In a small alley in District 3 (HCMC), there is a load of tofu that has been present for 28 years. Even though she was sick, the owner tried to open the sale because “I miss the kids coming to buy it, saying we are far away”.
Ms. Nguyen Thi Hiep started selling tofu from the age of 25 and has been selling for 28 years.
The tofu ship’s boat bustles a corner of an alley
Turn your car into Alley 284/15 from Le Van Sy Street, you will easily see a load of tofu every day crowded with people. That is the load of Ms. Nguyen Thi Hiep (53 years old, from Quang Ngai) who has been here for 28 years. Over the past 30 years, carrying the tofu of Ms. Hiep has been a familiar stop for many diners near and far, even a place reminiscent of the childhood memories of so many people.
Ms. Hiep sells tofu every day from 6 am to 6 pm, customers come to buy it sometimes, sometimes busy, so people always see people passing by at the load. Buyers of all ages, accounting for the majority of young students and students. Ms. Hiep said: “The most popular day is around 4:00 pm, because this is the end of school, so many students come and buy.”
Ms. Hiep shared that, selling here for approximately 30 years, so many young people, many students who have graduated from school nowadays, have come to work, but still come to buy support.
 Sugar water has a sweet taste. |
 Ms. Hiep uses from 8 kg to 12 kg to make enough tofu to sell every day. |
Every day at the end of the day, the load is full, diners come and laugh and talk around the pot of sugar water tofu. Huynh Thi Tuyet Hoa (20 years old) said: “I bought her tofu when I was a child. When I was in high school, every afternoon, I would meet my friends here to eat.
Ms. Hiep also said that many children come to buy so often that she knows their names and looks like descendants, even some family friends in Binh Duong, every time going to Saigon do not forget to buy and greet her. It is not simply that carrying such crowded tofu, Co Hiep’s tofu is made very carefully. She said that soybeans used as tofu were taken from her hometown in Quang Ngai, and beans grown on Quang Ngai sandy soil were small but firm.
Therefore, for the past 28 years, for about 3 months, Ms. Ha has come back to her hometown to bring in beans, each time transporting from 6 to 7 quintals. Sugar broth is processed from natural sugar, giving molasses a moderately sweet taste, not as bitter or bitter as chemical sugar, above all is safe for health.
Add to that the chewy filter powder, a few slices of fragrant ginger, warm when eating. The ingredients are very focused by the owner, carefully processed so that the hot fragrant tofu dishes can hold customers’ feet for 28 years.
 Each cup of tofu costs 6,000 VND. |
30 years of career in Saigon
In the past, when she was in her hometown of Quang Ngai, Ms. Hiep worked as a garment worker for a while, but her life was too difficult and poor while her family was full of siblings. At that time, Mrs. Hiep was only 25 years old, and with a friend in Saigon to make a living, the job of selling tofu has been started since then.
According to her story, in the past, her mother used to work in this profession, so she carefully taught her how to make tofu. Since then she has connected her life with the load. Every day from 2 am, she had to wake up to wash beans, catch boiling water to make a filter, cook sugar water, work until 5:30 to finish. At first, Ms. Hiep also carried goods to sell along the surrounding roads.
After 5 years of weak health, she found a permanent place to sell. She has been doing business by herself, recently, with her husband, uncle Huynh Ngoc Trung, 56 years old, helping to wash dishes, carry calves, and clean. Every day, Ms. Hiep sells about 8 kg of beans, some days up to 12 kg. Many times Ms. Hiep was also very tired, seeing his wife working hard, Uncle Trung also advised her to stay home for a few days to stay healthy.
But she remembered the image of young supporters from afar, Hiep felt very fond of it, she confided: “I remember some children coming to buy, they said I was far away, today I tried to come to eat the train. Her jar. Thinking of those children, she feels very sorry, so she doesn’t want to rest ”.
 Ms. Hiep sells tofu here for a long time, everyone loves her because of her friendliness and closeness. |
Hearing her confided, it was revealed that Ms. Hiep also had scarlet lupus, so she was very afraid of sunlight that caused dizziness and fatigue. This also causes a lot of problems with Ms. Hiep’s daily street business. On the first day of selling, each tofu cup is priced at 1,000 VND, later to 2,000, 5,000, and currently is 6,000 VND per cup.
Although selling a lot of customers, but it is not profitable, life is only enough to spend day by day, adding the burden of medicine. Even so, Ms. Hiep is still very optimistic and cheerful, almost everyone who comes to buy can feel her warmth and friendliness. Thanks to that, carrying the tofu for 28 years has always held many generations of diners near and far.
 In addition to the guests eating on the spot, the number of buyers is also very much. |
 Every day, students and students come to buy and support Ms Hiep a lot. |
 The largest number of arrivals is around 4-5pm. |
THANH NIEN ONLINE