Vietnam fresh porridge from famous ST25 rice exported to US

A container of 60,000 packages of AK Food's Cay Thi porridge has been exported to the U.S., which marks the second batch of fresh porridge made from well-known ST25 rice to successfully enter this market.

The first AK Food's Cay Thi porridge batch was shipped to the U.S. last November. AK Food specializes in producing nutritional foods.

Nguyen Thi Thu, chairwoman of the board of directors and general director of AK Food, said that the global recognition of ST25 rice as the "best rice in the world" inspired her to create new value by transforming this renowned grain into a premium Vietnamese delicacy.

According to her, to perfect the formula for ST25 porridge, Cay Thi's R&D team invested 1,000 hours, or three months, in research, a record timeframe for the company.

"Many thought we were overcomplicating things by using ST25 rice because, when cooked traditionally, the porridge can become mushy, sticky, and lose its grainy texture. However, we were determined to find a formula that would fully preserve the distinctive sticky aroma of ST25 rice while creating a smooth, delicious porridge," she noted.

Cay Thi, the name of the porridge, currently exports three types of porridge made from ST25 rice to the U.S., including Nghe An fresh eel porridge, Mekong Delta fresh snakehead fish porridge, and Da Lat fresh vegetable porridge.

To meet U.S. market requirements, the Cay Thi porridge factory, located in Tan Binh Industrial Park in Ho Chi Minh City, has received certification from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

With a legacy dating back to 1996, this porridge brand aims to increase export revenue by 25% by 2025, building on its initial foundation in 2024. Although Cay Thi's presence in Australia and Canada remains limited, the company has registered trademarks in each country and established strong partnerships with importers.

Dziem Chinh, president of C&T Produce Wholesale Company from the U.S., a business with over 20 years of experience importing and distributing Vietnamese and Asian products in the U.S., serves as Cay Thi's U.S. importer.

Chinh said that by focusing on the niche market of porridge made from ST25 rice, the product has gained significant demand in the U.S., with many customers purchasing it by the box for home use.

She highlighted that the high export price allows the manufacturer to source premium ingredients, including ST25 rice, Da Lat vegetables, Mekong Delta snakehead fish, and Nghe An eel. Despite this, Cay Thi porridge remains competitively priced at $2.5 to $3 per 240-gram bag, compared to imported South Korean products, which typically range from $3.5 to $4.50 per bag.

"The Vietnamese community in the U.S. is already familiar with the reputation of ST25 rice, so they are particularly interested in fresh porridge made from the best rice in the world. The flavor of this porridge is truly unique. This could pave the way for businesses looking to export rice-based foods to the U.S.," said Chinh.

Previously last November, C&T Produce Wholesale Company imported "crab fried rice from ST25 rice" from Vietnam, which has become one of the best-selling products at this company. Not only Vietnamese and other Asian communities but also local American customers highly favor this product. Fried rice made from ST25 rice is soft, sticky, and aromatic, meeting the increasingly sophisticated tastes of consumers.