Mrs. Bay's sticky rice basket has been at Bien Hoa station for 35 years, customers have been waiting since it was not ready for sale.

The basket of sticky rice at Bien Hoa train station has been associated with the childhood memories of many people for 35 years. Many Saigonese are willing to spend more than an hour to find the taste of the paper-wrapped sticky rice here.

The peaceful basket of sticky rice at Bien Hoa train station nestles on a quiet street - Photo: DANG KHUONG

It was a small basket of sticky rice, nestled on a street corner in front of Bien Hoa train station. The seller was a 72-year-old woman. She said: "If you want to find me, just ask for Mrs. Bay, who sells sticky rice, and she will show you."

Mrs. Bay's sticky rice shop has no sign or tables or chairs, yet she has been in business for nearly 35 years. Many regulars have named the shop Bien Hoa Station Sticky Rice.

Bien Hoa train station sticky rice has changed but no one knows

Mrs. Bay said that she "learned" the trade by stealth. When she was walking on the street, she saw sticky rice vendors along the way. She bought some to try, then liked it and learned how to cook it.

Perhaps the most obvious legacy is the simplicity and modesty. Her shop only has a low table, an old plastic chair and a basket of hot sticky rice with the fragrant smell of shrimp paste.

From early morning, some people nearby have been waiting to buy Mrs. Bay's sticky rice - Photo: DANG KHUONG

The sticky rice basket is her "treasure" so it is carefully covered with 2 or 3 layers of plastic.

Covering like this not only prevents dust from sticking to the food, but also keeps the sticky rice hot and fragrant for a long time.

The aroma from Mrs. Bay's sticky rice pot, along with the heat of the food, has an irresistible charm.

So since dawn, some people have "gathered in groups of five or seven" at the electric pole where she often sits, just waiting for her to... open the basket of sticky rice to sell.

A long-time customer of the restaurant shared: "I have been eating here for many years. The taste of sticky rice here is very special, I have been eating it since I was little and it still retains the same taste. So eating it reminds me of my childhood."

But few people realize that each package of sticky rice seems to have changed slightly over time.

Mrs. Bay kept telling the customers while she was making sticky rice: "Oh no, Bay scooped out too little shrimp. Bay's eyes are blurry, he can't see the shrimp anymore. Please sympathize with Bay."

With just a few simple ingredients, the Bien Hoa station sticky rice brand has left an indelible mark in the hearts of many diners - Photo: DANG KHUONG

Mrs. Bay said that when the restaurant is introduced by this person or that person, more customers will come to eat. At those times, she is overwhelmed by customers and cannot keep up.

Many people who came to buy asked her why she didn't cook another basket to sell. Mrs. Bay also confided that her health was getting weak. She woke up at 2:30 every morning to cook a basket of sticky and fragrant sticky rice, so now that she was working overtime, she didn't know when she would finish cooking.

Bad sticky rice can easily take away the soul of the sticky rice.

Watching the trembling hands picking up sticky rice, the buyer feels both pity and nostalgia for the smell of sticky rice cooked by his grandmother or mother when he was a child.

Mrs. Bay's ivory-colored sticky rice is also "similar" to that. When eaten, the sticky rice is very sticky and covered with the sweetness of pork floss, a little bit of scallion oil and Chinese sausage.

Bien Hoa train station sticky rice package with many toppings, reminds many people of their childhood - Photo: DANG KHUONG

Each flavor of the food blends together. Sweet shredded pork with sticky rice, salty Chinese sausage balances the flavor of the whole sticky rice package.

All of these ingredients were wrapped tightly in a piece of newspaper. When opened, the sticky rice package looked neat and complete.

With just those ingredients, Mrs. Bay's Bien Hoa train station sticky rice brand is rustic, simple but surprisingly delicious.

When enjoying Mrs. Bay's sticky rice package, Ms. Q., who lives in Saigon, said: "It's been a long time since I've had a sticky rice package like this. The sticky rice here is very sticky. If the sticky rice wasn't as delicious as this, it would easily lose the soul of the sticky rice."

From 6am, Mrs. Bay started to prepare sticky rice for sale. However, her sticky rice baskets are so used to "selling out" very quickly, so those who have eaten it for a long time will know and usually wait before she sells.

Each "full" sticky rice package is only from 15,000 to 20,000 VND.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/thung-xoi-ba-bay-35-nam-o-ga-bien-hoa-khach-cho-san-tu-khi-chua-don-ban-2024111110421681.htm