Unique Muslim food market opens once a year during Ramadan

From 1 p.m., Saly (born in 1991) and her husband set up shop at a special food market selling Muslim food, on the occasion of Ramadan, located on Duong Ba Trac Street, District 8, Ho Chi Minh City.

Saly at her family's bakery - Photo: NGUYEN HOANG TUAN

This is a famous food market in Ho Chi Minh City that is being shared by many people online. The market sells delicious and cheap Muslim food, and is only held once a year during Ramadan. The market takes place every afternoon from 1 p.m. to sunset, from February 28 to March 30.

Saly has 2 stalls at the beginning of the alley and near the cathedral, selling more than 10 cakes with prices ranging from 10,000 - 15,000 VND/piece.

She revealed that among the cakes she sells, liver cake and hanampeh are the most popular. Liver cake combines typical ingredients such as chicken eggs, palm sugar, coconut milk, cocoa powder, star anise and lemon, creating a rich, unforgettable flavor. This type of cake can be prepared in two ways: steamed or baked, each style brings a different experience.

Hanampeh cake with dried shrimp, cassava, wood ear mushroom filling... is similar to banh xeo, but has a richer flavor, making anyone who tries it once remember it forever and want to eat more.

The white cake is called hanampeh, it has the rich taste of coconut, mixed with the aroma of dried shrimp and cassava - Photo: NGUYEN HOANG TUAN

Saly said that every year her family comes here to sell fried doughnuts, to celebrate the special occasion. She said that according to Muslim tradition, the fasting month of Ramadan is the most special occasion. The holiday lasts for a month.

On this occasion, her family will sell cakes at the food market every day from 1pm until they run out. "The cakes sell out very quickly, so almost every day we pack up and leave early at 4-5pm," Saly said.

Saly shared that the cakes at the market are extremely diverse. Every dish is affordable, from grilled mung bean cakes, cassava cakes, banana cakes, etc. The cakes are cut into large, thick pieces but are not boring to eat. Anyone who comes to the market buys until their arms are tired before stopping.

The nearby stall of Husan (born in 1996) and his mother attracts a lot of customers. Husan said that his family sells many kinds of cakes from baked flour, baked banana, pumpkin, steamed liver cake...

There are many strange names such as plata (a South Indian flatbread made by frying stretched dough, flavored with melted Indian butter to filter the residue, served with fish or goat curry) or saykaya (a fragrant traditional Cham cake consisting of eggs, sugar, roasted peanuts and crushed ginger)... that make anyone who asks for the name have to take out their phone to write it down for fear of forgetting.

Hasan's booth has a large number of customers waiting to buy - Photo: NGUYEN HOANG TUAN

Large round cake called plata - Photo: NGUYEN HOANG TUAN

Hasan refers to the hanamkang flour cake, made from flour, eggs, sugar combined with the fragrant flavor of coconut water. "All of my family's cakes cost 5,000 VND/2 pieces. My mother and I cooked more than 10 types of cakes from the night before. The next morning, we woke up early to continue making them to serve the people," Hasan said.

He estimates that hundreds of customers come to Duong Ba Trac Street, District 8, Ho Chi Minh City every day to buy cakes. In addition, drinks such as Thai noodles, beef noodles, pho and juices such as pear, apple, etc. are also popular.

"This is a Muslim market for Muslims. People usually sell until sunset, then stop to break their fast.

However, in recent years, the market has attracted a lot of customers. Many non-religious people also come here to buy. They praise our delicious food, interesting culture... so they want to learn more. I am happy to contribute to conveying the culinary culture and traditions of Islam to everyone," Hasan shared.

Hasan's fried cake stall has many varieties from liver cake, flour cake, baked banana, baked pumpkin, plata, saykaya...

Ms. Samah (born in 1973, Hasan's mother) shared that at the market, each woman makes cakes in her own way. Each has her own specialty, depending on her strengths. Many diners often return to the market the next day and are surprised to find that their favorite cake from the previous day is no longer available. "When leaving the market, everyone brings home a lot of food," Ms. Samah said.

Each woman at the market has a different baking talent, so the flavor of each stall has its own unique characteristics - Photo: NGUYEN HOANG TUAN

Foreigners are also eager to visit the food market - Photo: NGUYEN HOANG TUAN

Nguyen Thanh Tu, a student at Ho Chi Minh City University of Law, shared that every year he visits the food market to enjoy typical Muslim dishes. According to Tu, the market only opens once a year during the holy month of Ramadan, so he takes the opportunity to come here to enjoy all the delicious dishes.

Tu advises you, when you go to the market, you should park your vehicle at the beginning of the alley, because the path inside is quite small. In addition, you should also prepare small change for shopping, because there is currently no money transfer service.

"Every dish is rich in coconut milk, making me remember it forever after just one bite. The atmosphere at the market is always bustling, the people are friendly and humorous. Everyone is willing to introduce dishes and explain the unique features of Muslim culinary culture.

I see this as not only an opportunity to enjoy delicious food but also an opportunity to learn more about a special culture," Tu said.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/doc-la-cho-am-thuc-hoi-giao-moi-nam-1-lan-vao-thang-ramadan-20250308171202287.htm