"Com" products at the Autumn Fair 2025. (Photo: VNA)

Young green rice, or “com”, a rustic yet iconic gift from Vietnam’s countryside, is drawing large crowds at the Autumn Fair 2025, held at the National Exposition Centre in Hanoi’s Dong Anh commune.

More than just a traditional food, com embodies the flavour of autumn and the essence of Vietnamese culture.

The display of green and aromatic rice flakes at the fair evokes nostalgic memories of childhood for many, of barefoot children running through fields to gather tender grains of sticky rice for their families to make “com”.

The fair, designed to promote local agricultural products and connect craft villages and small businesses with the market, features dozens of booths showcasing “com” and related specialties. These products blend tradition with innovation, bringing the familiar taste of the countryside into the modern market.

According to Nguyen Duy Bich from Bac Lung commune in Bac Ninh province, “com” has long been a beloved delicacy in many parts of Vietnam. It is made from young sticky rice grains, harvested before they ripen, then carefully husked to reveal soft, fragrant kernels with a natural green hue and gentle sweetness that captures the scent of new rice.

“Every autumn, around harvest time, we children would pick young rice grains and ask our mothers or grandmothers to make com,” Bich recalled. “The grains were roasted until fragrant, then pounded and sifted to remove impurities, creating a fresh batch of com.

The whole family would gather to enjoy the taste of autumn, simple but full of joy. Now, seeing these products at the fair, those memories come rushing back.”

Among the most popular booths is that of Nguyen Thi Thuy Hien, a producer from Me Tri village in Hanoi – a place long famous for its green rice flakes. Her family brought a wide range of products to the fair, including fresh “com”, sticky rice with “com”, fried “com”, “com” cakes, mochi with “com”, and even new creations like com-flavoured yoghurt, milk tea, and ice cream.

“All our products use carefully selected young sticky rice and are still made by hand,” Hien said. “We package them in natural materials like lotus leaves and banana leaves, tied with straw — completely free from preservatives”.

She added that the process of making traditional com requires great patience and precision, from choosing rice and roasting it to pounding, sieving, and wrapping the final product to preserve its aroma, green colour, and soft texture.

Thanks to that craftsmanship, com remains a favourite among visitors. Many buy it as a seasonal treat or as gifts for friends and relatives. Hien’s booth alone welcomes hundreds of customers each day.

At the Autumn Fair 2025, producers have also introduced vacuum-packed, dried, and roasted versions of com to extend shelf life and reach new markets. Other processed items such as com candy, com ice cream, and com milk have been developed to meet modern consumer demand.

In recent years, several Me Tri producers have even signed contracts to regularly export com products to foreign buyers - a promising sign that this symbol of Vietnam’s autumn could find a lasting place in international markets.

As exhibitor Nguyen Minh Trung put it: “Each grain of “com”, whether traditional or modern, carries the flavour of autumn and the spirit of Vietnamese craftsmanship, a delicate blend of purity, nostalgia, and love for our homeland.