Where to buy cheese and jam

Hello everybody
When i come to Vn from Europe i always bring with me cheese. I like it too much both for consumption and cooking. But i can not bring a lot and the stock from Europe quickly runs out. Does anybody know a place in HCMC with reasonably good selection of cheeses [and jams]? Small vacuum packed pieces that can be found in CoopMart and similar local supermarkets for astronomic price i dont take into consideration. Long time ago Maximark in Cong Hoa had one entire cheese corner with a guy cutting pieces from cheese wheels but when Vinagroup overtook the center all that (and many more) disappeared. I was in Coopmart superstore, Emart (which is, I heard, anyway going to close) in d.2 but selection is poor.
Tks.
-@ruzuba1500

Try any megamart, e-mart, annam gourmet, nanam market, all have big deli/cheese selection.

Hello everybody
When i come to Vn from Europe i always bring with me cheese. I like it too much both for consumption and cooking. But i can not bring a lot and the stock from Europe quickly runs out. Does anybody know a place in HCMC with reasonably good selection of cheeses [and jams]? Small vacuum packed pieces that can be found in CoopMart and similar local supermarkets for astronomic price i dont take into consideration. Long time ago Maximark in Cong Hoa had one entire cheese corner with a guy cutting pieces from cheese wheels but when Vinagroup overtook the center all that (and many more) disappeared. I was in Coopmart superstore, Emart (which is, I heard, anyway going to close) in d.2 but selection is poor.
Tks.
-@ruzuba1500
Try any megamart, e-mart, annam gourmet, nanam market, all have big deli/cheese selection.
-@AndyHCMC

I definitely second the suggestion for an Annam Gourmet store, especially the one at:

6-18 Hai Bà Trưng

Phường Bến Nghé, Quận 1

HCMC

About a two city block walk from the Opera House/Caravelle Hotel area.

A crazy assortment of jams, jellies and nut butters.

They not only have a great deli counter where they can custom cut specific orders from cheeses in the case, but also a cooler with pre-cut & wrapped portions:

@ruzuba1500

Yes there is a very special shop in HCM who sell cheese.

They have different one. most famous Dutch cheese and Cheddar.

Price is good.

Dutch chesee I buy usual half round Gouda cheese. You have to ask for it.

52-54 Ham Nghi street,Ben Thanh ward, dist 1

Lan Chinh store

Make Jam by yourself, fruit cheap in Vietnam and easy to make.

Succes.  JOHN

thanks AndyHCMC

for suggestion. Although i have been in Emart in d.2 and selection was just so so. But other two places I will certainly visit.

well OceanBeach92107

this is what i call cheese counter, considering we are in Vn. But Vn or not, this is serious place. Tks for info and photos. I was looking for something like that since MaxiMark closed. I guess the prices are not very popular especially if the cheeses are coming from Europe, right? I presume at least some are produced in China under license which doesn't matter too much since the quality of (foreign) cheeses made in China improves rapidly. Important is we are not cheated by saying it is from Eu/Usa/Australia when it is China made.

Thanks JOHNVEP,

very valuable info, tks. More interesting shops emerging, hooray!

As for jams, you are right. At home I regularly cook 30-40 kg of jams depending on fruit quality and quantity. I pick them up by myself as "abandoned" fig, mulberry, cherry, even apricot trees are not difficult to find while blackberries, raspberries, blueberries and rose hips are found in the wild. The problem here is that fruits from temperate zones are poor quality and fetch exorbitant prices. 

On wish list: english [seville] orange and waldfrucht marmelade

Hi Ruzuba,

The shop I advice you is more for restaurants and hotels. The price is almost like european price. special for                1 kg or more.

They sell also to private people.

@JOHNVEP This is great info, thanks a lot!

Will definitely try once my stock from NL runs low

try Lazada or Shopee I make my own pizza and lasagne and I buy cheddar and mozzarella cheese from these places what I would pay in the supermarket for 250grms i can get 1kg for the same price. i normally buy the 2.5kg blocks of each.

JOHNVEP

Very interesting, tks for additional info. When buying cheese, especially in places where it is not readily available, i usually buy 1-2 kg so this shop is a must to visit.

cougarcar20

Good advise, tks. I myself found some cheeses on shopee.vn, mostly "mozzarella" in blocks but also other cheeses and you are right, the selection and prices are good. However, i am worried and doubtful about delivery. I am 100km from HCM, i dont know in which condition i would receive the cheese, regardless of packing with styrofoam and cold pads, considering the temperatures of 30+ C and delivery time of 3 days. Do you have experience with that?

