Nam Duong, established in 1951, holds a prime position in domestic and international markets as a purveyor of quality soy sauce products filled with traditional flavors.
The Vietnamese brand is famed for its traditional sauces and spices, including soy sauce, chili sauce, tomato sauce, bouillon granules, among many more.
Being a mainstay of Vietnamese cuisine for 70 years, Nam Duong soy sauce still retains its traditional and unique flavor. In recognition of this, it’s been voted “The Best Taste of Vietnamese Soy Sauce in 2019” by the Canadian publication Culture Magazin. Voting took place in Toronto and saw Nam Duong soy sauce, a product of Nam Duong International Foodstuff Corporation (NDFC), win the title of “The Best Taste of Vietnamese soy sauce in 2019”. Recognition from one of the top five culture magazines in the world Culture Magazin is the first and only Vietnamese – English bilingual magazine, written for Vietnamese people, in North America, receiving its funding from the Canadian government. Its mission is to connect the traditional with the modern in the different cultures and was ranked fifth out of the top ten best culture websites by Feedspot in March 2019. Upon announcing “The Best Taste of Vietnamese Soy Sauce in 2019”, Culture Magazin noted the award came from demand from the Vietnamese population in Canada who were looking to get a taste of food from their home country. Voting took place in Toronto and participants chose Nam Duong soy sauce as their favorite. From there, the magazine conducted further assessments, including sending judges to Vietnam to check out the factory and manufacturing process, to chat with local gourmet chefs, and to listen to customer feedback in the nation’s supermarkets and markets. According to Culture Magazin, following the two rigorous rounds of judging, Nam Duong won the title because of the following criteria: the soy sauce garnered the most votes in the Culture Magazin survey, the company has all the right paperwork for legal manufacture and trade in Vietnam and internationally, and it has the support of both customer and gourmet chefs in terms of flavor. Mr. Thai Kim Son, General Director of NDFC (left), received the award on behalf of the company from Mr. Tran Nguyen Dang Vinh, from Culture Magazin’s offices in Vietnam (right). 70 years and one unique soy sauce for every Vietnamese meal Back in 1951 in Saigon, there was a soy sauce workshop, producing soy sauce with the label of Con Meo Den. The bottles were packed with the concentrated flavor of soy sauce which quickly became a firm consumer favorite. Until today, that same brand, now known as Nam Duong soy sauce, has been a part of millions of Vietnamese meals over the decades. It’s been perfected over seven decades, with modern technology being introduced into production without compromising on the delicious, traditional taste. Whether consumers know it as Con Meo Den or Nam Duong soy sauce, it’s still got a place in the heart of all who use it to add flavor to their meals and evoke memories of childhood dinners. An heir to the royal tradition of cooking, Mrs Ha in Hue is a chef with an emotional connection, “ To talk of Nam Duong soy sauce brings back memories of my grandfather. From the age of ten, until he sadly died when I was 32, I remember him adding Con Meo Den soy sauce to his plain rice porridge after qigong practice. He’d use loads of the soy sauce and not leave much for the rest of us! I would eat up the leftovers and understand exactly how good it was. From then, Nam Duong has been a part of my memories, taking me back to treasured times. One thing that I have truly treasured in my time as a culinary artist is that in the 66 years I’ve been in the kitchen, Nam Duong soy sauce has remained the same. ” Royal Chef Ton Nu Thi Ha It’s no understatement to say the award of “The Best Taste of Vietnamese Soy Sauce in 2019” from Culture Magazine was a remarkable moment. Nam Duong has been offering the perfect, traditional taste of Vietnamese soy sauce and winning the hearts of millions of consumers for the last 70 years, and continues to do so. (Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper)
