Thanh Tuan's roasted pork sandwich has been famous in Ca Mau for over a decade. Not only in Ca Mau City, but also in the surrounding districts, people often seek it out for its rich, delicious flavor that suits the taste of people in the Mekong Delta. Interestingly, people don't pay attention to the "Thanh Tuan Roasted Pork" sign; they simply call it "Gas Station Sandwich," because when the owner started his business, he chose to sell it at the corner of Luu Tan Tai and Phan Ngoc Hien streets (Ward 5, Ca Mau City), right next to the gas station (which people often call the Old Bridge gas station). And from then until now, people have referred to it as "Gas Station Sandwich."

Specifically, since 2007, Mr. Bui Thanh Tuan (born in 1974, originally from Ca Mau), the owner of Thanh Tuan roasted pork shop, started his business selling roasted pork sandwiches, roasted pork slices, roasted pork for parties and events, etc.

Thanh Tuan's roasted pork - served with rice vermicelli or bread, a popular choice in Ca Mau. (Photo provided by the subject)

Ms. To Uyen, born in 1992, daughter of the owner of Thanh Tuan's roasted pork shop, recounted: “In 2007, my father went to learn the trade at a relative's roasted pork shop in Bac Lieu City. There, he was guided, taught the trade, and given the family's secret recipes. My father cherished the dream of continuing the tradition, so he and my mother set up a small roasted pork shop in the backyard. They roasted pork manually, in a clay pot using mangrove charcoal, instead of modern electric roasting. After many trials and experiments, my mother obtained permission and started selling at the corner of Luu Tan Tai and Phan Ngoc Hien streets, Ward 5. Initially, my parents set up a stall selling roasted pork sandwiches and rice noodles, and accepted orders for roasted pork according to customer requests. When they first started, the shop only had one person helping them. Gradually, the name "Gas Station Sandwich Shop" began to become known to people.”

"Gas station bread" is no stranger to the people of Ca Mau; every morning, passing by, you see a large crowd waiting to buy it. Perhaps, the family secret combined with the owner's dedication has helped Thanh Tuan's roasted pork quickly become well-known and loved by many.

Ms. Uyen further shared: “To get a delicious piece of roasted pork, my father has been dedicated and hardworking for over a decade. Every morning at 2 AM, he wakes up to check each piece of meat delivered by the butcher. The meat must be still hot, freshly slaughtered. The spices used to marinate the pork are traditional spices taught to him by relatives in Bac Lieu. The meat must be marinated and left for a certain period of time, so my father wakes up very early. For all those years in the profession, my father only bought ingredients from one Chinese shop at Ben Thanh Market, and for all those years, he only roasted pork using a small clay pot and traditional mangrove charcoal. Although things are more modern now, he still doesn't choose the convenient and quick electric oven, but only roasts it the old way to preserve the best authentic flavor.”

To date, nearly 15 years after starting the business, customers have become friends. Customers from afar who come to buy during the Qingming Festival or ancestral worship ceremonies never forget to ask the owner about his health and business. This is not just a show of concern, but also a joy in the traditional craft that Mr. Tuan has chosen to keep alive. The small bread shop has grown, now offering roasted pork and duck, and is also considering new dishes such as char siu rice and roasted pork rice. He has hired more staff than before to operate at maximum capacity during holidays, especially the Qingming Festival, to meet customer demand.

To better serve his customers, Mr. Tuan opened another eatery with the same name at 66 Huynh Ngoc Diep Street, Ward 5, Ca Mau City, making it more convenient for people from near and far to sit down, eat, and chat. However, perhaps people still prefer the original name and location, so the small bread shop remains busy from early morning serving its "customers."

Uyen belongs to the younger generation but is also choosing to follow in her parents' footsteps in their traditional profession. Ms. Uyen shared: “I have been helping my parents for a long time, and every day I have the opportunity to learn and follow their instructions. My current aspiration is not only to learn the craft, to understand the traditional profession and the secrets of my parents, but also to take advantage of the opportunities of the new era to bring the flavor of Thanh Tuan roasted pork further. I introduce the flavor of my family's roasted pork to friends and customers far away through my personal Facebook page and Fanpage, sharing many beautiful pictures of our family's roasted pork to customers, introducing it to new customers and stimulating the taste buds of old customers. In addition, I also ship goods to many customers far away, so that the traditional flavor of my family's roast pork is known to customers outside the province, and it makes it easier for customers in the district when they need to order. Above all, I still want to learn and preserve the family's secret recipe, from which I can develop more new dishes to serve people near and far and also to preserve the traditional craft of my family.”

Thao Linh

Source: https://baocamau.vn/-banh-mi-cay-xang--a2265.html