Vietnam’s Muslim food market offers rare culinary delights

Once-a-year Ramadan market in Ho Chi Minh City draws locals and tourists eager to experience traditional Cham Muslim cuisine and culture

HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam (MNTV) — Once a year during Ramadan, a little-known market in Ho Chi Minh City springs to life, offering a rare taste of traditional Muslim cuisine.

Tucked away in alley 157 of Duong Ba Trac Street in District 8, this vibrant gathering remains largely off the radar for most of the year, attracting visitors eager to explore its unique flavors and cultural significance, Tuoi Tre News reports.

From 1:00 p.m. until sunset, the market transforms into a lively hub as vendors set up stalls, filling the air with the enticing aromas of freshly cooked dishes.

What began as a small food bazaar for the local Cham Muslim community has expanded into a major attraction. While the market was once known only within the community, social media has helped spread its reputation, bringing an influx of non-Muslim locals and foreign tourists curious to sample its rare offerings.

Saly, a 32-year-old vendor, runs two stalls with her husband—one at the entrance and another near the mosque. She prepares more than ten varieties of traditional cakes, including the popular gan cakes and hanampệh, priced between VND10,000 and VND15,000 ($0.40–$0.60) each.

Gan cakes, made from eggs, palm sugar, coconut milk, cocoa powder, star anise, and lime, have a creamy texture and can be either steamed or baked. Hanampệh, a crispy, savory pancake filled with dried shrimp, jicama, and wood ear mushrooms, offers a deep, nutty flavor and is often compared to Vietnam’s famous banh xeo (sizzling crepes).

“Selling these cakes is a family tradition,” Saly said. “We love seeing people enjoy them, and we usually sell out by 4:00 or 5:00 p.m.”

Another vendor, Hasan, runs a stall with his mother, offering an array of baked and grilled sweets, including banana cakes, pumpkin cakes, and steamed gan cakes. His most in-demand item is plata, a South Indian-style flatbread cooked with melted Indian butter, best paired with fish or goat curry.

Hasan also sells saykaya, a fragrant Cham delicacy made from eggs, sugar, roasted peanuts, and finely ground ginger, alongside hanamkang, a soft, fluffy dessert made from wheat flour, eggs, sugar, and coconut milk.

“We price all our cakes at VND5,000 ($0.20) for two pieces,” Hasan said. “My mother and I stay up late preparing them and wake up early to keep up with demand.”

Visitors are also drawn to the market’s many savory dishes, including grilled meat skewers, rice dishes, and richly spiced curries. These dishes reflect the Cham Muslim community’s deep cultural ties to both Vietnamese and South Asian culinary traditions.

Cultural experience beyond food

Beyond its culinary appeal, the market serves as an important cultural gathering place for Vietnam’s Cham Muslim community, an ethnic minority group with a history that dates back centuries. For many vendors, preparing and selling these dishes is more than a business—it is a way to preserve their heritage and share their traditions with a wider audience.

Each evening, the market welcomes hundreds of visitors, many of whom are non-Muslims eager to learn more about Islamic cuisine and culture. Nguyen Thanh Tu, a student at Ho Chi Minh City Law University, is among those who make it a yearly tradition to visit.

“Since it only happens once a year, I make sure to come and try as many dishes as possible,” Tu said. “Every dish has a distinct coconut-based richness that stays in my memory. The vendors are friendly and love explaining their dishes and culture.”

The market also plays a role in strengthening social bonds within the community. Many vendors pass down recipes through generations, and families work together to prepare food for the short but busy Ramadan season.

As Ramadan draws to a close, so does this unique market. But for those who have experienced its flavors and warm hospitality, the anticipation for next year’s event begins the moment the last stall closes for the season.