Hometown gifts with the soul of the Old Quarter

Na Ri has long been famous for many products with strong local identity. One of the specialties that made this land famous is Quậy Phố Cổ - a rustic, crispy dish that carries the soul of an ancient countryside.

People sell traditional cakes at the Old Quarter Night Market, Na Ri Commune. Photo: TL

Visiting the family of Mrs. Ly Thi Binh, in residential group 6, Na Ri old town ( Thai Nguyen province), in a half-century old ironwood tube house, we saw Mrs. Binh skillfully rolling dough, cutting pieces and then skillfully twisting each fried dough stick.

While working, Mrs. Binh told that more than 30 years ago, when she first came here as a daughter-in-law, her mother-in-law passed on to her the secret of making twisted dough. At first, she was very confused, especially when she brought the dough to the market to sell, she was still shy. But when she saw that the dough was selling well, bringing more income to the family, she stuck with the job. Until now, Mrs. Binh's hands are still kneading dough, twisting dough, and making dough every day, preserving the flavor of the countryside in the ancient town of the highlands.

Opposite Mrs. Binh's house, Mrs. La Thi Huyen and her daughter are also busy making fried dough sticks.

Ms. Huyen said that the secret to making delicious fried dough sticks is the selection of ingredients. The sticky rice must be a delicious local rice, soaked overnight for about 8 hours, then ground. The ground dough is mixed with sugar and steamed, then kneaded again with dry flour until it reaches a smooth, sticky consistency.

When the dough has reached the right standard, the person making the dough will use a rolling pin to roll it thinly, cut it into small pieces, and then skillfully twist it to create the characteristic shape of the dough. The dough will then be fried in oil and ready to be enjoyed. Although the work is hard, each step requires meticulousness and experience to make the dough look beautiful while still retaining its traditional flavor.

Over many generations, each family in Na Ri ancient town has developed their own unique recipe for making twisted fried dough sticks.

Previously, the products were mainly brought to the commune's wholesale market to be sold in the traditional way, but this method was not really effective. Realizing that, Ms. Huyen's daughter-in-law and many people in the commune proactively approached digital technology , bringing the twisted dough products to online platforms for promotion. Thanks to that, the consumer market was expanded, and the products reached more and more customers.

Having just scooped up a batch of fragrant fried dough sticks, Ms. Hoang Thi Lap generously invited us to enjoy them and then shared her story about her attachment to the profession. Accordingly, she is from Lang Son , has been a daughter-in-law here for more than 7 years, and was taught how to make dough sticks by her mother-in-law.

At first, her mother-in-law only brought the fried dough sticks to the market to sell or displayed them right in front of her house. Later, Ms. Lap began to learn how to sell through social networks, first on Facebook, and then gradually switched to wholesale to online customers. Before, doing it the traditional way, she could only sell about 40-50 packs a day, but since selling online, there were days when orders reached 400-500 packs, at least 100-200 packs, and many days she couldn't even make enough to deliver the fried dough sticks to customers.

Ms. Lap said that now, making fried dough sticks is not only a part of family memories but also brings a stable income, helping her to stay attached to her land of being a daughter-in-law with both love and creativity.

Twisted dough products of Old Quarter, Na Ri commune.

With its distinctive flavor and rustic local identity, Na Ri Ancient Town’s fried dough sticks are not only a familiar rustic gift but also a source of pride for the locals. Thanks to the constant efforts in preserving and improving the quality of the product, Na Ri Ancient Town’s fried dough sticks have been recognized as a 3-star provincial OCOP product. This is an important milestone, affirming the cultural and economic value of a seemingly simple but vibrant dish.

Not only production, local people also actively promote their products through cultural and culinary experiences. Notably, the Old Quarter Night Market program is held periodically in Na Ri commune. This is an ideal space for tourists to visit, enjoy local specialties, including the famous twisted fried dough, and learn more about the life and customs of the local people.

Bringing traditional products to the market not only helps increase people's income but also contributes to preserving the homeland's identity, gradually promoting the development of rural tourism associated with new rural construction.

Source: https://baothainguyen.vn/thoi-su-thai-nguyen/202507/qua-que-mang-hon-pho-co-5253176/