Bamboo Bowl in Vietnam

The virtues of bamboo are recognized in Vietnam since the first Hung Vuong kings. Bamboo is a gift of god in this part of the world and is a source of legends such as that of the very young Giong hero, one of whose statues can be seen at the temple of Soc Son, 40km north of Hanoi. It is a noble material, natural and alive, that grows naturally everywhere in Vietnam. It is light, strong and insulating. Its use in the daily life of the Vietnamese is important: it is at the base of the manufacture of the famous conical hats but also bamboo bowls. Bamboo bowls are attracting renewed interest, particularly in fair trade. Companies like Bibol and Ha Thai are trying to promote this one of a kind art object that has been made for centuries and that you can discover or buy while traveling in Vietnam.

Fair trade to discover the bamboo bowl

The bamboo bowl manufacturers are mostly rice farmers who, between crops, produce kitchen utensils like the bamboo bowl. The know-how of these Vietnamese artisans is ancestral. Equitable partnerships between villages and traders are trying to make the bamboo bowls production technique a heritage in their own right. Farmers are encouraged to pay well above average while promoting the fight against child labor, the creation of school classes and the development of their village. It is a true vector of integration and preservation of traditions.

The manufacture of the bamboo bowl

The production is artisanal and everything is done by hand. The bamboo is harvested first, then the bamboo is soaked in water for several weeks in order to work on its shape. They are dried and cut into strips of different lengths that will be rolled up and glued with natural resin to form a bowl. Several coats of lacquer are then applied to the hand of Toxicodendron vernicifluum, the lacquer found in the north of the country. Between each layer, sand under the water to make the bamboo bowl smooth to the touch and shine wonderfully and dry for impeccable quality. Concerned about the environment and the health of the people, the materials used for the treatment of the bamboo bowl like the glue, the lacquer or the paint, must not contain solvent or volatile organic component.

The softness, the shine, the solidity and the lightness of the bamboo bowl will certainly surprise your guests during a meal on your trip to Vietnam.

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