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Nam Duong soy sauce was the proud recipient of the award to be “The Best Taste of Vietnamese Soy Sauce in 2019” as voted by the Canadian Culture Magazin, one of the top culture publications in the world. Consumers buy Nam Duong soy sauce at Co.opmart Supermarket in Nguyen Kiem St., HCM City. When word of Nam Duong receiving the honor of being voted “The Best Taste of Vietnamese Soy Sauce in 2019” by Culture Magazin in Canada, swathes of Vietnamese consumers decided to buy the familiar soy sauce brand once again, picking up a bottle emblazoned with the Con Meo Den symbol. A surprising brand revival As Mrs. Tran Thi Phuong Hoai pays for two bottles of Nam Duong soy sauce in Vuon Chuoi market, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City, she’s reminded of her childhood as she looks at the Con Meo Den symbol. “As a child, sometimes we had nothing to eat except cold, white rice. When we would add a few drops of Con Meo Den soy sauce we’d want to eat bowls and bowls of the stuff. We didn’t need meat, just a bowl of rice or a loaf of white bread and some Con Meo Den soy sauce to dip in. It was our favorite meal.” Nam Duong soy sauce has been around as long as other famous Vietnamese brands such as Co Ba soap and Hypnos toothpaste, etc., Mrs. Phuong Hoai remembers her children loving the flavor as much as she did. “When I heard that Nam Duong was voted “The Best Taste of Vietnamese Soy Sauce in 2019” I was so proud,” she said. In the Co.opmart Cong Quynh supermarket in District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, staff reported that sales of Nam Duong soy sauce have dramatically increased, and it’s down to the recognition from Culture Magazin. 25-year old Mrs Le Long from District 5 added a bottle of Nam Duong soy sauce to her shopping cart and told us, “My mum told me about the famous Con Meo Den soy sauce - it was always advertised on the radio when she was young. When I saw in the news this morning that Nam Duong soy sauce is the same as the old Con Meo Den brand, I had to come and get a bottle so I could have a try.” Con Meo Den in its heyday Nam Duong soy sauce, previously known as Con Meo Den, is a brand from the golden days of Saigon. The brand was regularly noted in works by Vuong Hong Sen and Son Nam as the best gourmet but accessible dipping sauce. Vuong Hong Sen has strong memories of Sa Dec noodles and sautéed beef, laced with the taste of Nam Duong soy sauce. He remembers Chinese rice bought from the famed Cho Lon Market that needed to be finished off with soy sauce, chillies, and Tieu vinegar. In the best bakery in Saigon, it was easy to spot bottles of soy sauce, used to draw out the flavor of pork bologna and pate. The Nam Duong factory in Hiep Phuoc Industrial Park, Ho Chi Minh City, produces the famed soy sauce. Those in the older generations aren’t always aware of the brand name Nam Duong, but the Con Meo Den symbol has a special place in their memories. In 2019, the brand was recognized as “The Best Taste of Vietnamese Soy Sauce”. This was a significant milestone for the company, which has been perfecting its sauce since it was founded in 1951. Another vital milestone came back in October 2015, when Nam Duong International Foodstuff Corporation (NDFC) was founded as a joint venture with Wilmar International Limited from Singapore and Saigon Co.op, with an initial investment of US$25.6 million. Soon after, in December 2017, the NDFC factory in Hiep Phuoc Industrial Park, Nha Be, Ho Chi Minh City, was opened. The investment from Wilmar enabled the company to bring in modern technology and the market access from Saigon Co.op meant the soy sauce could be distributed widely. Along with the famed soy sauce, other condiments such as chili sauce, tomato ketchup, and satay were all refined and delivered across Vietnam. The company was able to supply international markets, with orders coming in from the USA, Russia, Poland, Hungary, Taiwan, and more. Nam Duong Concentrated Soy Sauce Soybeans, a natural source of iron, have a delicious and pleasing taste for every meal, whilst also being packed with nutritional value. There are no artificial colors, no added sweeteners, and the sauce meets the 2-MCPD standard as laid out by the Ministry of Health. The Best Taste Vietnamese Soy Sauce in 2019 June 5, 2020, saw Nam Duong International Foodstuff Corporation (NDFC)’s Nam Duong soy sauce honored with the award “The Best Taste Vietnamese Soy Sauce in 2019” by Canada based Culture Magazin. Culture Magazin is the only Vietnamese - English bilingual magazine in North America and is funded by the Canadian government. It’s the website, http://culturemagazin.com , is ranked fifth in the top ten international culture websites in a poll by Feedspot in 2019. (Source: Tuoi Tre Newspaper)
