Can 'la dong' fields be maintained at Trang Cat when many other crop plants are more productive and profitable?
'La dong' is a special kind of leaf which is popular only in southern Asia and is used for wrapping Chung cake.
Trang Cat Hamlet, Thanh Oanh, Hanoi is Day River’s warp which is very favourable for growing la dong. People here make their livings on planting la dong which is soft, has a nice smell and a vivid green colour after cooking. La dong is Trang Cat’s speciality.
However, during recent years, people here haven't been expanding la dong fields. Instead, they have turned to growing Canh orange trees. Houses are emerging from where la dong gardens once lied.
La dong is the “soul” of Chung cake for Tet but whether people here will destroy the remaining la dong fields for economic purposes remains to be seen.
Chung cake is a traditional Vietnamese cake which is wrapped with la dong. Its origin is told by the legend of Lang Lieu, a prince of the sixth Hung King, who became Hung King 's successor thanks to his creation of Chung cake and Giay cake, which symbolise respectively the earth and the sky. La dong is considered to be an essential element of the family altar on the occasion of Tet.
Houses filled with la dong
La dong is harvested for the whole year but the highest quality la dong is reserved for Tet
360 square metres of la dong will cost VND3 million ($162) at the fields (sellers will harvest)
360 square metres of la dong will cost VND2 million ($108) for finished products (buyers will harvest)
The first simple harvesting step is cutting the leaves
Packing and pruning la dong requires a lot of effort
Cleaning before tying
Soaking la dong with banana leaves and water to keep it fresh
6 to 10 thousand leaves can be carried per trip
Growing la dong has been a long practiced tradition in Trang Cat
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