[Btw, this is a great way to verify whether the cheese is cheese or "cheese"]. I already have experience in that sense as i lived in China where i regularly ordered cheese from one fabulous super supplied store in Beijing, but only during cold months. I lived in Jiangsu province and in Shanghai, about 1000 km distance, and the store, even using the fastest delivery, delivered a soup during summertime.

@ruzuba1500

well I have had no problem with the delivery or the packaging. The ones i have got from wrap it in plastic and the foil with ice packs, but I also live in hcmc not sure about you being so far away. maybe you should order a little quantity and see how that goes. best of luck

cougarcar20

Tks for yr update. Yes, in your case there is no need hesitate as order you can get I suppose the next day. It is also not a problem for suburbs, but i am not sure as soon as delivery time is more than 1 day. Yes, the best is to try with a small piece and see what will happen.

cougarcar20
Good advise, tks. I myself found some cheeses on shopee.vn, mostly "mozzarella" in blocks but also other cheeses and you are right, the selection and prices are good. However, i am worried and doubtful about delivery. I am 100km from HCM, i dont know in which condition i would receive the cheese, regardless of packing with styrofoam and cold pads, considering the temperatures of 30+ C and delivery time of 3 days. Do you have experience with that?
[Btw, this is a great way to verify whether the cheese is cheese or "cheese"]. I already have experience in that sense as i lived in China where i regularly ordered cheese from one fabulous super supplied store in Beijing, but only during cold months. I lived in Jiangsu province and in Shanghai, about 1000 km distance, and the store, even using the fastest delivery, delivered a soup during summertime.
-@ruzuba1500

Hi,

you say 100km from HCMC there is a couple of easy options,, any of the tour buses pick up and drop off packages along their route so you could try getting one put on a bus and meeting at your local stop, or seeing it's only 100km have a monthly/fortnightly ride/trip there to get what you want its only 2.5hrs or so on a bike or maybe 3hr on a bus.

Did you mention where you live?

AndyHCMC

You are right, 100 km is 2,5 - 3 hours from HCM, depending on traffic. However, I am new to shopee.vn and i dont know what are shops' delivery option. I guess that they have contracted delivery companies so i dont know whether they are willing to send the parcel to the bus station. I cant say but i see it a bit complicated for a shop owner. I have long and good experience in China with Taobao, but the fashion of delivery was up to the shop, can just chose from regular, so-so fast, fast and superfast.

Anyway, will have to figure out something as internet shopping really makes life easier.

I am in Tay Ninh.

AndyHCMC
You are right, 100 km is 2,5 - 3 hours from HCM, depending on traffic. However, I am new to shopee.vn and i dont know what are shops' delivery option. I guess that they have contracted delivery companies so i dont know whether they are willing to send the parcel to the bus station. I cant say but i see it a bit complicated for a shop owner. I have long and good experience in China with Taobao, but the fashion of delivery was up to the shop, can just chose from regular, so-so fast, fast and superfast.
Anyway, will have to figure out something as internet shopping really makes life easier.
I am in Tay Ninh.
-@ruzuba1500

Jump on your bike or bus and do a shopping spree at least you can get it that day.

AndyHCMC
You are right, 100 km is 2,5 - 3 hours from HCM, depending on traffic. However, I am new to shopee.vn and i dont know what are shops' delivery option. I guess that they have contracted delivery companies so i dont know whether they are willing to send the parcel to the bus station. I cant say but i see it a bit complicated for a shop owner. I have long and good experience in China with Taobao, but the fashion of delivery was up to the shop, can just chose from regular, so-so fast, fast and superfast.
Anyway, will have to figure out something as internet shopping really makes life easier.
I am in Tay Ninh.
-@ruzuba1500
Jump on your bike or bus and do a shopping spree at least you can get it that day.
-@AndyHCMC

Check out 'Kashew Cheese Company' HCMC. They manufacture cheese from cashews grown in Viet Nam. Including smoked cheeses. Great stuff.

Knowing admin may not like this, but worth the effort:

*****

MAc

The name was enough google can do the rest

Mac68

Interesting stuff,  thanks for suggestion. Nice although slow web site, everything looks very appetizing. To be perfectly honest, cheese analogs, cheese -like products, vegetarian cheese are not my cup of tea, to say so. Real cheese, just few simple ingredients, that is what i am looking for.

From the other side, i am always ready to try new food and in that sense i ate snakes, rats, dogs, cats, frogs, silk worms, witchetty grubs, scorpions, cicadas and much more. Only thing i have problems with is raw sea food.

So will buy some products when I am in HCM.

Tks & all the best

@ruzaba

"Only thing i have problems with is raw sea food." put lime/lemon on it,, the acid cooks it

Raw fish + lime juice + 5 minutes = Ceviche!

