In the first days of Ramadan, the food market in Duong Ba Trac alley (District 8, Ho Chi Minh City) is crowded with customers every afternoon.
Amy's bakery has a variety of cakes from savory to sweet for customers to choose from - Photo: TO CUONG
Every day, the stalls of the Ramadan food market start setting up at 2pm, and are most bustling from 4pm when the dishes are fully displayed and ready to serve diners.
Some stalls here sell until late at night, but most of them are sold out by early evening due to the large number of customers. The market is not very large, but once you step in, you will be immediately drawn into a colorful culinary space.
Lost in the culinary maze of Ramadan
The aroma of fried foods wafts up, mixed with the rich taste of coconut milk from traditional desserts.
Women wearing hijabs are busy serving cakes and sweet soup to customers, while men stand by the pan of oil, patiently frying batches of golden potato and banana cakes.
Because they sell food for believers to break their fast after sunset, most of the shops have no seats, so the writer decided to eat at home after to follow Ramadan tradition - Photo: TO CUONG
Stopping by Amy's mother and daughter bakery, it's hard to resist the temptation of sweet potato cakes, soft banana cakes... or even crispy fried wontons. The stalls here can sell any kind of food, as long as they comply with Halal standards.
The market's best-sellers include roti canai - a traditional baked cake with a crispy crust; simple but addictive potato cakes; or sakaya - a fragrant, fatty egg cake of the Cham people.
If you are worried about not being able to try all of these delicious dishes, don't worry because the average price is only 5,000 VND/2 cakes.
Many people tell each other that when going to the Ramadan market, you should bring a lot of small change, because not all stalls use QR codes for payment.
The stalls selling dumplings and cassava cakes are neatly arranged, priced at only 15,000 VND per beef dumpling - Photo: TO CUONG
Large cakes also cost only 10,000 - 25,000 VND/piece. Therefore, customers coming to the market often bring dozens of different types to take home.
In recent years, the market has not only served the Muslim community but also become a popular culinary destination in Ho Chi Minh City.
On TikTok and Facebook, a series of market review videos were posted, attracting tens of thousands of views and shares.
A stall selling quail and butter fried chicken in the market, these are also attractive dishes chosen by Muslims to break their fast during Ramadan - Photo: TO CUONG
Thanks to this strong influence, the number of young customers coming to the market is increasing. Many young people come not only to enjoy the food but also to learn more about the culture and customs of the Muslim community in Vietnam.
Ms. Quynh Chi (24 years old) said that this was her first year here and she spent two days exploring every corner, trying almost all the typical dishes.
Seeing me carrying a lot of salty cakes, she immediately showed me Mr. Ro Yal's house, where many people love beef curry. A portion of curry costs 50,000 VND, full of meat.
The curry has tender stewed beef tendon, has a unique taste, not as strong as Indian or Middle Eastern spices, and is very suitable for dipping fried dumplings (above) or hanampeh - Photo: TO CUONG
In addition, Ro Yal's shop also sells "thính" soup - a typical dish of Cham Muslims in Vietnam.
"That's right, how can we eat cake without curry to dip it in?" - Mr. Ro Yal said as he quickly sold me the curry and quickly returned to roast the grated coconut in the pan, preparing for the next batches.
In particular, the best dishes to eat with curry are probably the crispy fried dumplings, roti canai - which are made to be eaten with curry - and hanampeh, a soft-shelled cake filled with minced meat, wood ear mushrooms, dried shrimp, cassava...
The delicious fillings of fried dumplings (above) and hanampeh
The Ramadan food market on Duong Ba Trac Street will last from now until March 30, which is also the end of Ramadan.
The special thing about this market is that all the food complies with Halal standards - that is, food that is legal according to Islamic regulations.
Halal not only requires clean ingredients, no pork and no alcohol, but also requires strict processing. The meat must be slaughtered according to Islamic rites, ensuring that the animals do not suffer and the processor must be a Muslim.
Not only a place to enjoy cuisine, Ramadan market also reflects the unique culture of the Muslim Cham community, creating an unforgettable experience in the heart of Saigon.
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/bi-kip-an-sach-cac-mon-hap-dan-tai-cho-am-thuc-ramadan-20250313104652769.htm
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