Hai Duong green bean cake in the Southern land

Missing home, looking for green bean cake

Living in Ho Chi Minh City for nearly 20 years, every time she misses her hometown, Ms. Nguyen Thi Hong Hoa in Co Giang ward, District 1, goes to Nguyen Huong green bean cake shop on Nguyen Van Troi street, Phu Nhuan district to buy some. Ms. Hoa said that for a long time, when her family has guests, she brings out green bean cake to introduce the specialty of her hometown. Green bean cake also becomes a gift every time Ms. Hoa's family visits friends and relatives in Saigon. "When my son was engaged, I also prepared a tray of green bean cake to bring to the bride's family. For many people from Hai Duong who live in the South, green bean cake is a small gift to remind them of their hometown," Ms. Hoa said.

"Pho Bac" on Chu Manh Trinh Street, District 1 (Ho Chi Minh City) is a famous Northern specialty market. Here, every time Tet comes, green bean cakes are sold quite commonly. Along with Bac Kan vermicelli, Nam Dinh peanut candy, Hanoi green rice cakes... green bean cakes have also become a specialty that many Ho Chi Minh City residents come here to buy.

Mr. Dao Trong Hung, owner of a shop selling Northern specialties at the above market, shared: “Hai Duong green bean cakes have long been sold at this market for people of Northern origin, especially Hai Duong people, to buy and enjoy to ease their homesickness during Tet. Saigon people, especially Chinese people living in District 5, really like green bean cakes. Every Tet, I often contact businesses outside Hai Duong such as Hoa An, Minh Ngoc, Huu Binh to get green bean cakes to sell.”

Up to now, there are no statistics showing when Hai Duong green bean cakes were brought to the southern provinces and which brand was first present here. According to Mr. Nguyen Duc Hoi, Chairman of Hai Duong Green Bean Cake Association, this specialty of the Eastern region may have followed Hai Duong people to the South since the 60s of the 20th century. At that time, green bean cakes were just "hand-carried" gifts and had not been sold as much and popularly as in recent years.

As transportation developed and trade promotion was strengthened, Hai Duong green bean cakes were easily available in many provinces and cities in the Southern region. Since 1992, Nguyen Huong green bean cakes have been present in Saigon, followed by the brands Hoa An, Hoang Gia, Huong Nguyen, Minh Ngoc...

Mr. Nguyen Van To in Cai Lay district, Tien Giang province commented: “The first time I was given Hai Duong green bean cake by a friend from the North, I became addicted to this type of cake. Sometimes I go to the supermarket to buy it to enjoy with my family or as a gift.”

Expand the market

According to Mr. Nguyen Luong Ngoc, Director of the Trade Promotion Center (Hai Duong Department of Industry and Trade), green bean cakes are regularly introduced at fairs in Ho Chi Minh City and many provinces and cities in the Southern region. This is also a potential market for green bean cake businesses in the province and they are looking to expand and develop distribution channels there.

Currently, Hai Duong green bean cakes are available in many supermarkets and stores in the southern provinces, most of which are in the central districts of Ho Chi Minh City. The Nguyen Huong green bean cake brand is not widely sold, but only has one store owned by Ms. Doan Thi Thu Hang, daughter of Mr. Doan Van Dat, owner of the Nguyen Huong green bean cake brand in Phu Nhuan district.

Since 2017, Royal Golden Dragon has also officially appeared in Ho Chi Minh City at supermarket systems such as BigC, Co-op Mart, E-mart... Currently, green bean cakes of this brand are also available at tourist stops and many grocery stores in the provinces and cities in the Southern region.

Mr. Dao Quang Chuyen, representative of Hoang Giang Joint Stock Company, said that the brand of Hoang Gia Golden Dragon green bean cake has been present in Ho Chi Minh City and many neighboring provinces. This is a large market for businesses to develop and expand the market.

Hai Duong currently has about 100 establishments and enterprises producing green bean cakes. In addition to export, the domestic market also accounts for a large proportion and is being invested and developed by many enterprises. To expand the domestic market share, in addition to traditional sales channels at supermarkets, stores, tourist stops... green bean cakes are also sold through social networking sites. Some enterprises such as Hoa An, Hoang Giang, Huu Binh... also set up agents and stores in many provinces and cities in the Southern region to promote and sell products.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Nhung, a saleswoman at Truc Xanh tourist stop, My Tho City (Tien Giang) said that Hai Duong green bean cakes have been sold here for many years. Hai Duong specialties are not only loved by tourists from the South but also bought by many foreign tourists.

In the South, Hai Duong green bean cake is not only a hometown specialty for people far from home but also a potential market for green bean cake production enterprises of the province to aim for.