It's just a simple natural sweet drink with different flavors. But to emphasize their magic sale I would love to compare it to love potion, I really don't know why at this specific place - they sell hundred and hundred glasses, if not thousand, per day! Just a simple natural beverage, but a good refreshment!
I'm talking about "nước sâm Hồng Phong", literally means "ginseng drink at Hông Phong".
First thing first - this is not a ginseng but by somehow they keep calling it, probably because it's good to cool off our thirst during the heat, to quench ourselves! Hồng Phong is a shortened version of the street name where this beverage shop is located.
Most popular drinks here are (from left to right for the above picture) : nước sâm (beverage made of some plants, herbs...), nước rong biễn (sea weed drink) and trà cúc (chrysanthemum tea)!
I knew this place since long time, over 20 years, when they just started their business with small cart right at the corner of Nguyen Trai and Le Hong Phong, it's very close to my parents house, where I'm living now. Just less than 5 minutes walk!
I knew the owner, she should be rich by now. Imagine 10,000 VND (50 cents in US dollars) per bottle or 7-8,000 VND per glass. Thousand glasses are sold per day. She definitely makes no less than 10,000 USD per month! Sorry just a simple calculation, so it could be less or more!
Not about how good is their daily sale, but about the flavors...before we had only nước sâm (ginseng drink - but not really ginseng), nước mía lau (a kind of beverage made of different herbs and small sugar cane) or nuớc bông cúc (chrysanthemum drink), or my favorite nuớc rong biễn (sea weed drink)!
Now the selection seems richer with some other very appealing names, but people remained loyal to the first original drinks! So if you pass by the corner of this street, don't be surprised at the crowd - they are just waiting for their...magical love potion!
The owner collecting money and returning some change!
look so delicious! i remember drinking gallons and gallons of those stuff when i was a kid. it's way better than soda. what about the gourd drink( nuoc bi dao)? is it still popular over there?
ReplyDeleteHi there, I think still somewhere we can buy a fresh (not canned!) gourd juice, mostly in Chinatown! Thanks for reading my blog! Cheers
DeleteThank you Huu Nguien for the very nice writing about 'nước sâm' Hong Phong. It's also the special favorite drink of Vietnamese.
ReplyDeleteI learn sth interesting through your writing above. Nice.