Mr. Nguyen Huynh Anh Khoa, representative of Huynh Khoa Fish Sauce Trading Company Limited.
Youthful Enthusiasm
Mr. Nguyen Huynh Anh Khoa is currently the representative of Huynh Khoa Fish Sauce Trading Company Limited in Phu Quoc Island, An Giang Province. Khoa said, my family has been involved in making fish sauce for three generations on both my paternal and maternal sides. From the days when my grandparents only had a few small barrels for home use and to exchange for fish at the market, to the time of Mr. Khoa's parents, they expanded the production scale and established Huynh Khoa Private Enterprise in 1995 with about 50 barrels of fish sauce fermentation. This is the foundation for me to continue until today.
Graduated in accounting and worked at a large corporation in Ho Chi Minh City, in 2016, Huynh Khoa decided to return to his hometown to take over his family's traditional profession. Huynh Khoa Fish Sauce Trading Company Limited is nestled in Group 5, Suoi Da Hamlet, Phu Quoc Special Zone, An Giang Province. Every day, he carefully checks each fish fermentation tank. Every gentle stirring movement, observing the color of the fish sauce, smelling the smell... "This tank has been fermenting since September 2021, high in protein, the fish sauce has a beautiful color" - Mr. Khoa said.
Mr. Khoa shared: “This place is storing more than 210 wooden barrels, each containing up to 3,000 liters of salted anchovies. It is not only a valuable asset but also the passion of 3 generations in the family from grandparents, parents and now me. For me, fish sauce is not only a product, but also a memory, an identity”. According to Mr. Khoa, the barrels of fish sauce have supported his education, although he has an accounting job at a large corporation, he has given up and decided to return to his hometown to continue his family's dream of bringing Phu Quoc fish sauce to the sea.
Currently, Khoa's barrel house is storing more than 210 wooden barrels.
When he took over the production facility, Khoa started by establishing his own company (Huynh Khoa Fish Sauce Trading Company Limited), increasing the number of barrels from 50 to 210 barrels. Of which, he reserved about 30% of the output for bottling under the Phu Quoc Huynh Khoa fish sauce brand. Not only following in his parents' footsteps by brewing traditional fish sauce, Khoa also professionalized the production process using HACCP, ISO, and HALAL standards. At the same time, he participated in fairs and exhibitions, built brands, and promoted products on online platforms.
Dream of reaching the big sea
With efforts to preserve the family's traditional craft, Huynh Khoa continuously improved the fish sauce production process. In 2020, Huynh Khoa fish sauce had 4 products achieving 4-star OCOP recognized by the competent authorities. At the same time, with support from the Department of Industry and Trade of the province, the People's Committee of Phu Quoc city (now Phu Quoc Special Zone)... Huynh Khoa gradually completed the bottling line, improved packaging and labels. By the end of 2024, Huynh Khoa Fish Sauce Trading Company Limited had registered 5-star OCOP for 4 products including fish sauce 35, 40, 43 and 45 degrees of nitrogen.
At the end of June 2025, the National OCOP Product Evaluation Council announced that Huynh Khoa fish sauce achieved 5-star OCOP for three products: 40, 43 and 45 degrees of nitrogen. This is a turning point that helps the product easily enter the supermarket system, increase consumer confidence and open up export opportunities.
In June 2025, the first shipment of Huynh Khoa fish sauce was exported to Australia.
Currently, Huynh Khoa maintains both traditional and online sales channels. On the TikTok platform, the company sells an average of more than 20 orders via livestream every day. Mr. Khoa said that customers increasingly prefer convenient shopping and trust 5-star OCOP products. In addition, the company also sells on Sendo, cooperates with agents in An Giang, the Western provinces, and is expanding to the North with more than 20 convenience stores, while connecting with large supermarket systems.
In June 2025, the first batch of Huynh Khoa fish sauce was exported to Australia. It is expected that in 2026, the company will boost exports to both Australia and the US, gradually bringing traditional Phu Quoc fish sauce to the world . "In its development plan, Huynh Khoa will focus on expanding the market, improving product quality, building a brand story associated with Phu Quoc culture, developing a line of convenient gifts and spices, and promoting digital communications. In addition, the company aims to combine products with experiential tourism by visiting barrel houses, introducing production processes, and creating unique experiences for visitors," said Mr. Khoa.
In the story of preserving the profession and developing the Huynh Khoa fish sauce brand with me, his eyes always shine with pride. Khoa said: “Preserving a profession is difficult, making it survive in the new era is even more difficult. But I believe, if we do it honestly, keeping the roots, traditional fish sauce will never lose its core value”.
Currently, Phu Quoc has more than 50 barrel houses, with about 7,000 fermentation barrels to make traditional Phu Quoc fish sauce, with an output of 15-20 million liters of traditional fish sauce/year.
Article and photos: NHUNG NGUYEN
Source: https://baocantho.com.vn/giac-mo-dua-nuoc-mam-phu-quoc-vuon-tam-the-gioi-a188783.html
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