When folks ask why Duy and I started Vân Vân, I usually give an elevator pitch because who would want to hear about my very long-winded journey. Vân Vân isn’t a lightbulb idea that happens overnight. It’s a culmination of many things that has taken place over many years.
This article on @eater by @natbelkov captures the story behind our brand beautifully. I didn’t know how hard it would be to build a CPG brand before this (now I know 😂), but it’s been a fulfilling and rewarding experience. It allows us to meet so many wonderful farmers and to listen to their stories. And it’s incredibly exciting to introduce our terroir-driven ingredients to more people.
The full article is linked in our bio. Thank you Nat for listening to me talk. And thank you Phoebe of @bebep.babykitchen for your day one support ❤️.
In the spirit of APAHM month, I want to share the story of how Vân Vân got started ☺️. It’s been a challenging journey to research, source, test, and finally launch this little business. Squeezing everything in a 90-second reel is also not easy 🥲. There are many other things going on behind the scenes, but I hope this presents our Vân Vân story. Grateful for all the support and opportunities along the way. And thank you for tuning in as always ❤️.
Also a special shoutout to all the small business owners out there. Not only you have a business to run but you also have to make content for social media 🙂↕️. It’s not easy.
@vanvan.etcetera asked me to try their Sparrow Ginger, and the fragrance hit me immediately. Floral, sweet, and warmly lingering in the best way.
I paired it with chicken and rice, a comfort meal at my house. Chicken and rice varies by region, but at home we blend the western and southeastern coastal styles, creating a version unique to my family.
What really impressed me about Vân Vân isn’t just the spice. Their branding, packaging, and attention to detail feel intentional and elevated. Even more, they work closely with Vietnamese farmer, sourcing single-origin herbs from distinct regions, preserving quality, and letting culture, land, and stories shine through.
Chicken & Rice
Chicken
1 lb chicken thigh
1 tbsp turmeric oil
1 tbsp seasoned salt
Rice
1 cup rice
1 tbsp turmeric oil
1 tbsp ginger
1 scallion
1 tbsp garlic confit
Sauce
2 tbsp ginger
2 tbsp scallion
6 garlic cloves
2 chili
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp MSG
½ cup neutral oil
Some sourcing snippets from our camera rolls 📸. Our trips have taken us to some of the most remote areas in Vietnam. Grateful that we get to be there ❤️.
A year of STATE, a story of friendship, and a table full of Vietnamese flavors.
When Tu first connected with Thao of @vanvan.etcetera , it was over Instagram and a shared love of Vietnamese food. In July 2022, he invited her to the Berkshires for a pop-up at Tourist — her very first cooking gig after recovering from brain surgery just months before. That day was the beginning of something bigger: a lasting friendship, ongoing collaboration, and the joy of bringing VanVan’s single-origin herbs and spices from Vietnam to our community here.
Now two years later, VanVan has grown into a brand celebrated in Vogue and New York Magazine for their small-batch, handcrafted mooncakes and terroir-driven ingredients. STATE is proud to have been one of their first stockists and to still share their work with you today!
This Saturday, join us for Vietnamese Brunch at STATE as we also celebrate our first year of cooking, gathering, and sharing meals together. We’ll be serving dishes inspired by tradition and friendship — and in honor of Mid-Autumn Festival, we’ll have very limited VanVan mooncakes available to enjoy here or take home✨
#berkshires #newenglandfood #eatfresh #farmtotable #vietnamesefood #eatwithlove #gatheratthetable #smallbusinesssupportingsmallbusiness
NEW ON THE SHELVES 🌶🧄✨ Say hello to Vân Vân — our newest addition to the shop! This immigrant owned, woman-led brand is bringing the bold, terroir driven flavors of Vietnam straight to your pantry. 🇻🇳
From Northern Mountain Garlic 🏔 to Coastal Purple Shallots 🌊 and fiery Heaven Facing Chili 🔥, each ingredient is sourced from small farmers with care. Stock up on Vân Vân at Dép in Brooklyn!
Every product we carry has a story behind it. The Palmyra Sugar is no exception! Earlier this year, we visited An Giang for the first time and learned more about this iconic sweetener of Southern Vietnam. Despite spending all of my childhood summers in miền Tây, this region has opened my eyes to so many new things. From the food to the culture and people, it was quite an experience.
