Coconut and kumquat juice carts sell over 1,000 cups a day in Ho Chi Minh City.

VnExpress•16/08/2023

Located on Pasteur Street, District 3, Ms. Thuy's beverage cart is famous for its coconut and kumquat drink, a familiar and refreshing beverage for people in Ho Chi Minh City.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Le Thuy, originally from Binh Dinh province and having moved to Ho Chi Minh City in 1997, started selling soft drinks in 2001. Initially, her cart only sold familiar beverages like ginseng tea, seaweed tea, and bitter melon tea. Business was "quite slow" because these drinks were "too popular."

"I thought about selling coconut water because it's refreshing and very good for health. However, selling only fresh coconuts would be too ordinary. I decided to add something new," Ms. Thuy shared.

She tried adding kumquat jam to coconut water and found it "fragrant, with a unique and interesting flavor," so she invited her family to try it. Receiving positive feedback, Ms. Thuy started selling this drink and has been doing so for 22 years, confidently claiming to be "the first person to bring coconut and kumquat drinks to the people of Ho Chi Minh City."

Ms. Nguyen Thi Le Thuy, the owner of the coconut and kumquat juice cart, is preparing drinks for customers.

In the early days of selling, coconut and kumquat drinks didn't sell as well as other beverages, but over time, thanks to its unique flavor, it spread by word of mouth and became more famous. After coconut and kumquat drinks gained popularity, Ms. Thuy added coconut and pineapple drinks to her menu, but coconut and kumquat drinks remained the signature item that built the brand of her beverage cart.

Ms. Thuy's mobile food cart sits on the sidewalk, right on the street, distinguishable from other stalls by a sign displaying the address number 250 along with the words "selling for over 20 years". She opens from 9 am to 11 pm daily. The peak hours for this drink cart are after 7 pm; during lunchtime and early afternoon, customers are few and far between.

During the day, most customers buy takeout. In the evening, more customers sit down, right on the sidewalk where Ms. Thuy sets up her drink cart and uses chairs as tables. When it's crowded, customers have to sit on the opposite sidewalk. "I have many regular customers, so they understand. When it's busy, customers will line up to order drinks, take chairs, and find a suitable place to sit," Ms. Thuy said.

On weekdays, Ms. Thuy sells an average of several hundred glasses of coconut and kumquat juice. On weekends, especially during the hot season, that number can reach 1,000 glasses. This drink not only attracts locals but also many tourists. Ms. Thuy says that tourists often come in groups, including both domestic and international visitors.

Coconut water and coconut flesh are chilled in an ice bucket.

A glass of coconut and kumquat juice consists of fresh coconut water, coconut flesh, and homemade kumquat jam. The ingredients aren't complicated, but the preparation is laborious and time-consuming. Every day, she imports fresh coconuts from a familiar supplier in Ben Tre. Instead of cutting the coconuts and preparing the water in advance, Ms. Thuy chooses to prepare the juice as needed. "Because of the large number of customers, my family members have to cut coconuts constantly. After cutting them, we immediately take them to the cart to sell. This method is more laborious, but it ensures quality and prevents the coconut water from turning sour," Ms. Thuy explained.

The coconut flesh is sliced thinly and chilled with coconut water in a large bucket. The kumquat jam is homemade by Ms. Thuy; the kumquats are cut into strips, candied with rock sugar, and not mixed with preserved plums to preserve the fruit's characteristic aroma. A small cup of coconut and kumquat drink costs 15,000 VND, and a large cup costs 20,000 VND. Ms. Thuy's coconut and kumquat cart always has two people selling to ensure customers don't have to wait long. One person scoops the coconut water, while the other adds the kumquat jam and puts it in bags.

The kumquat jam is homemade by Ms. Thuy and sold with a large glass of coconut and kumquat juice for 20,000 VND.

Ms. Thanh Huong (Thu Duc City) learned about this drink through a friend's recommendation when she moved to Ho Chi Minh City and has been a regular customer of the coconut and kumquat juice cart for over 3 years now.

"Outside of Hanoi, I don't see many people selling this refreshing drink. The first time I tried it, I was impressed by the refreshing sweetness of the coconut water and the slight sourness of the kumquat jam," she said.

Besides its flavor, the coconut flesh is also a favorite ingredient among many diners. Mr. Tuan Lam (District 3, Ho Chi Minh City) commented that a glass of coconut and kumquat juice is "affordable" and "generous." The male diner praised the large pieces of coconut that retain their crispness. "Taking a sip of coconut water and chewing on the coconut flesh is a perfect combination," he said.

Van Khanh

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