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Anh Tuyet is a culinary artist, well-versed in Vietnamese cuisine, and chef for the banquet for the 21 heads of state present for the APEC Conference 2019, held in Vietnam. Her soy sauce of choice? “The Best Taste of Vietnamese Soy Sauce in 2019”, Nam Duong Soy Sauce, giving her traditional recipes a special flavor. The President’s Chef has been mastering flavor since the age of 9 Spending more than fifty years in the kitchen has given Anh Tuyet plenty of time to learn about Vietnamese culinary culture. The culinary artist explained that spices are key to the success of her dishes. At nine years old her grandmother taught her to hand make jars of pickled eggplant, to marinate each fish she cooked, to season each fish stew with soy sauce. In these lessons, she began to master the use of flavor. She explained that in the 60s, her grandmother’s sauce of choice was Black Cat, or Con Meo Den, which is now known as Nam Duong soy sauce. Inheriting her preferences from her grandmother, the culinary artist now chooses the condiment as an addition to every dish that needs soy sauce. “Con Meo Den soy sauce has a distinctive smell; a smell of natural soy beans that creates a smooth texture, gives a deep color, and adds a light sweetness that enhances every dish I use it in,” Anh Tuyet enthused. “It’s not always been easy to buy Con Meo Den sauce, so I had to experiment with other sauces to try and replicate my grandmother’s cooking. I never found the right replacement to bring the same flavors to my grandmother’s five-flavor steamed bass,” explained the artist. Culinary artist Anh Tuyet showcases a traditional meal, prepared for guests at her restaurant. As well as in the main course, Anh Tuyet also uses Nam Duong soy sauce in her vegetable dishes. She notes that sauces are not only for dipping, but a vital ingredient to enhance delicious flavors and feeling of love and joy in any dish, be it vegetables or fish. The sauce brings families together in their love of food and brings Vietnamese food to a global market with its strong and recognizable flavors. The traditional sauce has been recognized as “The Best Taste of Vietnamese Soy Sauce of 2019” 2019 saw Nam Duong soy sauce, emblazoned with the symbol of Con Meo Den on the bottle, honored with the title “The Best Taste of Vietnamese Soy Sauce in 2019”. The recognition followed a vote in the Canadian bilingual publication, Culture Magazin, and the president’s chef, Anh Tuyet, agrees. Present in Vietnamese cooking for more than seven decades, Nam Duong soy sauce has been a part of traditional meal preparation. It fulfills its role of delivering a light and sweet taste, ready to enhance even the most gourmet of dishes. The sauce bowl takes center stage at a family dinner table, bringing everyone together in the enjoyment of great flavor When the culinary artist met with the media, she discussed why she relies on Nam Duong soy sauce; she finds harmony in the traditional values that it embodies. Her love of the sauce was demonstrated in her menu for the 2017 APEC conference. With hundreds of recipes to choose from, she selected six dishes that truly represented Vietnam to prepare for the guests. Every ingredient was specially selected to be a “cultural and culinary representative” of Vietnamese cuisine. Nam Duong soy sauce has been a part of the family dining table since 1951, embracing a 70-year history of delivering original and traditional taste to the nation and winning the love of consumers. Nam Duong soy sauce – recognized as “The Best Taste of Vietnamese Soy Sauce” in a vote in Culture Magazin Even with modern meals and a choice of the best international ingredients, the position of the soy sauce bowl at the center of a meal remains steadfast. The whole family joins in dipping their food in the most traditional of Vietnamese condiments. (Source: Kham Pha Newspaper)
