Hot Spring Dai dumplings

35 years still the same taste

Hai Duong City residents often call it Xuan Dai dumpling shop or Beijing dumpling shop, but in fact the shop is located on Son Hoa street. This name is to remind us of the shop's location opposite Xuan Dai street, at the beginning of Beijing market. No matter how you call it, it is referring to the dumpling shop that has existed for many years owned by Ms. Ngo Thi Nhung.

Mrs. Nhung is 70 years old this year, so she is somewhat conservative. However, when talking about the dish that has been with her for half her life, she does not hesitate to open up and share.

While having a stable job at Sao Do University, formerly Chi Linh Mechanical Engineering School, in 1990, Ms. Nhung decided to quit her job to make dumplings. “At that time, I didn’t hesitate or calculate much, I just wanted to find a comfortable job, without constraints. With that simple thought, the job of making dumplings has followed me until now,” Ms. Nhung shared.

Mrs. Nhung chose to make dumplings just because of her hobby.

Over the past 35 years, the city has changed and the people have changed, but the style and flavor of Mrs. Nhung's dumplings remain the same.

The special thing about Mrs. Nhung's dumplings is that they are big, twice as big as other types. Many people jokingly call them "giant" dumplings.

Moreover, while many places grind the filling, Mrs. Nhung still uses minced filling. Pork, vermicelli, shiitake mushrooms, and wood ear mushrooms are minced so the flavors do not mix. In addition, the filling also has ¼ boiled duck egg, adding a little pepper to enhance the flavor. These are also common ingredients for processing, but with her own secret, Mrs. Nhung's dumplings are always delicious and have their own brand.

Mrs. Nhung's dumpling shop is located in the old quarter, the space is quite small, only enough to put 2-3 plastic tables. However, the shop is always crowded. People who come to the shop to eat dumplings also have the habit of ordering lotus seed sweet soup, mixed sweet soup, fruit or soy milk to have a more complete meal. This is also a characteristic of Mrs. Nhung's dumpling shop.

Previously, Ms. Nhung only sold in the afternoon, but in recent years she has opened all day to meet the needs of customers.

A part of many diners' childhood

Xuan Dai dumplings have become a part of the childhood of many generations in Hai Duong City. The cake is not only a quick meal for many people but also contains and evokes beautiful memories of a bygone era.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Thanh Huyen, 34 years old, living on Tran Hung Dao Street (Ngoc Chau Ward) is a regular customer of Mrs. Nhung's dumpling shop. Ms. Huyen is currently living in Korea, but every time she comes home, no matter how short of time she has, she still stops by Mrs. Nhung's shop to enjoy dumplings. She said that since she was a child, she loved eating Xuan Dai dumplings. Seeing this, her parents immediately made this dish a reward to encourage her to try hard to get high grades.

When she was older, Huyen and her friends often came here to eat banh bao after school every afternoon. Then when she went to university, she looked forward to going back to her hometown to eat Mrs. Nhung’s banh bao on the weekends. Now that she is married and lives far away, she still cannot forget the taste of Xuan Dai banh bao. “It’s just a simple dish, if you pay attention, anyone can make it. But this is not just a simple dish, it’s also a part of my childhood with many beautiful memories,” Huyen shared.

Among the myriad of choices, Mr. Nguyen Dinh Tung, 40 years old, living on Ngo Quyen Street (Hai Duong City) still likes Xuan Dai dumplings. Although he goes to work in the opposite direction, he still stops by Mrs. Nhung's shop to buy dumplings for breakfast. The price is reasonable, only 15,000 VND/piece, enough to fill his stomach. On weekends, he and his wife and children go to the shop to enjoy dumplings while watching the bustling streets. This is a habit for him.

At the age of 70, Mrs. Nhung still diligently makes dumplings to serve customers.

Every day, thousands of hot buns are baked. Mrs. Nhung and her workers work hard but sometimes they still can't keep up. Xuan Dai buns have become a familiar dish for many diners.