Southern Vietnamese woman takes Ngoc Linh netted rice paper to all corners of the world

DNHN - The Cai Be craft village has long been famous for many specialties of the Southern region of Vietnam. However, if it weren't for an unexpected event over 20 years ago, people would not know how Ngoc Linh netted rice paper has spread globally.

Nguyen Thi Ngoc Linh is the fourth generation of the Ngoc Linh netted rice paper brand from Cai Be Town, Tien Giang Province. On the eve of Tet in 2025, she visited with her second son, and their conversation amidst the lively spring atmosphere was a message: to preserve the identity of Vietnamese Ngoc Linh netted rice paper.

Generations continuing the family tradition

Ngoc Linh netted rice paper from Cai Be village in Tien Giang has quietly spread through the footsteps of laborers, reaching the Mekong Delta and then to Saigon before going abroad. This story, though vibrant, is not widely known. It was even the topic of a graduation thesis by a food technology engineer at An Giang University, but it perhaps still hasn't fully captured the essence, especially when it comes to the "family recipe" and local identity in today's age of "chemicalized food" technology.

Mrs Linh affirms that Ngoc Linh netted rice paper rejects preservatives and artificial additives, aiming to maintain the original flavor of the rice grown by the Tien River. She hopes that her two sons will continue this philosophy of making rice paper. Mrs Linh is the eldest daughter of the renowned Ngoc Linh rice paper family in Cai Be. Her parents, Mr. Nguyen Quang Luan and Mrs. Luong Thi Nhan, married her off to Ho Chi Minh City over 30 years ago without imagining that their daughter would become a brand ambassador and take Ngoc Linh products worldwide.

It was during the early years of Vietnam's economic reform, when the country opened up to trade, and the "family food recipe" faced a great opportunity. Mrs Linh met food industry giants, including Vissan, and sold them exactly what they needed but could not produce themselves. When a product reaches the hands of savvy consumers, its success is clear. Foreign traders and seasoned food experts saw an opportunity and rushed to the source. Among them, it was not easy to distinguish the good from the bad.

The story then became a sensation, but what few expected was that it would happen in a wealthy country like Japan, famous for its "omotenashi" (heartfelt service) spirit.

Protecting the Vietnamese brand together

Mrs Linh recalls that in early March 2003, Professor Vo Tong Xuan, a prominent agricultural expert in the Mekong Delta, returned from an international conference and delivered bad news: a Japanese businessman had claimed they invented the rice paper and registered the patent in Japan!

Upon investigating, Mrs Linh blamed herself for unknowingly "helping them steal the family secret." Many experts in industrial property rights warned Vietnamese businesses to be aware and not "die from ignorance." Of course, legal protection and understanding the business rules were necessary to minimize risks. Fortunately, the truth has its own strength, and the belief in integrity has remained valuable over time. In that year, Mr Luan, who was in his seventies, and Mrs Nhan, over 60, saw Ngoc Linh netted rice paper facing unprecedented threats. However, Mrs Linh bravely weathered the storm to protect the family legacy. She remembers that after receiving many orders for Vietnamese spring rolls from Japan, she allowed a group of foreign traders to visit her production workshop in Cai Be. These traders filmed, photographed the production process, and even requested flour samples and recipes under the pretext of researching food safety. Later, they unexpectedly used this information to file a patent in Japan as described earlier.

Many years have passed, and the controversy has faded into the past. However, during this conversation, Mrs Linh still expresses her concerns. Her two sons, after graduating from university and completing additional necessary training, are now stepping into the business world to take over the responsibilities. Meanwhile, Ngoc Linh netted rice paper is becoming popular in China, and if they are not careful, there is a risk of repeating the past mistake.

“We never thought they would deliberately steal our production secrets and then turn around and harm us. While Ngoc Linh netted rice paper still sells well in Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, and many other provinces, this experience remains a valuable lesson in doing business." This statement by Mrs Luong Thi Nhan, Mrs Linh’s mother, from over a decade ago, still holds its value as a cautionary tale for future generations. Furthermore, everyone in the trade knows that Mrs Nhan has been the one continuously innovating to improve the method and product. In the past, when Mrs Linh was young, workers used their hands to sift the flour, then developed the technique of using perforated cans to sift the flour into smooth strands while ensuring hygiene.

Naturally, people like Mrs Linh, along with the next generation of her family, will know how to protect and ensure that Ngoc Linh netted rice paper will never be a "counterfeit" family recipe from another country.

Simple yet not easy to master

Ngoc Linh netted rice paper, made from rice flour, is used to wrap spring rolls, a unique creation of the people of the southwestern region of Vietnam. Fried spring rolls have long been a favorite dish due to their crispiness and beautiful woven patterns. The technique and tools for making the netted rice paper are simple. Initially, workers used their hands, then invented the method of using perforated cans. The flour is placed into the cans, and depending on the worker’s skill, the flour is sifted or spun to form perfectly round and even strands into a cast iron pan. Today, workers have it easier, and the netted rice paper is better thanks to improved techniques. The netted rice paper is packaged immediately after being made, with no need for sun drying.

Though the profession seems simple, the secret lies in selecting the right rice, mixing the flour, and the technique of spinning the rice paper at the right temperature. Not everyone in the industry can master this technique.

Nguyen Cuong