Organic Banh Troi sold out during Cold Food Festival - why?

Banh troi is in high demand, traders can't keep up

This morning (the 3rd of the 3rd lunar month), walking around the traditional markets in Hanoi, according to a survey by the Industry and Trade Newspaper, the buying and selling atmosphere at many traditional cake shops was extremely bustling. Sellers were quickly shaping and packaging cakes, while customers continuously came in and out to choose.

Customers stop to buy banh troi and banh chay at Nghia Tan market (Cau Giay, Hanoi). Photo: Le Van.

Holding a bag of banh troi just bought at Vu Thanh market (Dong Da, Hanoi), Ms. Diem Huong excitedly said: " Every year I stop by to buy traditional banh troi and banh chay to burn incense for my ancestors !"

Ms. Duong Thi Luong, a long-time banh troi seller at Vu Thanh market, happily said while packing banh troi for customers: “ Every day, I sell about 150 - 200 boxes, on peak days it can be up to 300 boxes. Many customers are busy and don’t have time to make banh troi, so they buy pre-made banh troi for convenience in worshipping .”

In addition to traditional Banh Troi, this year’s market continues to have many more Banh Troi products transformed into extremely eye-catching shapes and colors such as: Banh Troi shaped like lotus flowers, apricot flowers…, opening up more options for customers. The price of this traditional cake is quite stable, not much changed compared to previous years.

Ms. Huong buys banh troi at Ms. Luong's stall in Vu Thanh market (Dong Da, Hanoi). Photo: Le Van

Specifically, banh troi is sold for 15,000 - 25,000 VND/box of 15 balls, banh chay is priced at 20,000 VND/cup of 3 balls. For shaped banh troi, the price ranges from 50,000 - 150,000 VND/set of unprocessed cakes. However, most shaped cakes are often sold through social networking sites or online shopping platforms.

The atmosphere at Nghia Tan market (Cau Giay, Hanoi) is equally bustling. With her hands quickly shaping each white cake, Ms. Le Anh Tuyet, owner of a long-standing banh troi shop at Nghia Tan market, shared: " Early in the morning, the number of customers buying banh troi is still sparse, however, from 8am the number of customers has been more stable than in previous years ."

The store's organic banh troi products. Photo: Le Van

Organic Banh Troi attracts customers, healthy living trend "reigns"

This year, organic banh troi is very popular due to the healthy living trend. Not only is it good for health or made from organic ingredients, many manufacturers have launched banh troi made from brown rice flour, whole grain rice or combined with vegetables such as potato starch, purple sweet potato to increase nutritional content.

According to Mr. Nguyen Thanh Tuan, an employee of a traditional bakery in Ba Dinh, Hanoi, not only people are interested in organic products, many households also visit and choose this organic banh troi product. " Organic banh troi is made from delicious rice, the color of the banh troi is made from vegetables, no colorants are used and it is very good for health ", said Mr. Tuan.

According to Ms. Hoang Kieu Chinh (Hoang Mai, Hanoi), her family used to eat traditional banh troi, but after researching, she recently switched to using organic banh troi because it is good for health. To avoid waiting, she always orders in advance and the store will deliver to her home.

Healthy banh troi sets are widely sold on online "markets". Screenshot

Catching up with the trend, some big stores have also quickly joined the “healthy” banh troi market. Most of the pre-packaged banh troi sets with the labels “organic” and “healthy” appear on social networking sites and e-commerce platforms.

However, due to high input materials, organic banh troi has a higher price than traditional products. According to a survey, processed brown rice banh troi and organic banh troi have prices ranging from 25,000 - 50,000 VND/box depending on the ingredients and brand. Some higher-end banh troi lines, using special ingredients or processes, can cost up to 100,000 - 150,000 VND/set, many times higher than regular banh troi.

A set of organic banh troi costs 139,000 VND. Photo: Screenshot

Despite the higher price, many consumers are still willing to pay for healthy products. “ During Han Thuc Festival , there are many people buying banh troi and banh chay, we sell as soon as we make them. The most popular product is the organic banh troi flour set and it is always out of stock, ” said Mr. Tuan.

The organic banh troi market is expected to continue to expand in the coming years, as consumers increasingly prioritize healthy foods and artisanal, minimally processed products.

On the occasion of the Cold Food Festival on the 3rd day of the 3rd lunar month every year, Vietnamese people have the tradition of making Banh Troi and Banh Chay to offer to their ancestors. Banh Troi and Banh Chay symbolize the respect of descendants towards their grandparents and ancestors. In addition, this traditional dish also reminds us of the story of the "hundred-egg sac" in the legend of Au Co - Lac Long Quan.

Le Van

Source: https://congthuong.vn/chay-hang-banh-troi-organic-tet-han-thuc-vi-sao-380741.html