VI
EN
Sweet soups (Chè) are a familiar and popular snack in Vietnam. Northern Vietnamese sweet soups are known for their simplicity yet exquisite flavors, such as: bee-shaped sweet soup, sticky rice sweet soup, lotus seed sweet soup, and floating sweet soup. Central Vietnam attracts diners with its Hue-style sweet soups, reminiscent of the royal court, such as: longan and lotus seed sweet soup, royal bean sweet soup, and mung bean sweet soup. Southern Vietnam is famous for sweet soups like: banana and tapioca sweet soup, cassava sweet soup, "Ba Ba" sweet soup, and mixed sweet soup. Depending on regional culture, locality, and the vendor's recipe, each sweet soup will have its own unique flavor.
For me, sweet soup is a snack associated with childhood memories, the excitement of waiting for my mother to return from the market so I could enjoy its sweet, refreshing taste. I also remember my school days, hanging out at cafes with friends, enjoying sweet soup while sharing stories about school. Later, when I started working, sweet soup became the sweet treat I craved whenever I needed to relieve work stress.
Mr. The has been selling tea since 1969. To date, his tea stall has been in business for nearly 60 years.
That's why I often spend time searching for delicious dessert shops. And then I found the "Duong Qua dessert" cart on Nguyen Van Thu Street in District 1, Ho Chi Minh City. Mr. Vo Van The (76 years old, District 1) named his dessert cart "Duong Qua" because he resembles the character Duong Qua in the Chinese TV series "The Condor Heroes" with only one arm. Mr. The has been selling dessert since 1969. To date, his dessert stall has been around for nearly 60 years.
Stopping by the "Duong Qua" dessert shop on a sweltering afternoon, just as it opened, I quickly ordered a mixed dessert. Mr. The was busy arranging ice, while Mrs. Nu (54 years old), Mr. The's daughter-in-law, quickly prepared desserts and coffee for customers to take away.
The desserts here aren't as colorful as those I've eaten at other places, but the flavor is surprisingly delicious. The beans are soft and simmered thoroughly, and the water chestnuts with coconut milk are sweet and refreshing. The sweetness is just right, making it incredibly addictive. They offer many different types of desserts such as: mixed water chestnuts with coconut milk, grass jelly, water chestnuts with tapioca pearls and mung beans, water chestnuts with red beans and coconut milk,茯苓药 (Fu Ling Zao), and various yogurts and coffees… with prices ranging from 15,000 to 20,000 VND.
"Duong Qua Dessert Shop" is located on Nguyen Van Thu Street in District 1, Ho Chi Minh City.
The desserts here range from 15,000 to 20,000 VND.
Not only am I captivated by the simple yet incredibly delicious flavor, but I also admire the optimistic spirit of the owner. He smiled warmly and recounted how, after losing an arm, he was devastated and depressed, but gradually he managed to overcome it and start a new life. For the past ten years, his sister has been ill, so he and his daughter-in-law, Mrs. Nu (54 years old), have taken over the tea business. He still delivers orders by bicycle to nearby customers, and for those further away, he asks them to arrange delivery.
On a sweltering afternoon, with the heat enveloping everything, Mr. The took down the tarpaulin covering his tea stall. I not only enjoyed a delicious cup of tea but also learned from the owner his optimistic spirit of not giving up in the face of difficulties.
Mr. The still rides his bicycle to deliver goods to customers if the locations are nearby.
The Duong Qua tea stall is open from approximately 11 AM to 6 PM.
Mrs. Nu, his daughter-in-law, shared: "Before, my mother-in-law and my husband used to sell. But for the past 10 years, she's been ill, and he's getting old. He has no wife or children, so he lives with my mother-in-law and my husband and me. It's boring at home, so he started selling with me." According to Mrs. Nu, making sweet soup requires attention to every step. Because just one mistake can drastically change the flavor. Every day, she gets home at 8 PM. Her husband helps prepare the ingredients and soak the beans beforehand. She eats dinner while keeping an eye on the pot of beans, busily preparing the ingredients until 1 AM before finally going to bed.
At 8 a.m., she prepares the water chestnuts and coconut rice to get ready for her stall, which opens around 11 a.m. She said that before the pandemic, she and her husband sold about 300 cups a day. After the pandemic, they sell about 100-150 cups a day. Depending on the number of customers and the weather, if it's rainy or windy, they only sell about 50-60 cups.
Mr. Quang has been a regular customer at Duong Qua dessert shop for 4 years. He shared: “I work at a hospital nearby. I often stop by the shop to buy dessert on hot days when I feel tired. Before, I ate mixed dessert, but now I've switched to the grass jelly dessert. The mixed dessert here has a rich, creamy, and fragrant flavor, and the coconut milk is thinner and more aromatic than at other shops I've eaten at.”
Duong Qua's dessert stall is open from around 11 am to 6 pm. His desserts not only evoke childhood memories and serve as a sweet treat on tiring days, but they also inspire motivation and optimism in me.
