Cover Van Van spices, a brand bringing dried Vietnamese seasonings to the US (photo: Van Van)
Van Van spices, a brand bringing dried Vietnamese seasonings to the US (photo: Van Van)
1 / 1
With Van Van, the essence of our homeland is reimagined through inventive spice blends
“From childhood through to adulthood, we noticed something: whenever our grandmothers or mothers stepped into the kitchen, they always began with garlic and shallots. Then came the other elements, each added to suit the dish. To me, these five spices are the heart of Vietnamese cuisine—the starting point in every Vietnamese kitchen,” shares Chef Thao. And so, Van Van came to life.
Sixteen years living and working in the United States taught Thao countless lessons, but it was a health scare in early 2022 that truly shifted her perspective. The experience left her with a renewed sense of purpose. As she recovered, a desire to create something meaningful took root. It was during this period that she and Duy hosted their first culinary pop-ups—small, soulful gatherings that quickly caught the attention of the local community. Yet something was missing: the spices lacked the depth and richness she remembered from home. That realisation sparked a new ambition.
“It was at that moment that Van Van first took shape. I wanted to build a brand rooted in the quality of Vietnamese agriculture.” Where others might see challenges, Thao and Duy saw promise. Van Van began modestly, with little more than a spark of inspiration and the earliest supplier connections, often smallholder farmers in Vietnam.
Maybe you want to know: What is it about Vietnamese food that has the whole world hooked?
Above Spices are a powerful thread, binding together culinary memories within each of us. Photo from Van Van’s journey to uncover local sources (photo: Van Van)
Spices are a powerful thread, binding together culinary memories within each of us. Photo from Van Van’s journey to uncover local sources (photo: Van Van)
1 / 1
Van Van may have only launched in August 2023, but it has already made its way into nearly 50 stores across the United States. It caters not just to Vietnamese families seeking the familiar comfort of home-cooked flavours, but also to adventurous food lovers—and, notably, to travellers hoping to relive the tastes they discovered in Vietnam.
Hello Thao, your journey is incredibly moving. What inspired you to centre Van Van around those first five spices—garlic, ginger, shallots, lemongrass and chilli?
We’ve always noticed that garlic and shallots are where every home-cooked meal began for our mothers and grandmothers. For us, these five are the soul of our cooking tradition. When we thought about the first line of products for Van Van, we wanted to honour the flavours people instinctively reach for when preparing Vietnamese dishes. At the same time, since these spices are cherished across many cultures, they seemed the perfect starting point for a brand aiming to travel beyond borders.
Read more: A romantic encounter with “Golden Forest, Silver Sea” appetisers by chef Sam Tran
Above These sourcing journeys are about more than finding the finest raw materials. They’re also a way for Van Van to reconnect with the roots of its homeland (photo: Van Van)
These sourcing journeys are about more than finding the finest raw materials. They’re also a way for Van Van to reconnect with the roots of its homeland (photo: Van Van)
1 / 1
Are there different processing requirements for each spice? How do you ensure their quality remains intact when exporting to the US?
My first and foremost requirement for our partners is that the ingredients must be grown in Vietnam. Sourcing Vietnamese garlic has become increasingly difficult, yet it remains central to our identity, a non-negotiable element. This is one reason why Van Van’s products sit at a slightly higher price point.
Each ingredient has its own needs when it comes to processing and preservation. For instance, shallots are prone to mould in Vietnam’s hot, humid climate, so they require careful handling and strict quality control before we even begin production. With garlic, large-scale processing can sometimes affect its colour, so we often need to rework the batch to maintain our standards. The quality of raw ingredients also shifts depending on the harvest season, which adds another layer of complexity.
Wetting and then re-drying ingredients seems like an unusual method. How did you discover these techniques?
Van Van’s products don’t need to be soaked before cooking. They’re incredibly versatile—you can toast and grind them into powders, mix them into syrups or teas, or gently heat them in oil to let the flavours bloom, mimicking the way fresh spices release their aroma. I picked up this technique while living abroad, where dried spices are often the only option due to the scarcity of fresh ones.