I wrote a whole blog post about this on our website if you’d like to have a longer read. But for Instagram, this is the condensed version. More than a pantry item, Palmyra Sugar takes deep roots in the history and development of Khmer-Vietnamese communities in An Giang. Producing a batch of palm sugar is no simple task. It is a dangerous and labor-intensive process that yields little financial reward. Young artisans are discouraged from keeping this craft alive and have often opted for better opportunities elsewhere.
By sourcing directly from Khmer-Vietnamese producers, we aim to create a more stable market, enabling them to remain in their communities and thrive in traditional crafts.
We’re so thrilled to introduce the latest Vân Vân’s launch: Palmyra Sugar 🌴, sourced directly from Khmer artisans in Tri Tôn, An Giang. Better yet, our birthday sale is on! Get everything 20% off with code HAPPY2.
Palm sugar or đường thốt nốt has long been an important ingredient in southern Vietnamese desserts and cooking. But more than just food, it is an essential piece of Khmer-Vietnamese culinary and cultural life. The craft of palm sugar takes deep roots in the history and development of Khmer communities. One that has been passed down over many generations.
Our Palmyra Sugar comes in dehydrated, granulated form for longer shelf life, versatility, and ease of use. Perfect for cooking, baking, and sweetening drinks. It is also 100% pure palm sugar with nectar hand harvested by Khmer artisans. The sugar has a delicate sweetness that is different from the solid palm sugar (those are typically mixed with cane sugar) found in the markets.
Palmyra Sugar is now available on GetVanVan.com. And don’t forget to apply code HAPPY2 to get 20% off 🥰.
Bún Thịt Nướng, or vermicelli with grilled meat, is a refreshing noodle dish that you didn’t know you need in this summer heat. It’s a well-loved for being easy to prepare, quick to finish and absolutely delicious. There are many versions featuring different types of proteins and toppings. This version of ours features grilled sliced pork belly topped with the incredibly fragrant fried bang bang onions, which can be done in 2 minutes time!
Video: @by.dust
how to make vietnamese sweet & sour catfish soup (canh chua ca) ◡̈
for shortcut, I used @vanvan.etcetera dehydrated garlic to make the fried garlic oil for extra flavor ◡̈
Some snapshots from our full service popup in collaboration with @diandi.nyc . It’s been awhile that we do a full menu like this, so it was great to run it again! 🥰
Mì Quảng is a dish near and dear to us. We’re glad to serve it in a restaurant setting and see folks slurping 😌. Running a popup has its challenges, so it means a lot to us when familiar faces stop by. It is indeed crazy that some of you have been following us for years despite our infrequent schedule and a lack of a physical space.
If you enjoyed our food, be sure to check out our other brand @vanvan.etcetera ! We use the aromatics that we source in every dish featured on the menu. Vân Vân was launched almost 2 years ago, informed by our experience cooking Vietnamese food in New York. We work directly with small farms, mostly family-owned and operated, throughout Vietnam. Vân Vân is not only about the spices but also about the people who grow them; so check out our sourcing stories at GetVanVan.com.
Thank you again to the team at Đi Ăn Đi for having us ❤️. We appreciate the support from chef @carolinehahm , @kimsm00th , and @tuanster808 along with the entire FOH & BOH teams.
Special shoutout to our friend Brandon Thai @bthai.t for the beautiful photos 🫂. Hire him for any and all of your photo needs.
The main dish of our upcoming popup at @diandi.nyc : mì Quảng! 🍜 Mì Quảng is a noodle dish from central region of Vietnam. It’s also one of our favorite dishes to eat in Đà Nẵng or to make at home. There are many variations of mì Quảng, but we personally love a rich, savory soup with a lot of roasted peanuts and Vân Vân’s Bang Bang Onion (củ nén). It will be served with a housemade central Viet-style chili sauce that highlights the bright fruity notes of Vân Vân’s Heaven Facing Chili 🌶️. A perfect summer dish that is both hearty, comforting yet easy to eat.
Serving this mì Quảng for tonight only at Đi Ăn Đi on July 22 & 23. Book your table via link in bio!
