Tuesday, Apr 16, 2019,17:06 (GMT+7)
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| Tran Minh Hung, editor-in-chief of the Saigon Times Group, speaks at the seminar - PHOTO: TRUNG CHANH |
CAN THO – A seminar titled “New markets for folk
cakes” was held at the Can Tho Promotion Agency (CPA) this morning as part of
the eighth Southern Folk Cakes Festival.
Tran Minh Hung, editor-in-chief of the Saigon
Times Group, which co-organized the seminar with CPA, said large numbers of
people have visited the eighth Southern Folk Cakes Festival, proving the
attractiveness and high demand of folk cakes.
However, traditional cakes are mainly
handmade with temporary wrappings and without preservatives, so they could not
be stored for a long time. This kind of perishable food can hardly find its way
to supermarkets and foreign markets.
Therefore, the seminar was intended to explore
ways to find markets for traditional cakes, preserve the tradition of cake
making, and improve incomes of cake artisans.
According to Doan Huu Duc, vice president and
general director of Vietnam Consulting Group, folk cakes are a vital part of
Vietnamese street food and an attractive feature of local tourism.
However, there are many obstacles to bringing
traditional cakes to supermarkets, luxury hotels or foreign markets.
The first obstacle for local cake makers,
artisans and household businesses involves food safety, traceability, quality
control certificate, business license and tax code. The second obstacle is
about quality and quantity commitments.
Speaking about ways for folk cakes to access
more markets, Vu Thong Nhat, vice chairman of the Association of Can Tho
Writers, said local authorities should identify, evaluate and select some key
products and support makers of these products to build brands and look for
markets. The media also plays a key role in promoting folk cakes.
Nguyen Kim Cuong, deputy director of
Co.opmart Can Tho supermarket, said folk cakes are delicious, eye-catching, and
attractive to local and foreign tourists.
“We are selling many types of folk cakes such
as banh bo, banh da lon, banh bot bang, banh gai, together with
traditional sticky rice and sweet soup. Made from clean materials and meeting
food safety standards, they have won the hearts of many customers,” Cuong said.
According to Cuong, there should be more
events that promote not only the freshness and wonderful taste of folk cakes
but also the skills, experiences and enthusiasm of cake makers.
Wrapping up the seminar, Nguyen Minh Toai,
director of the Department of Industry and Trade of Can Tho City, said
traditional markets, convenience stores, supermarkets and hotels are the
current main markets for makers of folk cakes.
Some types of folk cakes have been shipped to
foreign markets but they are mainly dried cakes that can be stored for a longer
time, such as banh trang Sa Dec (rice paper from Sa Dec).
To help folk cakes gain access to more markets, especially abroad, local
cake makers and traders should pay more attention to food safety, healthy
ingredients, human resources, brand building and marketing.
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Times Daily 16-4-2019:
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