what... no fermented fish heads???
Posted on 04/14/2013 11:51:34 AM PDT by tsowellfan
A previously poor man who built up his seasoning business from scratch is now helping those less fortunate. Tran Trong Trung reports
Sixty-four-year-old Huynh Van Be is well known across the southern province of Dong Thap for his famous seasoning.
He was the pioneer who brought white salt from coastal regions to Dong Thap to process, and set up the successful "Ngoc Yen" brand name in his home town of Thanh B́nh.
The main ingredients for processing his seasoning are sea salt, sugar, garlic, chilli and monosodium glutamate.
His delicious seasoning has been praised by many consumers, particularly when sprinkled over fruit.
Each year, his company sells hundreds of tonnes of seasoning, earning a profit of more than VND1 billion (about US$47,600).
He has recently invested over VND700 million to expand and upgrade his processing plant and equip it with modern machinery to improve quality and increase production to more than 1.2 tonnes per day.
But it wasn't all plain sailing. Be and his family went through years of hardship struggling with the ups and downs of life, and even faced bankruptcy at one point.
"I found myself in this job by chance," he recalls. "In 1998, I tried my hand at raising quails, but I was inexperienced and ended up losing 5,000 birds. That left me with a debt of over VND200 million so we had to sell the house.
"We were on our last legs when my sister in Tay Ninh Province called and suggested I go and make seasoning with her."
While Be worked with his sister and gradually learned the trade, his wife and child took the streets of HCM City to sell the seasoning. Sometimes they were chased away by locals who felt they were intruding and splashed water on the seasoning, leaving the mother and daughter in tears.
But Be refused to give in and promised himself that one day, he would be a success.
He looked for ways to improve the quality of the seasoning, and finally settled on a recipe.
"The only way my product was going to survive was if it was better than the competition. Only then would I find the customers I needed to expand."
Gradually, shops, groceries and fruit markets began to stock his products.
"My wife delivered a dozen kilos a day and at last we felt so happy."
Many stores began to buy in bulk, and it wasn't long before Be's seasoning was available for wholesale in HCM City markets.
After six years of efforts to develop the business in Tay Ninh and HCM City, he decided he had accumulated enough capital and experience to return home and open a plant in Dong Thap.
In 2006, Be opened his own processing facility and named it Ngoc Yen, and started the website www.muoisayngocyen.vn. Since then, their lives have turned a new page.
At first, they produced 30-50kg of seasoning each day.
They then expanded production, equipping the plant with modern equipment such as stainless steel ovens, mixers and 10 exposure frames in accordance with Ministry of Health's standards.
His seasoning has been recognised by the Viet Nam Union of Science and Technology Associations (VUSTA) as a "Vietnamese product of high quality".
"Over the last five years, production has grown from 40 tonnes in 2007 to 400 tonnes last year. Obviously, the quality and value for money win over customers. I'm very excited because I didn't expect it would be so successful," he says.
His plant now employs 25 local workers, with monthly incomes between VND3.6-5 million each.
Be received the Golden Lotus Cup from VUSTA which voted it the "famous domestic and international brand name" in August 2011.
In September last year, the Viet Nam Food Science and Technology Association and the Viet Nam Food Standards Commission bestowed the title "Vietnamese food for Vietnamese health" on Ngoc Yen seasoning.
Be was granted awards from the Viet Nam Farmers Association, the Viet Nam Business Association and the Dong Thap People's Committee.
Now Be has secured a future for his family, he undertakes a lot of charitable work, spending hundreds of millions of dong each year on social housing and local infrastructure, while taking the time to visit, share and encourage those less fortunate than him.
He has so far contributed over a billion dong to help the poor of Thanh B́nh.
Be is currently collaborating with local donors and leaders of Tran Van Nang High School and Thanh B́nh 1 High School to provide free meals for poor students in the two schools.
"As I have suffered from poverty and hardship, I understand others misery. I am 64 years old now, and if I wait until I become richer to help them, how long will that take? I try to help them based on my ability. I've been doing this work for about five years, and we spent a record VND200 million last year. This year I will spend more."
