The vegetarian food market is bustling in January.

January is one of the times when many people choose to eat vegetarian food. The vegetarian food market in Can Tho City is becoming increasingly vibrant and diverse in products and services to meet the needs of vegetarians.

Fresh vegetables and fruits are popular choices for vegetarian meals.

In recent years, vegetarianism has become a popular choice for many as a way to cleanse the body and be environmentally friendly. Therefore, the vegetarian food market is quite stable. In January each year, and especially after the Lunar New Year, the demand for vegetarian food usually increases sharply. In Can Tho City, vegetarian food is quite abundant and widely available through various distribution channels, from specialized stores to traditional markets, shopping malls, and supermarkets. With the diversity of vegetarian food on the market today, consumers have many options for preparing delicious vegetarian dishes for their family meals.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Kim Cuc, residing on Nguyen Van Cu Street, Cai Khe Ward, said: “Eating vegetarian food is good for health, so my family eats vegetarian meals for about 8-10 days each month. In January, the first month of the year, we eat vegetarian for half a month. Nowadays, there are many diverse and convenient vegetarian food options. Besides, there are many recipes shared on social media, so vegetarian meals are no longer monotonous and are guaranteed to be nutritious.”

According to observations at several vegetarian food businesses in Can Tho City, since the beginning of January, the demand for vegetarian vegetables, fruits, and other vegetarian food items has increased by about 15-20% compared to normal days. It is predicted that as the full moon of the first lunar month approaches, the demand for vegetarian food may increase 2-3 times compared to normal days. To anticipate this increased demand, businesses are proactively securing supplies to ensure they can serve consumers during the biggest vegetarian period of the year. Among these, products manufactured by Vietnamese businesses are particularly popular. Most products clearly list their ingredients and are packaged in various sizes to suit different family needs.

Ms. Ly Thi My, a small business owner at Tan An Market, Ninh Kieu Ward, said: “In January, many families choose to eat vegetarian meals on the full moon day, or for half a month or even the whole month. Therefore, from the 4th day of Tet until now, I have increased the supply of items to serve the needs of vegetarians such as vegetables, roots, fruits, mushrooms, tofu, dried vegetarian products, etc.”

For those who enjoy cooking vegetarian meals at home, ingredients can be purchased at markets and supermarkets. These days, the vegetarian food market in Can Tho City is always bustling. In particular, some supermarkets are offering promotions on vegetarian food, fresh vegetables, and other produce to stimulate sales. Traditional items such as tofu, tofu skin, seitan, mushrooms, and vegetables are popular in vegetarian cooking. Alongside these are vegetarian imitation meat products made from wheat flour, seitan, various beans, tofu skin, mushrooms, etc., but made to resemble meat dishes in shape and flavor. These products come in a wide variety of types and designs, produced and processed in frozen, dried, ready-to-eat, or convenient canned forms, and even include a full range of vegetarian seasonings for preparing light and healthy meals at home. According to the survey, the vegetarian food brands preferred by consumers include Âu Lạc, Bích Chi, Vissan, SG Food, Cầu Tre, Xuân Hồng, An Nhiên, Ngọc Liên…

Dried vegetarian products such as vegetarian ribs, sliced ​​beef, fish balls, chicken pieces, sliced ​​chicken, minced meat, etc., cost around 20,000 VND per pack. Frozen vegetarian foods such as vegetarian bacon, cabbage rolls with meat filling, stuffed zucchini, vegetarian stir-fried beef, vegetarian stuffed tomatoes; vegetarian abalone, vegetarian beef balls, vegetarian basa fish, vegetarian salmon, vegetarian catfish, vegetarian chicken wings, vegetarian fish cakes; vegetarian spring rolls, vegetarian pork sausage, vegetarian shrimp cakes, vegetarian beef skewers, vegetarian wontons, vegetarian grilled pork rolls, vegetarian crab spring rolls, vegetarian sausages, vegetarian steamed buns, vegetarian tapioca dumplings, vegetarian pork rolls, etc., cost around 40,000 VND per pack. Canned vegetarian products that are processed and canned while still maintaining their delicious taste and are suitable for long-distance transport, such as vegetarian beef stew with beans, vegetarian sardines in tomato sauce, vegetarian fried fish balls in sweet and sour sauce, vegetarian Hong Kong-style tofu, vegetarian tamarind-roasted chicken wings, vegetarian snakehead fish stew with pepper, vegetarian chicken wings with tamarind, vegetarian chicken stew with beans, pate, vegetarian fermented fish paste, etc., cost around 25,000 VND per can. Ready-to-eat vegetarian foods that require no preparation, such as shredded dried meat, seaweed, vegetarian Thai fish sauce, vegetarian ribs (with chili and lemongrass, garlic fish sauce, etc.), vegetarian anchovies, dried chicken, dried beef, crispy rice, etc., cost around 30,000 VND per box or package. Packaged instant noodles, vermicelli, pho, and porridge cost around 5,000 VND per package. In addition, there are various seasonings and sauces made from vegetarian ingredients, contributing to more delicious and appealing dishes, such as oyster sauce, seasoning powder, fermented fish sauce, fish sauce; dipping sauces for spring rolls, sweet and sour dipping sauce, spicy and sour dipping sauce… cost around 20,000 VND per bottle. For convenience and to save cooking time, the market also offers various sauces for braising with pepper, marinades for grilled meat…; and various broth concentrates for hot pot, curry, vermicelli soup, Thai vermicelli, Quang noodles, pho… cost around 35,000 VND per package or jar.

In addition, there are quite a few restaurants, eateries, and online kitchens specializing in vegetarian food in Can Tho City. To cater to the diverse tastes of diners, these vegetarian establishments focus on offering varied menus and beautifully presented, innovative dishes. These places offer a wide range of dishes, from rice, noodles, and pho to salads, hot pots, beef stew, and curries, with prices ranging from 25,000 to 200,000 VND per dish or portion.

Text and photos: L. MẪN

Source: https://baocantho.com.vn/thi-truong-thuc-pham-chay-thang-gieng-soi-dong-a199172.html