A "numb, spicy" dipping sauce of the Thai ethnic group in Dien Bien meets 3-star OCOP standards

Cham cheo Sam Dieu, a 3-star OCOP product of Tua Chua district, Dien Bien province, is a perfect combination of Northwest mountain spices. Not saturated with other cham cheo products, Cham cheo Sam Dieu brings diners an unforgettable taste right from the first try. - the dipping sauce is considered the "soul" of the meal of the Thai people in Dien Bien . The Thai people in each region have different ways of processing. But in general, it still includes the main ingredients: salt, chili, garlic, mac khen, doi seeds, aromatic leaves, lemon leaves, ...

Cham cheo – a dipping sauce is considered the “soul” of the Thai people’s meals in Dien Bien. The Thai people in each region have different ways of preparing it. But in general, it still includes the main ingredients: salt, chili, garlic, mac khen, doi seeds, aromatic leaves, lemon leaves, etc.

There are two types of Cham cheo: wet Cham cheo is often used to dip foods such as chicken, grilled meat, grilled fish, etc. and dry Cham cheo is used to dip sour fruits: green mango, mango, plum, etc.

The Sam Dieu dipping sauce product has brought a stable income to the family of Ms. Dieu Thi Sam in Muong Bang commune, Tua Chua district, Dien Bien province. Photo by Viet Trinh

For Ms. Dieu Thi Sam (1990), a white Thai ethnic - a daughter of Tua Chua land, the opportunity for her to create the OCOP 3-star standard Cham Cheo Sam Dieu product was also very coincidental. During a picnic with her family, she had to prepare Cham Cheo for a grilled meat meal, and by chance, she made bowls of wet Cham Cheo that the whole family praised as delicious. Taking pictures of the picnic meal and uploading them to Facebook, many people asked for the recipe for the dipping sauce. She was not afraid to share, and gradually many people who tried her Cham Cheo all acknowledged that it was very delicious, and many friends encouraged her to make it for sale. Seeing that her wet Cham Cheo was recognized by many people, at the end of 2020, Ms. Sam also gradually explored making products for sale. In the first days of launching, selling 15 - 20 bottles/day, she was very happy. But unfortunately, the product can only be kept for 7 to 10 days before it shows signs of fermentation and spoils because the ingredients used to make cham cheo are all fresh and difficult to preserve for a long time. She stopped for a while and continued selling cham cheo to friends and regular customers near her home. She refused to sell to customers far away in the Central and Southern regions because she had not found a formula for long-term preservation and guaranteed quality when it reached consumers.

Sam Dieu dipping sauce is recognized as a 3-star OCOP product, highly appreciated by customers inside and outside the province for its product quality. Photo by Viet Trinh.

It took two years, at the end of 2022, Ms. Sam successfully researched her own recipe, wet cham cheo can be used for 3-6 months when stored in the refrigerator, still maintaining its original freshness. Ms. Dieu Thi Sam said: "The cham cheo dish of the Thai people in Dien Bien in particular and the Northwest in general is a specialty dish with many products sold on the market. In addition to the difficulty in researching how to preserve it, I also spent a lot of time and effort to come up with a standard, unique recipe, leaving an unforgettable impression on users as it is now. With the dedication and support from local authorities, the wet cham cheo Cham cheo Sam Dieu was recognized as meeting the 3-star OCOP standard in November 2023. I was able to introduce the product and promote trade at many fairs and events inside and outside the province. Since then, the Cham cheo Sam Dieu product has become much more known to many people".

2 Sam Dieu Cham Cheo products have a long shelf life, users can use them comfortably. Photo by Viet Trinh.

Launched in 2021, Sam Dieu's Cham Cheo has a production workshop in Ban Bang, Tua Chua Town, Tua Chua District, Dien Bien Province. On average, 200-300 jars of wet Cham Cheo are produced per day. In addition to wet Cham Cheo, Ms. Dieu Thi Sam also develops products such as dried Cham Cheo, dried buffalo meat products, smoked pork belly, smoked pork belly... Currently, Ms. Sam's main sales channel is still contacting and introducing via Zalo, Facebook and a system of collaborators across 3 regions. With the price of 60,000 VND/350g jar, Ms. Sam said: "On average, in 1 year, just counting the wet cham cheo product of the Sam Dieu brand, the facility sells 5,000 jars/year, with revenue of 250 - 300 million VND/year. The peak will be concentrated from September to the end of March every year because the weather is cool at that time, people tend to eat hot pot and grilled dishes a lot, so revenue also increases during this time."

In addition to wet cham cheo, Ms. Dieu Thi Sam also develops dried cham cheo, dried buffalo meat products, smoked pork belly, smoked pork... Photo by Viet Trinh.

According to Mr. Pham Quoc Dat - Head of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Tua Chua district, "Cham cheo is a typical dish of the Thai people. The recognition of Sam Dieu Cham cheo as a 3-star OCOP contributes to promoting local culture and developing the economy from local products. In the process of completing the application for OCOP certification, our Department of Agriculture and Rural Development also pays great attention and enthusiastically guides the subjects. Besides, we create many opportunities for OCOP products to be widely introduced, to participate in fairs, culinary promotion programs, etc. ..." Sam Dieu Cham cheo product is both a stable source of income and a way for Ms. Sam to promote and preserve the traditional culture of the Thai people. Ms. Sam is one of the role models for women in particular and local people in general in creating a stable income and gradually developing the economy, contributing to promoting the local economy and bringing Dien Bien's mountain specialties far and wide. Source: https://danviet.vn/cham-cheo-mot-loai-nuoc-cham-te-te-cay-cay-cua-dan-toc-thai-o-dien-bien-dat-3-sao-ocop-2025010718412653.htm