Provincial People's Committee Chairman Le Minh Hoan commented: "From a poor peasant, with a lot of energy and a strong spirit, he has built a reputable establishment, creating a brand name in the market and jobs for local workers.
"Be is one of the most beautiful lotuses in our Dong Thap – the land of lotus!"
Hoan says Be has proved that anyone, if there is a will, can be a success. — VNS
Tran Trong Trung? He goes by “Skippy”.
US $47,600 must be High Cotton there
So he proudly lists that he uses MSG... That’s the secret to his success.
what... no fermented fish heads???
By the way, on the same site:
Your Say
Should Vietnamese people give up dog meat?
Dogs and cats in Western countries are considered as pets and live with humans as friends or companions. However, in many countries such as China, South Korea and Viet Nam, dog meat is readily consumed and is cooked in various dishes. Vietnamese people, especially in the northern region enjoy this food.
> and monosodium glutamate
What is MSG? Is it bad for you?
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/monosodium-glutamate/AN01251
There’s actually a lot of gung-ho small-scale entrepreneurs out there. Leah, for example, makes wool products on old-world American machines that she services and repairs herself. That is, not just vintage but 100yr old, that sometimes a blacksmith has to make new parts for.
And she’s a handgunner. Springfield 1911.
http://americancountrygirl.wordpress.com/
“However, in many countries such as China, South Korea and Viet Nam, dog meat is readily consumed and is cooked in various dishes. Vietnamese people, especially in the northern region enjoy this food.”
So does the canine connoisseur currently residing at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.
With all the regulations and taxes he would have never been able to start it here.
Glutamate - Umami
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umami
Umami /uːˈmɑːmi/, a savory taste, is one of the five basic tastes, together with sweet, sour, bitter and salty. A loanword from the Japanese (うま味?), umami can be translated "pleasant savory taste". This particular writing was chosen by Professor Kikunae Ikeda from umai (うまい) "delicious" and mi (味) "taste". The kanji 旨味 are used for a more general meaning to describe a food as delicious. The human tongue has receptors for L-glutamate, which is the source of umami flavor. For that reason, scientists consider umami to be distinct from saltiness.
wonderful, now i'll have THAT in my head for the next couple hours... haven't heard that in ages
And he only had to sell 400 tons of the crap to rake in that 47k!
Now to completely ruin your day...
Fish heads, fish heads,
Rolly-polly fish heads,
Fish heads, fish heads,
Eat them up, yum!
In the morning,
Laughing happy fish heads,
In the evening,
Floating in the soup!
Ask a fish head
Anything you want to,
They won't answer,
They can't talk!
I took a fish head
Out to see a movie,
Didn't have to pay
To get it in!
They can't play baseball,
They don't wear sweaters,
They're not good dancers,
They don't play drums!
Rolly-polly fish heads
Are never seen drinking cappicino
In Italian resturaunts,
With Oriental women, yeah!
MSG: Is This Silent Killer Lurking in Your Kitchen Cabinets
April 21, 2009
by Dr. Mercola
A widespread and silent killer that’s worse for your health than alcohol, nicotine and many drugs is likely lurking in your kitchen cabinets right now....
Had to laugh at this: Provincial People's Committee Chairman Le Minh Hoan commented: "From a poor peasant, with a lot of energy and a strong spirit, he has built a reputable establishment, creating a brand name in the market and jobs for local workers." Commie chairman Le congratulating the rich entrepreneur! While on our shores the Communist in Chief excoriates hard work, success and wealth.
To top it off, the American who collaborated with the Communists in Viet Nam at the end of the war is now having to use diplomacy against the communists in NORK.
The world is turned upside down.
Strange words from a Communist People’s Committee member: establishment, market and brand name.
Communism isn’t what it used to be.
What would the ONE say if is saw this? I shudder to think.
I have never heard of anyone who died from MSG. They sure destroyed Chinese take-out since they were forced to remove it. I sure hope Bloomberg doesn’t hear about this.
Most humans’ first encounter with umami is breast milk.
It contains roughly the same amount of umami as broths.
It can’t be too bad for you...
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