Despite being located far away from city centre, not to mention the fact it’s food is not as abundant as Con or Han traditionalmarkets, the Bac My An Market in Ngu Hanh Son District has proved a magnet for large numbers of residents and tourists who have infinity for gastronomy.

A glass of ‘Kem bo’ (Vietnamese avocado mousse ice cream)

And, ‘Kem bo’ (Vietnamese avocado mousse ice cream) is considered one of the must-try dishes as you visit the market.

A spoonful of greasy, soft butter mixed with a cool, delicious ice cream helps Mrs. Van’s ‘kem bo’ stand holds the record of selling more than 1,000 glasses per day.

More than 20 years ago, Mrs. Nguyen Thi Thu Van, the owner of Mrs. Van’s stand, left Quy Nhon City, Binh Dinh Province with her husband to Da Nang to settle down.

In the early years, she and her husband made ‘kem bo’ to sell to market-goers, but a few dozen glasses of ‘kem bo’ per day were sold.

In order to maintain the main source of income for the family, in addition to ‘kem bo’, Mrs. Van sold durian ice cream, jackfruit ice cream, mixed sweet soup, Thai sweet soup, sticky rice yogurt, jackfruit yogurt, and smoothies of all kinds.

‘Kem bo’ is a rich and creamy dessert which is super easy to put together. At the bottom of a ‘kem bo’ glass is a layer of mashed avocado. Then food seller tops it up with a scoop of ice cream, coconut sauce, and toasted coconut flakes. There are so many layers of flavours and textures. The smoothness and richness of avocado goes well with a scoop of cold ice cream. The coconut sauce adds silkiness as well as a light coconut fragrance. Finally, the toasted coconut flakes add crunchiness and some nuttiness, making the dessert more interesting and balancing the richness. It can be said that avocado ice cream is a unique specialty of the Bac My An Market.

According to the owner, the delicious part of the dish lies in the greasy butter taste and the characteristic smooth, cool aroma of fresh cream. In addition to ripe avocado sourced from a garden house in Dak Lak Province, Mrs. Van makes fresh ice cream with the main ingredients of cream and fresh coconut.

It can be said that the quality and reasonable price of a glass of ‘kem bo’ helps Mrs. Van’ stand become a favorite address of young people and tourists to Da Nang.

Since 2015, Mrs. Van has labeled her shop's logo on cups of ‘kem bo’. Every day, hundreds of cups of ‘kem bo’ are sold on the spot. Besides, a large number of ‘kem bo’ are packed and sent to such northern provinces and cities as Ha Noi, Quang Ninh, Bac Ninh and Hai Phong at the prices ranging from VND20,000 to VND30,000/glass depending on the size and composition of ingredients.

Reporting by HUYNH LE - Translating by M.DUNG