Rarely seen in Photharam, only 2 vendors left, growing bean sprouts in the traditional way, planted with black rice husk ash in a plastic container.
One of the two owners who still continue their bean sprout farming career is the three Supachaisiriruang siblings: Mr. Apichaya, 59 years old; Ms. Priya, 53 years old; and Ms. Piyawan, 52 years old. They inherited the business from their mother, who started her bean sprout farming career at the age of 12. Now, their mother is 92 years old.
This type of bean sprout planting uses mung beans grown naturally, without using fertilizers or chemicals. They are planted with rice husk ashes obtained from burning rice husks, and planted in a container by drilling holes in the bottom of the container. One container can grow 7 layers. Water it regularly to keep it moist. After about 3-4 days, the bean sprouts will be fully grown. You can grow more than 100 kilograms at a time.
Then, it is time to sift and wash them in the Mae Klong River to remove the rice husk ash. The
bean sprouts are placed in a giant bamboo winnowing basket and soaked in water. They are slowly swung by hand to dissolve the rice husk ash into the water. The winnowing process takes about 15 minutes, and the bean sprouts are clean and white. They are then laid out to drain before being sold at the market for 30 baht per kilogram. The reason for using black rice husks is because they contain potassium, a high-quality nutrient that helps the bean sprouts to be sweet and crispy, with slender stems, smooth white skin, and perfectly ripe tips, making them delicious and enjoyable to eat. The family will continue the traditional method of growing bean sprouts, as there are only two owners left now
Source: Thai News Agency