Phu Thuong's sticky rice vendors are transforming the way they bring their traditional dishes to customers.
By utilizing cars, these enterprising sellers are expanding their market reach and enhancing their business operations, blending the past with the present.
Phu Thuong village has long been famous for its traditional sticky rice-making craft, offering various types of sticky rice. Every day, families in this trade wake up at 2 a.m. to start their work.
In recent years, the use of electric cookers, which can steam up to 50 kilograms of rice, has made cooking more efficient and productive compared to traditional methods.
By 4:30 a.m., many in the Phu Thuong sticky rice village begin transporting their goods to selling points. For short distances, they mainly use motorbikes.
For longer distances, some households choose cars. Truong Son, a resident of Phu Thuong, said there are dozens of households in his area using cars to sell sticky rice for many years.
Nguyen Thi Thanh Huong's family purchased a 7-seater car valued at around 700 million VND two years ago. They wake up early daily to load the vehicle, filling the trunk with goods. Huong shared that her family has been in this business for three generations. Her mother-in-law sold sticky rice, and now she continues the tradition with her son, daughter-in-law, and son-in-law. "At 4:30 a.m., my family sets off with 50 kilograms of sticky rice divided into four baskets, each going in different directions. I sell at Kim Ma, while others go as far as Soc Son and Bac Ninh."
Due to the early start and cumbersome goods, the four family members decided to take a bank loan, combined with a decade of savings, to buy a car for safer travel.
Similarly, Cong Manh Cuong (34) and his family rise at 2 a.m. to prepare the sticky rice. Each person handles different tasks, from steaming the sticky rice, braising the meat, to molding the mung beans, all in time to start selling by 5 a.m. "Although known on social media for selling sticky rice from a car, not everyone understands the reasoning behind it," said Cuong.
The decision to buy cars stemmed from the difficulties and dangers of traveling by motorbike.
"My wife has been selling sticky rice at the market for nearly ten years. Once, she was in a motorbike accident and got injured. So, we decided to buy a used car for peace of mind," Cuong explained.
In the morning, he drops his wife off at her usual spot under the Dong Tru bridge before heading to his own location across the Chuong Duong bridge. He travels about 50 kilometers daily.
By 6 a.m., when Bach Hai Yen (Cuong's wife) starts setting up her sticky rice stall, many customers have already arrived.
With an average price of 10,000-20,000 VND per serving, Yen, who has nearly a decade of experience, quickly serves each order in seconds. Do My Thinh, a loyal customer from Dong Anh, Hanoi, said: "Besides breakfast, I come here to buy sticky rice whenever there are family gatherings. Even when cold, Phu Thuong sticky rice retains its chewy and fragrant quality."
According to Nguyen Thi Loan, President of the Phu Thuong Craft Village Association, the number of sticky rice vendors from the village has increased over the years, including many young people from the 9X generation. On average, each worker earns a stable income of about 300,000 VND per day, with some earning more from catering services, although not many.
The use of cars by Phu Thuong's sticky rice vendors originated from the desire to sell farther, reaching neighboring provinces. However, acquiring these vehicles required many families to take bank loans and save for years.
Vietnamnet.vn
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