Ho Chi Minh City – “Thuan! Is there any way you can ship a bowl of snakehead fish noodles for me? My wife is pregnant and craving it like crazy, and I don’t know what to do.”
This call from a fellow countryman during the COVID-19 outbreak in Ho Chi Minh City in 2021, when the entire city was under lockdown, left Nguyen Duc Nhat Thuan (32 years old, from Hai Lang District, Quang Tri Province) feeling both heartbroken and restless. Thousands of packets of snakehead fish noodles from the poor, wind-swept, and sandy region were born from that moment…
From “Quenching a Craving” for Fellow Countrymen…
In 2009, Thuan moved to Ho Chi Minh City for university. After three years of working, the young man from the land of fire shifted direction to open a restaurant specializing in Quang Tri’s delicacies under the name Ca Men. Initially, the restaurant had just a few tables and chairs and was tucked away in a small alley in Tan Phu District. Gradually, as more customers came, the restaurant moved to Phu Nhuan District, which was more spacious and closer to the city center. The restaurant offered a variety of Quang Tri specialties, from rice dishes to banh loc, banh uot, beef porridge, etc. However, the most popular dish was still the snakehead fish noodles, also known as banh canh ca loc in the hometown of Hai Lang. All ingredients and cooking methods were brought directly from the arid land. “People from Quang Tri living far from home often crave home-cooked dishes, especially snakehead fish noodles. It has the pungent aroma of shallots, the spicy taste of chili, the sweetness of snakehead fish, and the chewy texture of the noodles that are unmatched. There are also many customers from other regions who come to the restaurant just to try the famous noodles,” Thuan said.
In Quang Tri, snakehead fish noodles are also known as “chao vat giuong” (bed board noodles) because the noodle strands are straight and long, resembling bed slats. Cooking this dish requires meticulousness and care. The snakehead fish is cleaned and marinated with seasonings that remove the fishy smell, such as shallots and pepper. The shallots are stir-fried over high heat, then the fish is added and simmered for a long time to absorb the spices before being added to the broth. When the broth boils, the noodles are added, ensuring they don’t overcook. The noodles are usually paired with fresh shallot leaves, and a bowl must be topped with green shallot leaves, fried chili, and chili fish sauce to be authentic.
The restaurant was doing well until the pandemic hit, and the entire city was paralyzed by lockdowns. Thuan recalled around August 2021 when he received a call from a fellow countryman: “Thuan! Is there any way you can ship a bowl of snakehead fish noodles for me? My wife is pregnant and craving it like crazy, and I don’t know what to do.” The following nights, Thuan couldn’t sleep, thinking about how if it was so hard to satisfy a craving right in the middle of the city, how could people abroad cope? That thought led Thuan to decide to package the snakehead fish noodles, first to “quench the craving” for Quang Tri natives living far from home, and later with the “ambition” to promote his homeland to friends all over the world.
“A ca men is a familiar household item in most rural families. When I was young, I used to pack rice in a ca men to bring to the fields for my parents. When I started studying far from home, I dreamed of using a ca men to bring Quang Tri’s dishes into the city. That’s why I named my restaurant Ca Men and also why I branded my packaged snakehead fish noodles with this name full of heart and soul.”
Thuan Opens Up
With determination, Thuan and his team researched and learned how to package the noodles, ensuring food safety, and reaching customers. Although instant noodles, instant pho, and instant hu tieu had already dominated the market, bringing packaged noodles to compete was fraught with challenges. But for Thuan, difficulty does not mean there is no opportunity. By June this year, the packaged snakehead fish noodles were launched. The attractive packaging, larger than an instant noodle pack, contains a vacuum-sealed bag of rice noodles, a bag of vegetables, a sauce packet, and a whole piece of seasoned, cooked snakehead fish. The packaged snakehead fish noodles can be stored for up to 90 days if frozen.
Packaged Noodles Travel the World
Upon its release, fellow countrymen shed tears of joy over its convenience and flavor, which was almost the same as the noodles served at the restaurant. Surpassing expectations, the fame of the packaged snakehead fish noodles also attracted customers without Quang Tri roots. To date, tens of thousands of noodle packets have reached customers. Le Nu Yen Thuong (28 years old, a Quang Tri native living in Quang Ngai) shared: “I’m truly happy that now, no matter where we live, we can enjoy the snakehead fish noodles from home. The taste of the packaged noodles is as delicious as freshly cooked. Since I learned that our hometown specialty is now available in a packaged form, I often keep some at home, so whenever I crave it, I can eat it. It’s so convenient!”
To Japan, Singapore…
Some people wonder why choose the name “chao bot ca loc” instead of “banh canh ca loc” for a more common term? Thuan explained that aside from the business goal of making a profit, he was passionate about promoting Quang Tri’s delicacies, so he always tried to preserve traditional values.
The image of the packaged noodles, characteristic of Quang Tri, suddenly went “viral” in various community groups, including those of overseas Vietnamese. People in faraway countries like Australia, the US, and the UK saw the convenience of the noodle packets and continually sought ways to send them over. For them, nothing is better than enjoying a hometown delicacy after years abroad. The product has now reached foreign markets, primarily through informal channels. In Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, and more, the snakehead fish noodles have already found their way into retail stores. Thuan’s goal is to export the snakehead fish noodles to major markets where many Vietnamese expatriates live. “I remember a time when a customer in the US had someone buy and bring the noodles over. She called me in the middle of the night saying she was cooking the noodles and then cried because she missed her mother so much. Her parents had passed away a long time ago, but today, smelling the familiar scents of shallots, chili, and pepper, she couldn’t hold back her emotions. That’s the value I’ve always dreamed of,” Thuan shared.
Packaged Noodles: A Product Full of Passion from a Quang Tri Native
After months of having the packaged noodles on the market and receiving feedback, suggestions, and encouragement, Thuan continued to release a non-spicy version of the snakehead fish noodles so that all customers, from children to the elderly, could enjoy it. “I’m also planning to return to Quang Tri to open a production facility as soon as possible, not just for snakehead fish noodles but also for many other specialties of our homeland,” he envisions.
