Gạ village in Hanoi has made a reputation for its steamed sticky rice, or Xoi. Despite the rapid pace of urbanization, the villagers cling to their traditional trade, which has been  in a stable source of income.

Ga village’s steamed sticky rice is known to every Hanoi connoisseur. The process of making Xoi involves many steps, from choosing the rice to adding the high amount of ingredients to create the correct color and flavor, to steaming the rice to the proper consistency.

Mrs. Xuan and her husband are cleaning the rice and green beans to make the Xoi they will sell the next morning. They now sometimes sell up to 40kg of Xoi in just a few hours. Xuan’s husband Sơn says the proper ingredients are the key to making good Xoi: "There is no greater secret in this business than choosing good rice so that the dish will remain sticky and delicious the whole day. It’s also important to soak the rice for an appropriate length of time and clean the rice carefully to prevent the Xoi from turning sour". 

Xuan says the other ingredients, such as sesame, lard, fried onion, and ground dried pork, must also be selected carefully: "I grind and dry the pork myself to ensure food safety and quality for my sticky rice".

Another villager, Binh, says every man in the village is willing to help his wife make Xoi, even though cooking is not really a man’s work:" Many men in this village can make Xoi and do it very well. Some have been making Xoi for 20 years. I will help my wife more when I have more experience".

500 households in Ga village are involved in making Xoi and 1,000 people are distributing this specialty to every corner of Hanoi. Xoi is served for breakfast, at wedding, and birthday parties, and is often given as a gift. Some local families have made a comfortable living from Xoi for generations. Công Văn Hạnh from one of these families says: "We have been making Xoi for 3 generations. We care most about quality".

Ga village’s steamed sticky rice is purchased by many big restaurants and high-end hotels in Hanoi and half of the village households have become affluent thanks to this lucrative business.  

Anh Huyen