Incorporating cassava into the cuisine to export

Cassava is a modest agricultural product that was historically employed to combat hunger. However, it has since become a significant national agricultural commodity utilized as a raw material in the culinary industry, processing industry, biofuel production, animal feed, and other applications. It is ranked third in export revenue, followed by maize and coffee. Vietnam is the world's second-largest cassava exporter, followed by Thailand.

Tan Nhien Co., Ltd (Hoa Thanh town, Tay Ninh province) is one of the successful cassava-based startup enterprises. Tan Nhien has developed and manufactured numerous rice paper products from cassava flour over nearly a decade, despite numerous setbacks. Numerous domestic distributors have requested the ultra-thin cassava rice paper, which does not necessitate soaking in water prior to consumption.

Dang Khanh Duy, the General Director of Tan Nhien Co., Ltd, established the objective of producing clean and secure food that meets international standards for domestic consumers from the very beginning. To produce high-quality, consistent, "clean from thought to product" products, the company invested in a factory containing five production lines that met ISO 22000 standards and was subsequently upgraded to FSSC 22000 standards. The factory employs the most modern, closed-loop technological processes free of food additives.

This has attracted many international clients to Tan Nhien Co., Ltd to purchase rice paper. The company's ultra-thin rice paper has been available in numerous markets since 2020, including China, South Korea, Taiwan, Japan, and the United States.

The company has recently been granted a protection certificate in Japan, which has created additional development opportunities in this meticulous market.

Dang Duy Khanh stated that the company has been transforming to continue the production of new value-added products from the leaves to the roots of cassava, creating jobs for local laborers, and contributing to the consumption of cassava in the province to develop sustainably and achieve the Net Zero goal by 2050, as committed by the government.

In the same vein, Mai Tuan Anh, CEO of Cusami Kitchen, expressed his aspiration to spread the culinary delights of his birthplace, Cu Chi (Ho Chi Minh City), to individuals domestically and internationally by beginning with cassava. He has researched and developed delectable, convenient, and nutritious dishes for individuals with metabolic disorders, diabetes, and obesity. These dishes include frozen cassava pizza, cassava dumplings, and cassava cake with beef filling.

"Traditional cakes are a favorite among Vietnamese expatriates; however, we must maintain high standards to export them." Tuan Anh stated, "We are currently refining our products, and we anticipate that we will soon be able to export frozen cassava cakes with meat filling to the United States." He further stated that the objective is to export to more demanding markets. Cusami Kitchen will construct a farm to cultivate USDA organic standard cassava and create additional cassava-based products to ensure that Vietnamese individuals worldwide can experience dishes made from Vietnamese agricultural products. This initiative will enable the company to be more proactive in its approach to the procurement of raw materials.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development issued a decision on April 17, 2024, that approved the project "Sustainable Development of the Cassava Industry by 2030, Vision to 2050." The objective is for the export turnover of cassava and cassava products to achieve 1.8 to 2 billion USD by 2030. The vision for 2050 is for the export turnover of cassava and cassava products to reach approximately 2.3 to 2.5 billion USD.