Nam Dinh Si Chau candy - a unique specialty of Vietnam

Not only the people of Nam Dinh but also tourists from all over the country, and even those far from home, know the rustic, elegant flavor of the rustic hometown gift - Siu Chau peanut candy. Recently, along with Bun Chopsticks and Nam Dinh Beef Pho, Siu Chau candy was classified as one of the 100 specialties and  gifts of 2020-2021 for delicious dishes and unique Vietnamese products.

The craft of making Siu Chau peanut candy in Nam Dinh has been famous for nearly two centuries. Even the name of the candy evokes curiosity in many people. According to Nam Dinh people, the name Siu Chau has a long history and is associated with a famous delicious candy shop. The store on Hang Sat street below is a street with many Thieu Chau people, driving near Thieu Chau temple. Whenever people tell each other how to buy candy, they only go near Thieu Chau temple. Initially, it was called "candy near Thieu Chau temple." Gradually, to make it easier to remember, people called it "Thieu Chau candy" and then "Siu Chau candy" or more simply, Siu candy.

Making this delicious candy is an art. Ingredients to make Siu Chau candy that are easy to find include beef peanuts, sesame, cane sugar, yellow flower glutinous rice and rice seedlings to make malt. According to Ms. Vu Thi Hoa, owner of the famous brand Siu Chau Kim Thanh Hoa in Nam Dinh, input materials are the main determinant of candy quality.

“Peanuts must be peanuts with lotus-pink skin and small seeds to have a crunchy texture and quality essential oils. We do not use the large type currently popular on the market. To make malt, we use clean ingredients from the countryside, including yellow glutinous rice seeds and germinated rice for plating, drying, grinding and fermenting with sticky rice. The pink shell peanut variety is disappearing, so I am breeding and expanding sesame and peanut fields locally to produce this main ingredient myself" - said the traditional candy maker.

The peanuts are carefully selected, then shocked with boiling water to remove all dirt, then left to dry and drained before roasting. According to traditional standards, peanuts are roasted on sand to have a fragrant crunch without being burned by essential oils. Sesame can be white sesame or black sesame, each type will make the candy taste different and have a different color. After the roasted sesame and peanuts are cooled, shelled, washed, then cooked with sugar and malt.

To cook Siu Chau candy, the craftsman needs a delicate feel and strong, skillful hands, and can operate very quickly and decisively, because the candy cooks in a short time. Skilled people will have the secret to "swapping sugar" to ensure the flavor blends without being too sweet or too fatty: "The worker must ensure flexibility in his hands and keep the stove's heat steady during the cooking process. And they must know with their eyes and feel with their hands and chopsticks when they reach the consistency of the malt sugar mixture to pour in the peanuts. And each factory requires people with experience in making candy to know the secret. It looks easy to do, but each step must be correct. Because otherwise, when packaging, the quality of the product cannot be controlled."

When the candy comes out of the oven, it must have a pinkish-brown color and be as clear as amber. It should be crispy and fragrant and sweet. The last step is to pour the hot candy mixture onto a tray with sticky rice flour to prevent the candy from moisture and quickly roll it thin and cut into sheets. The candy bars are cut short, lightly covered with a layer of ivory white powder, crunchy and fragrant, with the nutty flavor of peanuts mixed with the sweetness and sharpness of malt, the aroma of roasted peanuts mixed with the aroma of the powder. sticky.

The advantage of Siu Chau candy is that it doesn't stick to your teeth and is so sweet that you don't get bored. It can be said that, not only is it a specialty, a pride of the civilized Southern city, Siu Chau candy is also a gift that sticks with traditional Vietnamese families. There is truly nothing more enjoyable than enjoying Xiu candy next to a warm pot of lotus tea with your loved ones.

Recently, along with Beef Pho, Bun Chopsticks, Siu Chau candy was ranked among the 100 delicious dishes and unique gifts of Vietnam. According to Mr. Le Tan, Secretary of the Vietnam Culinary Culture Association, the Siu Chau peanut candy brand will be better known on the culinary tourism map if it improves its product packaging design to be more eye-catching. Currently, along the streets in Nam Dinh such as Nguyen Du, Truong Chinh, Minh Khai, there are many establishments producing Siu candy with different brands. The selling price of Xiu candy is very reasonable, usually ranging from 50 to 200 thousand VND per box.

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