Selling Sticky Rice Every Day: The Unconventional Business in Hanoi

Xoi Phu Thuong is famous for its fragrant and delicious sticky rice, loved by many.

Hanoi, the capital city of Vietnam, is home to a unique business venture that involves driving cars to sell sticky rice. In the Phu Thuong ward, Tay Ho district, the streets come alive at night as families diligently prepare batches of sticky rice to sell the next morning.

Every day at around 4 am, the freshly cooked sticky rice is packed into large bamboo baskets. These baskets are then placed on motorbikes and transported to parked cars located a few dozen meters away. The cars are filled with baskets of sticky rice, along with various accompaniments like sausage and meatloaf.

Early in the morning, families transport their sticky rice to parked cars before hitting the road for sales.

The Phu Thuong ward is home to around 600 households that engage in sticky rice production. These households use cars to distribute their products not only within Hanoi but also to neighboring provinces. Each day, a Honda CRV car driven by a couple, Mr. Cong Minh Cuong and his wife, visits three different locations for sales. At each location, one person gets off to sell while the other continues driving to the next spot.

When asked about the decision to use a car for selling sticky rice, Mr. Cuong explains, “We sell a large volume of rice on the 15th and 1st day of the lunar month, which amounts to about 1.5 tons. It would be extremely difficult and unsafe to transport such heavy goods on motorbikes. Therefore, we opted for a car, which allows us to transport more rice safely. On a daily basis, we cover a round trip distance of 50 km.”

The Honda CRV, a 7-seater, is used to transport sticky rice to three different locations.

Another seller, Mr. Nguyen The Hoang, and his wife also use a car to travel from Phu Thuong to Trieu Khuc (Thanh Tri, Hanoi) for selling sticky rice.

The Hoang family has been in the sticky rice business for three generations.

Mr. Hoang shares, “Depending on each household, some sell early, while others sell later. In our case, we usually wake up at 3 am. On regular days, we sell about 30-40 kg of sticky rice, and on the 15th and 1st day of the lunar month, we sell even more, about 50-60 kg.”

He further adds, “In the past, our ancestors used baskets to carry sticky rice on their heads. Then, my mother used a bicycle, which was eventually replaced by motorbikes. However, it is difficult to transport heavy loads on motorbikes, especially on highways. With the development of society, we now use cars. The distance from Phu Thuong to Trieu Khuc is 17 km, so the daily round trip distance is about 34-35 km. Having a car helps us transport a larger quantity of rice comfortably, safely, and conveniently. It is a significant improvement compared to using motorbikes.”

The car ensures safety and convenience while transporting heavy loads of sticky rice.

This unconventional business has gained popularity not only in Hanoi but also in nearby provinces. Thanks to the availability of cars for transporting goods, people from neighboring areas can now enjoy the delicious sticky rice produced in Phu Thuong.

This unique way of selling sticky rice is a testament to the entrepreneurial spirit and adaptability of the Phu Thuong community. By using cars instead of traditional methods, they have found a safer and more efficient way to bring their products to a wider market.

Source: YouTube Đài Truyền hình Hà Nội