“Winter in America, with rain and snow blanketing everything in white. I wish I could have a bowl of Quảng Trị snakehead fish rice noodle porridge from home…”
A casual remark from a fellow countrywoman left Nguyễn Đức Nhật Thuận restless. It sparked his determination to create a convenient version of “cháo bột cá lóc” (snakehead fish rice noodle porridge), capturing the essence of his homeland, to send across the oceans—to the U.S., Australia, Japan, Germany, and beyond.
From His Mother’s Recipe
Nguyễn Đức Nhật Thuận (33) was born and raised in Quảng Trị, the land of fire. He is a young entrepreneur behind the culinary brand Cà Mèn, headquartered in Phú Nhuận District, Ho Chi Minh City.
His hometown, Hải Lăng (Quảng Trị), is marked by scorching summers and winters of bitter cold. In their humble kitchen, he watched his mother knead rice flour into dough, cut it into strips, clean and marinate fresh snakehead fish with crushed shallots, then simmer until fragrant. She would gently add the rice noodles into boiling fish broth, later topping with fish and scallions.
“The aroma filled the kitchen. We would eagerly take each steaming bowl from her hands, slurp it down, warm and delicious—etched forever in memory,” Thuận recalls.
For him, no matter where he travels or what delicacies he tastes, the best meals will always be those cooked by his mother’s hands. In Quảng Trị, generations have been nourished by rice and fish from their fields, with the humble bowl of snakehead fish porridge becoming a beloved specialty remembered by all who leave.
Leaving a High-Paying Job to Pursue Culinary Dreams
After graduating in international trade, Thuận had a stable, well-paid job at a major corporation. Yet one day, when a friend asked, “Is Quảng Trị part of Huế?”, he felt a pang of disappointment.
Quảng Trị’s cuisine, he realized, was still overshadowed, often mistaken for Hue’s despite its own unique identity. This unease became the seed of his mission: to give Quảng Trị cuisine the recognition it deserved.
In 2015, armed with his passion for cooking and his mother’s recipes, he quit his job and launched Cà Mèn. From then on, specialties like Phương Lang steamed rice rolls, snakehead fish porridge, and duck porridge made their way to Ho Chi Minh City, first embraced by Quảng Trị natives and gradually winning over diners from across Vietnam.
Reaching the World
Thuận dreamed bigger—not only of bringing Quảng Trị food across Vietnam but also to the world.
“In conversations with Vietnamese living abroad, I heard their longing for familiar flavors. They said even with money, it was nearly impossible to taste our hometown dishes overseas. I understood deeply and couldn’t stop thinking about it,” he said.
Between 2020 and 2021, after much research, he successfully developed a family-sized packaged version of snakehead fish porridge (for five people). The achievement was celebrated, but exporting was still difficult due to its bulk and shipping costs.
One winter, a fellow Quảng Trị native in California sent him a video of falling snow, sharing her wish for a warm bowl of hometown porridge. That moment moved him deeply, motivating him to continue refining the product.
In June 2022, the single-serving instant version—as compact as a pack of instant noodles—was born. The first shipment of 500 packs was pre-sold before it even landed in California. More shipments followed. By May 2023, the product officially received FDA approval in the U.S., marking a turning point: Cà Mèn secured distribution agreements for packaged products in the American market, taking a giant step closer to its global dream.
From Childhood Memory to Global Aspiration
Today, Cà Mèn’s snakehead fish porridge is distributed not only in Vietnam’s major cities (Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Da Nang, Hue, Dak Lak…) but also in countries such as the U.S., Germany, Japan, Australia, South Korea, Singapore, and Taiwan.
Liên Phạm, owner of Liên Phạm Supermarket in California, said she first learned of Cà Mèn’s porridge from the Vietnamese community and has been an official distributor for six months:
“I grew up in Ho Chi Minh City before moving to California. The first time I tried Cà Mèn’s porridge, I was impressed by its rich and authentic flavor. Even local Americans loved it—it’s boneless, aromatic with shallots, and deeply savory.”
In Japan, Nguyễn Trung Anh, owner of Cọng Rơm store in Osaka, shared:
“The porridge retains the original taste, which Vietnamese here appreciate deeply. We sell around 4,000 packs a month. Many customers told me they felt as if they were eating their mother’s cooking again. It stirred nostalgia and gratitude. Even Japanese customers were amazed—the fresh fish, rich broth, and chewy rice noodles offered a unique experience, different from udon. It’s more than food; it’s a piece of culture.”
Giving Back to Homeland
In early 2023, the packaged snakehead fish porridge won First Prize at the Quảng Trị Provincial Innovation Startup Contest. Thuận now dreams of expanding production and relocating his factory back to Quảng Trị, creating jobs and supporting local farmers.
He also launched the “Loving Porridge Project”, providing meals for underprivileged children in remote areas of Quảng Trị. “I hope the kids will eat well and feel cared for. Maybe one day, they will do something for their homeland too. Hopefully, there will be many more ‘Cà Mèns’ born from this land,” he said.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, Thuận and his staff also ran a free kitchen for four months, providing 700–800 quality meals daily to quarantine zones and field hospitals, joining hands to fight the crisis.
