A ham shop in Ho Chi Minh City that has been bustling for over 40 years has stopped accepting Tet orders because it can't keep up with the demand.

The owner of this ham shop is Mrs. Nguyen Thi Hiep (67 years old, from Hanoi ). In 1983, she came to Ho Chi Minh City, bringing with her parents the traditional ham making profession to start her own business. After more than 40 years of hard work, she has a spacious shop right in the center of expensive District 1, with a stable number of regular customers.

Tiệm giò chả hơn 40 năm ở TP.HCM nhộn nhịp, ngưng nhận đơn tết vì làm không xuể- Ảnh 1. — Fried spring rolls are one of the dishes that many diners love.

In addition to ham, which is a popular dish at the shop, Mrs. Hiep also sells many traditional dishes from the North such as banh chung, banh day, xoi che, pickled vegetables, etc. During the days before Tet, customers come and go busily, and the staff works hard so that they do not have to wait long. Mrs. Hiep is still the main person in charge of making ham at the shop. To ensure her health during the upcoming Tet preparations, she went to see a doctor for a check-up. Therefore, the management was handed over to her son, Mr. Nguyen Hoang Ha (44 years old).

Mr. Ha said that his family receives orders for Tet on December 16 and stops accepting orders on December 22. Since the day of the Kitchen God worship, many customers have come to buy, so the staff cannot keep up. His shop has 5 employees, working continuously until the morning of the 30th of Tet.

Tiệm giò chả hơn 40 năm ở TP.HCM nhộn nhịp, ngưng nhận đơn tết vì làm không xuể- Ảnh 2. — Ham shop staff work non-stop

"The number of customers coming to the shop has not changed much, but the volume of orders has decreased. Previously, they could buy 1 kg of ham, but now they only order half a kilo. Because it is a traditional dish of the North, despite the difficulties, many people still choose to buy ham to celebrate Tet," said Mr. Ha.

According to the man, this year the number of orders for gifts for employees is much lower than in previous years. He also accepts online orders in moderation because he is afraid he will not be able to keep up.

Tiệm giò chả hơn 40 năm ở TP.HCM nhộn nhịp, ngưng nhận đơn tết vì làm không xuể- Ảnh 3. — Customers and shippers come in and out of the shop continuously.

"Sometimes the amount of imported meat is small, so my family doesn't dare accept orders for many days because the meat to make sausage has to be fresh and delicious, not just any kind can be made," Mr. Ha shared.

Mr. Nguyen Dat Hung (74 years old), Mrs. Hiep's husband, said that the price of ham is the same as last year. Ham costs 330,000 VND/kg, beef ham 350,000 VND/kg, fried ham 330,000 VND/kg, beef ham 350,000 VND/kg...

"The family's ham still retains the traditional northern flavor, so over the years, customers have come to buy it regularly. Not only customers from the North, but also people from the South come to buy and enjoy it, eating a lot makes them familiar. The two sons who studied abroad have now returned to help their mother sell and take charge of the business," said Mr. Hung.

Tiệm giò chả hơn 40 năm ở TP.HCM nhộn nhịp, ngưng nhận đơn tết vì làm không xuể- Ảnh 4. — The shop accepts orders for Tet until December 22.

Ms. Phuong Anh (47 years old, in District 1), originally from Hanoi, has been living in Ho Chi Minh City for about 10 years. During that time, she chose this ham shop to buy ham because it resembles the taste of her hometown. This year, in addition to ordering ham, she also ordered 50 banh chung as gifts.

"The ham here is very delicious. In previous years, I didn't know that banh chung was sold here so I ordered it elsewhere. This year, it's convenient to try buying it at this familiar shop," she said.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Hang (54 years old, in District 1) said: "Although I have been away from home for more than 20 years, I still remember the taste of the Northern Tet meal, which cannot be without ham and sausage. In addition to buying for my family, I also have to order to give to relatives and partners, so I try to go early for fear of running out of stock."