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Be ready to delight your taste buds, as the heir to Hue’s traditional royal cuisine explains how to season simple dishes like stir-fried vegetables and stewed fish to unlock a unique flavor. Mrs. Ton Nu Thi Ha is one of the last surviving royal cooks. The 77-year-old from Hue began cooking at the age of 10 and was schooled in royal cooking techniques by her aunt, who was also the wife of the Chief Minister . She’s a traditional woman who prepares traditional food, with every dish needing a perfect taste, deep flavors, and a stunning presentation. At an event in Ho Chi Minh City recently, Mrs. Ha was first introduced as a guest and she shared the secrets of how she uses soy sauce. In her kitchen, it’s used as a marinade, and she delighted the audience with a guide to making a flavorful dipping sauce. The heir to Hue’s royal cuisine, Mrs. Ton Nu Thi Ha Uses soy sauce as a marinade and as a final seasoning Mrs. Ha explained that for her, soy sauce is the final dash of seasoning for her dishes, as well as a marinade for stir-fries. With its deep and unique taste, vegetables and fish soak up the flavors and enhance every element of the dish. “Soy sauce can be used for marinating or seasoning, such as with my favorite meat stewed with coconut dish, or in a traditional fish stew. Rather than using rock sugar or brown sugar, I prefer to use Nam Duong soy sauce to give my dish a slightly sour taste, plus give it the perfect color of melting sugar. Once stewed for four hours, the fish hardens and the edges begin to curve - giving it a truly Hue taste,” she said. As a dipping sauce or for adding chilli powder When making porridge served with pandan leaves, Mrs. Ha adds original soy sauce. When using too many ingredients, the porridge gets diluted and loses flavor, she explains, so only use soy sauce. She also advises cooks to add fresh sauce, rather than leftovers that can become clotted or discolored. If you’re not a fan of original soy sauce, Mrs. Ha suggests adding crushed garlic and chillies, or even chilli powder, to bring out the flavors. Further, soy sauce can be added to a sweet and sour sauce that can be added to cakes and dumplings. She does note that the garlic soy sauce shouldn’t be used by vegans. “ You can use soy sauce to dip in sweet potatoes or to add flavor to morning glory. If you find it too light for dipping things like cabbage, turnip, or mustard greens, just add some extra seasoning to it,” she counsels. Soy sauce is perfect for dipping or for marinating food Choosing a soy sauce When talking about the benefits of soy sauce, Mrs. Ha notes that people with high blood pressure should avoid salt and that soy sauce is an ideal replacement. When cooking more healthy dishes, she replaces salt with soy sauce to not lose any of the taste. “ Soy sauce must be balanced and well-seasoned, every drop must have the right flavor. When I’m preparing an omelet, I’d never use fish sauce; only soy sauce. Out of all the soy sauce brands available, Nam Duong soy sauce is the best quality and my first choice. It’s concentrated and doesn’t discolor the dish. When you are a royal cook, like me, you must pay attention to the color and presentation of your dish, not only the taste,” Mrs. Ha said. Looking back at her childhood, Mrs. Ha explained that Nam Duong soy sauce used to be called Con Meo Den and it was a rare and special sauce back then. Every morning after qigong, her grandfather would make porridge and add soy sauce, occasionally adding a dash of chilli powder. Soy sauce is a much-loved dipping sauce in Vietnamese meals and has been part of food history for centuries According to Mrs. Ha, the flavor of Nam Duong soy sauce has been consistent all through the years. “ When you cook, you need to know your seasoning so you can master the flavor and the look of the dish. Nowadays, there are good and bad sauces available, but Nam Duong soy sauce is just as great as it ever was,” she said. In Saigon in 1951, there was a soy sauce factory that used the symbol of Con Meo Den and the name Nam Duong. It produced bottles of sauce with a strong, concentrated flavor that soon captured the hearts of the people. From that point, Nam Duong has been a top brand in Vietnam and featured in millions of meals over the decades. With over 50 years of refining the product, the brand has remained loyal to its traditional flavors whilst harnessing modern manufacturing methods in its production. March 2019 saw Culture Magazin, a leading bilingual magazine in North America, vote on which was “The Best Taste of Vietnamese Soy Sauce”. The contest was between locally made, Vietnamese soy sauce brands and Nam Duong soy sauce, from Nam Duong International Foodstuff Corporation, was awarded the title The criteria for the award from Culture Magazin took into account the following: - Having the best flavor as determined by a survey conducted by Culture Magazin in Toronto, Canada. - Being favored by consumers in interviews conducted in supermarkets and markets. - Being noted as having the best flavor by Vietnamese chefs after 70 years on the market. - Having all the correct licenses and certifications for manufacturing and trading under Vietnamese law and meeting international food safety requirements. (Source: Kham Pha Newspaper)
