For over 30 years, Mr. Phi Ngoc Chung, the founder and CEO of Trung Thanh Foods, has always affirmed: “I did not choose Trung Thanh to make a profit. If it were only for money, I would have had many easier choices.” For Mr. Chung, making spices is a mission closely linked to the most fundamental things in the lifestyle and eating habits of Vietnamese people.
Trung Thanh's journey of more than three decades began with seemingly ordinary products such as vinegar bottles, chili jars, sesame salt... But it is from these small things that Trung Thanh has created a unique, unmistakable identity.
The brand founder compares spices to a special culinary language. A delicious dish cannot be without the “voice” of vinegar, chili, fish sauce or shrimp paste. Each region has its own recipe, a way of mixing, a distinct flavor, all of which need to be preserved and passed down. And Trung Thanh has chosen to become a diligent “interpreter” of that language.
In that spirit, Mr. Phi Ngoc Chung affirmed that Trung Thanh does not pursue large campaigns, does not seek real estate projects. Instead, the past 30 years have been a journey of saving every small capital, collecting every drop of sweat of the team of officers and employees who have been closely attached to each other.
Many have been working here since they were very young, and now have children who have followed in their footsteps. For them, the work is not just a way to make a living, but part of a larger story: the story of preserving the soul of Vietnamese cuisine.
“Vietnamese spices are different from foreign spices. Each dish needs its own type of spice, they cannot be used in a general way. Each dish has a suitable spice, they cannot be used in general. Therefore, we have created hundreds of spices from dipping sauce to fish sauce and salt so that each dish can find a true companion,” said the founder of Trung Thanh Foods.
Unlike many businesses that consider cuisine as a business field, Mr. Chung said Trung Thanh approaches it with a reverse philosophy: " Economy must be placed in a cultural foundation and cuisine is the first door to connect cultures."
According to him, of all types of culture, cuisine is the closest, most direct and easiest bridge. A delicious dish, a typical spice can open the doors to exchange, cooperation and spread the image of the country.
Since then, Trung Thanh has not only been present in every family meal, every eatery and restaurant in Vietnam, but has also reached out to the international market. Through the Vietnamese community abroad, through culinary fairs and official exports, Trung Thanh brings Vietnamese culture not only through food but also through spices to friends around the world.
“The economy now must have a culture of connection. Culinary culture connects the fastest and closest. Trung Thanh chooses to be at the forefront of that mission,” the founder of Trung Thanh likened each bottle of Trung Thanh spices sent abroad to not just a product but a silent “cultural ambassador”.
When asked why he did not name the company after the two founding brothers, Mr. Chung simply replied: “Loyalty - means loyalty to the path he has chosen, to the mission he pursues, especially the mission related to public health.”
Floating, poor quality food can be dangerous for consumers. Trung Thanh chooses to keep the word "Heart" as a guiding principle.
“We put consumer safety first, and business interests second. That is why we still exist today, when many other brands have had to change their names or disappear,” Mr. Phi Ngoc Chung affirmed.
For more than 30 years, Trung Thanh has quietly contributed to the Vietnamese culinary map. Without much noise or fanfare, each drop of vinegar, each slice of chili, each bit of shrimp paste bearing the Trung Thanh brand is still contributing to shaping the appearance of the country's cuisine, not only in Vietnamese meals, but also on the dining tables of international friends.
“I can’t do everything, but whatever I can do, I will try my best. The more businesses share the same mission, the more Vietnamese culinary culture will spread. Each person has their own way, their own taste - like pho, each restaurant has its own taste, but they all share the same pride,” he gently concluded.
In the flow of integration, when cuisine has gone beyond the framework of meals to become a tool of soft cultural diplomacy , Trung Thanh clearly defines its role as not a brand that follows market trends but one of the "soul keepers" of Vietnamese culinary culture. While many businesses seek to accelerate through technology, investment, joint ventures... Trung Thanh chooses sustainable development based on cultural core.
This is not an easy choice, especially in an industry considered "small", because according to Mr. Phi Ngoc Chung, the profit margin is low, attracting little large investment. But instead of chasing speed, Trung Thanh is steadfast in depth.
For them, each spice product is a “miniature cultural ambassador”, the crystallization of soil, climate, habits and culinary history of each region. There is no ostentation, but it is those traditional values that deeply touch the emotions of users, while modern business models are difficult to create.
In the integration journey, Trung Thanh believes that it is not simply exporting goods but exporting the “taste” of Vietnam, bringing the memories of Central fish sauce, the strong aroma of Northern garlic and chili, the light taste of Southern rice vinegar… to Vietnamese meals abroad, to international food fairs or to the kitchens of foreigners who love Vietnamese food. The way Trung Thanh builds its brand is by quietly but responsibly accompanying Vietnamese culinary culture.
Trung Thanh also understands that integration does not mean dissolution. Instead of being industrialized and gradually losing its traditional soul to suit the popular taste, Trung Thanh is determined to maintain its own identity: spicy taste, moderate saltiness, natural color, authentic aroma... Even though exporting, the company still maintains its original spirit, as an affirmation: "Vietnamese culture can integrate, but not lose itself".
Not having the ambition to become a global corporation, not competing in million-dollar games, Trung Thanh quietly chooses a more sustainable mission. The difference lies not in scale, but in thinking; not in growth rate, but in the durability of identity.
According to the founder of Trung Thanh, the core point he aims for is how many Vietnamese people find their homeland in a jar of soy sauce, how many foreigners fall in love with Vietnam after just one taste of Trung Thanh fish sauce.
At the International Food Fair held in Japan in 2023, Trung Thanh was one of the brands representing Vietnam. The booth introducing the company's traditional fish sauce, ginger vinegar and chili sauce attracted great attention from Japanese, Korean and international chefs. Many overseas Vietnamese restaurants in Tokyo and Osaka after this event imported Trung Thanh spices to ensure standard Vietnamese flavors for diners.
In Australia, Trung Thanh is present in Asian supermarket chains and large Vietnamese restaurants such as Pho An (Sydney), Bun Bo Hue Saigon (Melbourne), thereby not only serving Vietnamese people but also contributing to promoting Vietnamese cuisine to the locals. They learn how to season with fish sauce or chili sauce properly - which is a big barrier due to differences in taste.
Another vivid example is the "Home Spices" campaign launched by Trung Thanh in late 2022, targeting overseas Vietnamese in the US and Canada. The brand not only sent hundreds of free samples, but also organized livestreams instructing how to cook authentic Vietnamese dishes with the participation of famous chefs and food bloggers. As a result, in just 3 months, the number of orders from the North American market increased by 160%.
Source: https://dantri.com.vn/kinh-doanh/trung-thanh-30-nam-can-man-phien-dich-cho-am-thuc-bang-ngon-ngu-gia-vi-20250617222328410.htm
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