I usually recommend the wet method to customers, though, as many instinctively toss dried spices straight into hot oil, a habit that can cause them to burn almost instantly. This approach is something I learned during my years living and working overseas.
My goal is to shape Van Van into a modern brand that remains deeply and authentically Vietnamese.
Above Shallots, a newly launched spice at Van Van (photo: Amanda Pham)
Shallots, a newly launched spice at Van Van (photo: Amanda Pham)
1 / 1
Van Van doesn’t just provide instructions. It shares recipes, stories, and reflections. Beneath the content strategy, is there something more you’re trying to express?
Van Van isn’t solely about spices. It also delves into cultural and culinary narratives that are often overlooked in mainstream media. When most people think of Vietnam, what comes to mind is often war, pho, or banh mi.
But there’s so much more.
Vietnam may be a small country, but it is richly diverse. Through Van Van, I hope our audience gains a more layered and personal understanding of our culture. I want people to see where the ingredients come from, how Vietnamese families use them day-to-day, and how these elements can find a place in their own lives. My ambition is to develop Van Van into a modern brand that is unmistakably Vietnamese, where the design and visual language reflect our cultural roots, yet feel relevant and contemporary.
Discover: The Northwest—a land still brimming with allure for culinary explorers
How has your desire to connect with your homeland evolved since starting Van Van?
There was a time when I thought I knew Vietnam well, simply because I was born and raised there. But that assumption didn’t hold. There’s still so much I’ve yet to uncover. Through the journey of building Van Van, Duy and I have learned countless new things, fascinating snippets of history, culinary traditions, cultural details we hadn’t been taught before.
It turns out, sometimes you have to go far away to truly understand where you come from. The places I visit aren’t luxury resorts or popular tourist stops. They’re rural communities, where I meet local people, learn how they live, how they farm, and the challenges they face. And I feel fortunate, genuinely grateful, for those moments of connection.
Top Shallots in Quang Ngai (photo: Van Van),
Bottom Pepper in Binh Thuan (photo: Van Van)
Where do you feel Vietnamese cuisine stands in the hearts of the Vietnamese diaspora in America and among the international friends you've met?
As someone living far from home, I’m always yearning for the flavours I grew up with. I know many fellow Vietnamese feel the same. Here in the US, locals have grown fond of Vietnamese cuisine too. It’s no longer just about pho or banh mi. People are discovering a wider range of dishes. I’ve seen Vietnamese food becoming increasingly well-loved across the country in recent years.
Van Van doesn’t just create products, it occasionally hosts culinary events with an artistic twist. Where did that idea originate?
Our website remains Van Van’s main distribution channel, but I often host intimate events focused on food and cooking as a way of introducing the brand to new audiences. These gatherings offer a chance to share our products in a more engaging, personal setting, giving guests the opportunity to sample them firsthand.
What do you enjoy most about these experiences?
Many participants tell me they come away from the events having learned something new about Vietnamese food and about Van Van. That’s incredibly rewarding. My aim with every class or event is to offer a fresh perspective on Vietnamese cuisine, and to help people feel confident enough to try it in their own kitchens.
Above Everyone has their own way of preserving the flavours of home (photo: Van Van)
Everyone has their own way of preserving the flavours of home (photo: Van Van)
1 / 1
What are your thoughts on the trend of young Vietnamese creatives reimagining cuisine in the US?
There’s a remarkable energy among the younger generation, paired with a range of fresh, diverse perspectives. While we all share a common cultural heritage and culinary roots, the way each person expresses that through food can be quite different. I grew up in Vietnam but have spent 16 years living in the US, so my outlook will naturally differ from someone who’s just arrived, or from Vietnamese Americans raised in a multicultural setting. This variety makes the reinterpretation of Vietnamese dishes so vibrant and exciting.
Where do you tend to go when you crave the flavours of home?
Mostly, I cook Vietnamese food myself. It’s something I continue through our pop-up, Ăn Xoi, and also because I love experimenting with new dishes. But on the days when I want a break, I head out. One of my favourites is Mam, a cosy little restaurant in New York’s Chinatown.
Sometimes, it takes distance to truly see the depth of where we come from.