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If you travel back to 1951, you’d see that no meal was complete without a bottle of Nam Duong soy sauce on the table. Times may change, yet the bottle of soy sauce accompanying each meal has been a steadfast fixture in many families. In a story spanning more than sixty years, Nam Duong has brought families together in their mutual love for the classic taste of the prestigious brand. The perfect soy sauce for more than 60 years Nam Duong soy sauce is a comforting habit, ready to serve in every home with every meal. Mr. Phan Van Lanh, a District 8 native, has had a lifetime love of for the delicious soy sauce from Nam Duong. He explains, “No one in my generation would dare serve a meal without Nam Duong Black Cat soy sauce. It’s a family joke, if you want to get me out of my chair you just need to prepare a bowl of white rice, drizzled with Nam Duong soy sauce. The taste of the natural, sweet sauce from soy beans, soaked into the fluffy white rice is life affirming for an old man like me! Nam Duong soy sauce guarantees I’ll enjoy me meal.” Mr. Lanh isn’t the only one who recognizes the importance of Nam Duong in cozy family meals. In District 6, Mrs. Minh Tran tells of the peaceful memories from her childhood, “My mum would cook every meal for my dad, pouring her love into the meal and pouring Nam Duong soy sauce over his rice. I watched and learned my mum’s technique, and now I care for my husband by serving deliciously sweet Nam Duong Soy Sauce with every meal, too.” Nam Duong soy sauce; the taste of love at every family table Back in 1951, Nam Duong began in a soy sauce workshop; a private enterprise producing soy sauce products sealed with the Black Cat symbol. Prosperity soon followed, the people of Saigon were in awe at the sight of the three-storey factory in Cho Lon, with nearly 400 employees. Enduring many a trial and tribulation, Nam Duong soy sauce has come to be a staple of the Vietnamese dinner table. It has earned a place in the hearts and the bellies of loyal customers who crave the traditional Nam Duong Black Cat taste. Combining modern technology with traditional tastes History is the reason Nam Duong has such as strong connection with those who enjoy it. The high standards held by the brand are a product of many important milestones, taking advantage of both tradition and progress. In 1981 the Nam Duong company was taken under the ownership of the Saigon Union of Trading Co-operatives and renamed Nam Duong Sauce Enterprise. The new owners rung in an era of rapid development for Nam Duong. The company thrived in the domestic market following the move, having been awarded the title of ‘Vietnam High Quality Goods’ for eighteen consecutive years. With the highest standards of quality and food safety being so important, it’s no surprise that bottles of Nam Duong soy sauce have reached the dinner tables of the USA, Russia, Poland and Hungary. Saigon Co.op does a deal with Wilmar Group, bringing an investment of nearly VND 600 billion to Nam Duong soy sauce Nam Duong International Foodstuff Corporation was borne out of a venture contract signed between Saigon Co.op and Wilmar Group in 2015. A capital investment of US$25.6million was fed into the company, and with it the company’s position has seen significant improvements. The strength of its products; the flavors customers have grown to know and love over six decades, all have been preserved whilst the brand has gained the advantages of a vast and developed infrastructure, along with the potential for increased investment, more research, and more advanced technology. Following an injection of hundreds of billions of dong, a brand new factory was completed in Hiep Phuoc Industrial Park in Nha Be District, Ho Chi Minh City. The factory comes fully equipped with the best technology to produce the full range of Nam Duong products, from sauces to spices. With the highest standards and most modern machines, all international standards are met at the new facility. There is no brand that can hold a flame to the relationship that has developed between Nam Duong and Vietnamese families over the more than 60 years. Classic taste goes hand in hand with modern production, offering the platform for Nam Duong to conquer the domestic and foreign markets. The future is bright and full of achievements yet to be dreamed. (Source: Tuoi Tre Newspaper)
