Many people in Da Nang have showed their keen interest in enjoying delicious organic candies, impressively named 'Pop', which are made from wonderful Vietnamese ingredients but feature Spanish secrets.

The smiling Spanish man with his candies at the exhibition

The sweet product is a brainchild of 22-year-old Barcelona-born Victor Ceano Savall, who has been settled in Da Nang for many years.  Sixteen years ago, Savall’s family first visited Viet Nam and experienced wonderful moments during their trips to many localities nationwide, including Hoi An and Da Nang.  Deeply impressed by the land and people of this beautiful country, in 2013, the young man decided to settle down in Hoi An and work for a famous resort here.  Two years later, Savall left for Da Nang to pursue his ambition for making lovely organic candies. 

With his strong determination and great efforts, ‘Pop’ candies made their public debut in September 2016.  He said, “I belong to a prestigious family that has made candy in a pastry shop in downtown Barcelona, which opened in 1892, and has been a city icon since then. My grandfather taught me all the secrets to make every candy, chocolate and pastry”.  Given these advantages, the Spaniard decided to use wonderful Vietnamese ingredients to make candies as his family did 120 years ago in Barcelona. 

‘Pop’ candies are made totally from sugarcane honey, forest honey, coconut, natural cacao powder with colours made of flowers, like red artichoke flowers.  In particular, no artificial flavours, sweetener, preservatives and artificial colours are added to this sweet product.  The foreign young man has already made his own machines to detract herbs’ essence, make natural colours, and cut and dry out candy.  He performs the entire process by hand-from cooking sugarcane honey, making honey paste, forming the candy shape and wrapping candies. 

Savall revealed that the introduction of his product targets to create closer links amongst the general public in a bid to uphold for the community spirit, rather than just aiming at developing more candy making establishments.  Interestingly, many buyers happily said that eating these attractive candies helps them to recall the flavours of their childhood.

Impressed with the Rong (Dragon) Bridge, Savall designed his own lollipops in its shape. He had the mould for the product made by workers at Phuoc Kieu Bronze Casting Village.  The Spanish man is planning to create new candies which will molded into the shapes of Son Tra Mountain, the Marble Mountains, red-shanked doucs living in the Son Tra Nature Reserve, and other local symbols.

Apart from making Pop’ candies, the talented man is also interested in bonbons and chocolate products.

Currently, his products are being on sale at the Danang Souvenirs & Café, stores selling tourism souvenirs in local large hotels and resorts.  In particular, chocolate candies are amongst best-sellers there. Savall usually receives orders from buyers who participate in large-scale events in hotels in the city and elsewhere in the country.

In June, Savall’s organic candy products were on display at an exhibition as part of a contest to design tourism souvenirs for Da Nang.  The event aimed to select the most beautiful designs for souvenirs to be gifted to the participants of the APEC Economic Leaders’ Week (AELW) which is being held in the city from 5 to 11 November.  At the exhibition, Savall felt very happy as the eye-catching and delicious candies received high praise from visitors.

The Spanish man hoped that his business activities in Da Nang would be further developed in years ahead.