Pop rice is a traditional puffed rice treat originating from the Mekong Delta area. This crispy puffed rice is made with a decades-old technique. Whole grains of rice with their husks intact are poured into a large pot that’s previously been filled with black sand from the Mekong River.
As the mixture is stirred over a fire, the rice begins to puff and pop, and it is later filtered twice through a mesh in order to remove the black sand and the remaining husks. The crispy rice is then placed into another wok-shaped pot and mixed with a syrup consisting of sugar and water.