Captivate young consumers by adding Vietnamese agro-products to Italian Gelato

At the launching ceremony of his GoGelato brand on Kinh Duong Vuong Street, Mr. Kao Sieu Luc, General Director of A Chau Bakery said that he had a strong passion for Vietnamese agricultural products. "I came from an agricultural family, so I appreciate farmers' hard work put into fruit cultivation. I believe I can understand their thoughts and passion for the job".

Mr. Kao Sieu Luc and his associates have been conducting research as his company grew to incorporate agricultural and fruit products into his brand. His efforts have supported Vietnamese farmers, increasing the value of their agricultural products by highlighting their unique characteristics.

According to Mr. Kao Sieu Luc, Vietnam has a diverse range of delicious agricultural products for each season. He believes that each business must invest extensively in deep processing technology to promote the value of Vietnamese agricultural products. Subsequently, new goods made from Vietnamese agricultural products will be well received by markets around the world.

Based on his analysis of branding and market trends, Mr. Kao Sieu Luc launched a GoGelato store aimed at consumers who are young and ready to buy good products. The store, located in the heart of Ho Chi Minh city, features an array of Italian-styled products including Gelato, pizza, and coffee among many others.

Giving a comment on his decision of adding Vietnamese agricultural products to Italian Gelato, Mr. Kao Sieu Luc explained that Gelato is different from ice cream in that it has low-fat content and a soft texture that melts in your mouth. Therefore, it is necessary to measure the amount of sugar present in each fruit when mixing different types of agricultural products in order to have a precise formula. Mr. Kao Sieu Luc aims to retain the unique flavor of Vietnamese agricultural products in his Italian Gelato.

"Italian people only use the aroma of mangoes to produce their Gelato. However, Hoa Loc sand mangoes are very delectable so they are utilized fully to create standard Italian Gelato with Vietnamese flavor.

"The coconut we include in our Gelato has a high-fat content, so it requires skills to harmonize the taste of coconut with Italian Gelato. On the other hand, coconut is primarily liquid whereas Gelato is completely waterless. Our Coconut Gelato recipe combines four different types of coconut milk, one of which I made from the juice of dried coconut. It can be quite challenging to boil the Gelato under 100 degrees Celsius when cooking coconut milk," said Mr. Kao Sieu Luc.

Ms. Vu Kim Hanh, President of the Association of High Quality Vietnamese Products, highly regarded Mr. Kao Sieu Luc's ingenuity in using Vietnamese agricultural products as ingredients for his GeGolato products which helps to increase the value of Vietnamese agricultural products as well as Italian Gelato.

"GoGelato has creatively combined the famous Italian Gelato with Vietnam's diverse selection of tropical fruits. Although Gelato ice cream is a product of Italian techniques and styles, they are now more suitable to Vietnamese consumers' taste. Mr. Kao Sieu Luc has targeted the younger generation who are willing to spend more money, so attracting young consumers by combining Vietnamese fruits and Italian Gelato is a wise choice," said Ms. Hanh.

According to Ms. Vu Kim Hanh, it is important to invest in deep processing technology as well as increase the agricultural products' shelf life when promoting Vietnam's raw export. 

Ms. Hanh assessed that the number of businesses engaged in processing agricultural products is still limited. Deep processing and promoting raw export through the increase of storage time to ensure the quality of agricultural products requires businesses to be technologically aware and capable.

Mr. Kao Sieu Luc has researched over 18 different varieties of Italian Gelato using Vietnamese agricultural products such as avocado, durian, coconut, and Hoa Loc mango as well as several imported fruits to serve the domestic market and export oriented.