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The look of a Nam Duong soy sauce bottle is undoubtedly modern, it seems incomprehensible to the younger generation that it has been around for 67 years; being in kitchens during the lives of not only their parents, but their grandparents too! Nam Duong has been a part of Vietnamese family meals for 67 years At the same time as “Ms. Ba Soap”, Hynos, Da Lan toothpaste, and Con Cop soft drinks were emerging in 1951, so too was Nam Duong - ready to claim its position in the hearts of local consumers. During the 60s and 70s Nam Duong even expanded into Cambodia and Laos, whilst on the home front it had become a staple in seemingly every kitchen in Vietnam. Nam Duong quickly became the premiere brand for the production of vegetable-based sauces across the country. The demands of consumers were changing, as was Vietnam: the country began to open up to international trade. This period was also a challenging time for Nam Duong, encountering the same struggles as many other brands. Being the dynamic and forward-thinking company that it was, Nam Duong was able to innovate and keep pace with the modernization of the country and changing tastes of domestic and foreign consumers. No matter the changes and challenges faced by the company, its 70 years of history stands testament to its resilience. Even when seemingly everything else is changing, love for the flavor and comforting scent of Nam Duong still endures. The glass bottle of the “Black Cat soy sauce” is embellished in the memories of all who have tasted it The “Black Cat” soy sauce is a one of a kind; it sticks in the memories of parents and grandparents as a genuine, tasty accompaniment to many a meal. Near to home, or living far away, the drizzling of Nam Duong soy sauce on any meal allows young people to reconnect with their families and their childhoods through memories of delicious family meals. Nam Duong’s recipe for success: a combination of preserving tradition mixed with looking to the future Being recognized as a “Vietnam High Quality Good” since 1997 is a proud achievement of Nam Duong. It is a clear illustration of the love felt for the brand and the connection they have fostered with their consumers. So familiar to everyone in Vietnam, Nam Duong was also awarded the auspicious prize of the Third Class Labor Medal in recognition of how it has added value to the Vietnamese economy. As illustrious as these achievements are, they are but one feather in the company’s cap. The willingness to innovate and change with the times is integral to success. Brands have come and gone in the Vietnamese market, they rise and fall and some even completely fold, yet the “Black Cat” of Nam Duong is still going strong. A company restructure and factory upgrade in the 1980s allowed the brand to expand and develop new and exciting offerings. A key moment is this story of change was the founding of the Nam Duong International Foodstuff Corporation (NDFC). The partnership between Wilmar and the Saigon Union of Trading Co-operatives (Saigon Co.op) has been instrumental in allowing the company to change and adapt. Saigon Co.op bring the distribution and logistics know-how, whilst Wilmar bring modern technology, research skills, and investment potential, a winning combination that ensures the continued success of the company. Following an investment of hundreds of billions of VND, the Nam Duong factory was built, allowing a superior product to be made, in line with customer demands The highest standards of quality, hygiene, and food safety are rigorously adhered to and products are exported to the USA, Russia, and Poland. Although a bottle of Nam Duong soy sauce may look very different to the past, the black cat logo is still a mainstay. Looks may change, but the historic recipe dating back 67 years remains steadfast - the familiar flavor so characteristic of Nam Duong soy sauce is still exactly how your grandmother would remember. It’s a fine line to tread: maintaining the key to success of product taste and quality, whilst bringing in modern processes and dealing with an ever-changing economy. Nam Duong has been able to confidently walk that line, remaining vital and dynamic. Knowing how to be successful over all these years, you can be assured Nam Duong will continue to thrive.
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