Thac village’s com is flattened glutinous rice, made into loose flakes and several other foods. The flakes are different from banh com, the rice-flake cakes also made in the village. Knowing which form you want makes it easier to buy a snack, an ingredient for cooking or a gift.
The craft is associated with autumn, but production continues throughout the year. If you want to visit the village, arrange a meeting with a maker; for a simple tasting, ask a seller for the producer’s name and the type of com on offer.
Where Thac village is
Thac is the traditional name associated with Chua Thuong in Thanh Dong Ward, Hai Phong, in the former Hai Duong area. Older descriptions use An Chau Commune, so ask for a current address and map pin when planning a visit.
Check the journey from your accommodation before committing to a village visit. Confirm the actual maker or shop before arranging transport, including the meeting time and your return plan.
How the rice becomes com
Thac’s method can use glutinous-rice paddy harvested and stored from an earlier crop. The grain is soaked and roasted before repeated pounding and sifting produce the flakes. It is therefore misleading to think every batch must come directly from newly harvested young rice.
Roasting and handling the grain require judgment: the texture depends on preparing it for the pounding stage. Machines now assist some of the work, while makers still manage the roasting, movement of the grain and sifting.
The local process also uses fragrant pandan leaves, known as la nep, to give finished com its green color and aroma. Ask the seller about the ingredients in the particular product you buy; color alone does not establish its recipe or origin.
Choose the form you want to try
- Loose com flakes: ask whether the batch is ready to eat or intended for further preparation. Soft com can be enjoyed with ripe banana or coconut.
- Com rang: a roasted, crisp form with a different texture from soft flakes.
- Banh com: cakes made using com. Check the filling, sweetness and other ingredients rather than treating them as plain rice flakes.
Com is also used in dishes such as che com, a sweet dessert. If buying it to cook later, tell the seller what you want to make so you get a suitable form.
The village’s craft tradition
Local tradition credits Tran Xuan Yen, a scholar and official from the village, with bringing com-making knowledge from Hanoi’s Vong village. The trade has continued through local families, whose skills include judging the roasting and sorting the flakes.
For a visit centered on the craft, ask which stage will be underway and whether the household can receive you. Do not expect a regular demonstration, tasting or class without arranging it first. Ask before photographing people or entering a food-preparation area.
Buying com to take away
Check the producer or seller, product name, ingredients and packing date where labeled. Ask how to store that specific product and when to eat it; soft flakes, crisp roasted com and filled cakes do not share one storage rule.
Buy an amount that fits your remaining journey and available storage. If origin matters to you, choose a product that identifies its Thac village maker rather than assuming any green com sold in Hai Phong comes from this village.