls built from shards of pottery and broken kilnware.

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Amid the pace of modern life, Tho Ha still moves to a slower, older rhythm. For generations, its residents have remained devoted to the traditional craft of making rice crackers.

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Stepping into the village, visitors will see racks of rice crackers propped at angles, stretching from narrow alleys to the village gate, from house courtyards to the communal yard, leaning against old ceramic walls and even climbing up onto rooftops.

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To make the fragrant rice crackers, local villagers follow a series of meticulous steps: the rice is carefully washed, soaked until softened, and then ground into a fine, smooth batter.

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The ground rice flour is mixed according to each family’s own proportions. The consistency of the batter determines the thickness and chewiness of the steamed sheets. This is a subtle, hard-to-measure technique, relying largely on experience built up over many years.

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The batter is then spread over a taut cloth mold, each ladle smoothed evenly by hand to form a thin, delicate sheet.

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For grilled rice crackers, the batter is spread into two layers for added thickness and richness, then topped with roasted peanuts and shredded coconut - a combination that gives Tho Ha’s crackers their distinctive, unmistakable flavour.

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Freshly made sheets of rice crackers are still steaming, soft and pliable, as the warm vapour carries the fragrance of newly ground rice through the small kitchen.

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After being shaped, the rice sheets are placed on bamboo trays and set out to dry across every available space in the village.

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On sunny days in Tho Ha, every open space is used to dry rice crackers, turning the village into a landscape filled with rows of pale, sun-dried sheets.

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Under the sun, the rice sheets gradually transform from soft to crisp, with the amount of sunlight directly affecting their texture and crunch.

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For the people of Tho Ha, sunlight is therefore considered an essential “ingredient” in the craft of making rice crackers.

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Today, many households use machines to increase production of rice paper, but since quality still largely depends on the initial batter preparation, mechanization has not diminished the product’s overall quality.

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Grilled rice crackers, that are much thicker than rice paper sheets, are still made by hand in Tho Ha, using traditional charcoal stoves that artisans continue to preserve.

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During the grilling process, the maker must carefully control the heat and continuously flip the crackers to ensure they cook evenly without burning.

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Golden grilled rice crackers, speckled with peanuts, sesame, and shredded coconut, are crisp yet still rich and fragrant, long renowned far and wide.

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The long rows of drying racks spread throughout the village have also become a signature sight, drawing visitors to Tho Ha.

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Visitors can easily encounter a vibrant “drying yard” of rice crackers glowing under the sun, a scene that invites everyone to pause, take photos, and explore.

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The ancient alleys, filled with the warm aroma of rice crackers and lined with drying racks that blanket the village, continue to tell the story of a time-honoured craft.

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Daily life in Tho Ha unfolds in a simple, unadorned beauty, where the drying racks of rice crackers reflect a living portrait of the village’s craft traditions.