Add sugar, fish sauce, wasabi, chilli lemon slices and you have thai style wasabi shrimp - delicious

AndyHCMC

Yeah haha, but that isn't raw fish. I lived 10 years in Italy, they have carpaccio, very similar to what you mentioned. Usually beef, or in southern italy tuna, thinly sliced, left to marinate ("cook") in lemon juice about 1 hour, and seasoned with local herbs. Raw fish prepared in this way i kind even like. But it is another story when it comes to real raw fish, like Korean sashimi (hoe) which is just caught, cleaned, cut to bite size pieces, shortly dipped in spicy fermented soy sauce (doenjang) and eaten. Or still moving small cuttlefish?

I've gotten to love raw salmon sashimi here in VN.

Prior to coming here I would only eat it cooked or smoked

OceanBeach92107

I have good opinion of salmon but only if well cooked and not with those strange sauces - cream, dill, garlic butter. Smoked salmon idem, but that isn't raw fish. Years ago the job took and kept me few months in Rotterdam, including in June, the month of raw herrings. In spite of my aversion to raw seafood I tried it as I try (to eat) everything. It wasn't that bad since it lays long time in brine and taste is more like salted fish filets. It isn't really raw. When it comes to rawness, nothing comes close to korean sashimi, ah.

Raw or not, fish is out, i vote for cheese!

OceanBeach92107
I have good opinion of salmon but only if well cooked and not with those strange sauces - cream, dill, garlic butter. Smoked salmon idem, but that isn't raw fish. Years ago the job took and kept me few months in Rotterdam, including in June, the month of raw herrings. In spite of my aversion to raw seafood I tried it as I try (to eat) everything. It wasn't that bad since it lays long time in brine and taste is more like salted fish filets. It isn't really raw. When it comes to rawness, nothing comes close to korean sashimi, ah.
Raw or not, fish is out, i vote for cheese!
-@ruzuba1500

Yeah I'm a big fan of pickled herring, brined first and then at least 3 days in a vinegar/wine

As Wikipedia describes:

Most cured herring uses a two-step curing process: it is first cured with salt to extract water; then the salt is removed and the herring is brined in a vinegar, salt, and sugar solution, often with peppercorn, bay leaves, raw onions, and so on. Additional flavourings include sherry, mustard and dill...

Some brands are distasteful to me, especially if the bite texture feels too raw/slimy.

I forget the name of the company, but one has the "wine snacks" which are perfectly al dente to my liking, as well as being pleasantly sweet.

Perfect with just the right cheese (keeping this on topic? 😉 )

OceanBeach92107

maybe the topic should be extended to raw fish, too?

that's interesting. Did you have herrings in the Netherlands?

And what do you mean by "brands". I guess can find herrings in supermarket, but at least my experience is they are pickled in 35-40 l barrels, cleaned in front of you and eaten immediately, without anything, at least where i have been to. I had them in a sort of pub, but there are also carts where can be bought from street vendors.  And than splashed with a pint or two of local beer. More north, the Amsterdam way is different as they cut the herring in bites and eaten with pickles & onion. To me that sounds better but i didnt try.

Going more to on topic, luckily in Rotterdam one can easily get indeed excellent cheeses like gouda type Old Rotterdam but besides legendary gouda and edam also super exquisite maasdam, leerdamer and limburger are everywhere which i am sure in Vietnam aren't available.   

OceanBeach92107
maybe the topic should be extended to raw fish, too?

that's interesting. Did you have herrings in the Netherlands?
And what do you mean by "brands". I guess can find herrings in supermarket, but at least my experience is they are pickled in 35-40 l barrels, cleaned in front of you and eaten immediately, without anything, at least where i have been to. I had them in a sort of pub, but there are also carts where can be bought from street vendors. And than splashed with a pint or two of local beer. More north, the Amsterdam way is different as they cut the herring in bites and eaten with pickles & onion. To me that sounds better but i didnt try.
Going more to on topic, luckily in Rotterdam one can easily get indeed excellent cheeses like gouda type Old Rotterdam but besides legendary gouda and edam also super exquisite maasdam, leerdamer and limburger are everywhere which i am sure in Vietnam aren't available. 
-@ruzuba1500

BY THE WAY, .............................Co-op has on sale for 47k a good size jar of (From Russia) tomato sauce, much more like tomato paste in consistency. If you can snag a few jars.

MAc

Mac68

yes, I saw that one. I thing we talk about one with "Kuban" in cyrillic, refereing not to Cuba but to region in south Russia. Few months ago I bought it, I wanted to use to cook "topping" for spaghetti (salsa napoletana) and eventually for pizza, but it has super strong industrial taste from artificial seasoning, preservers, taste enhancers and colouring. In my place, pasta and tomato sauce is very common dish prepared with specific sort of tomatoes, ok if canned, home grown basil and often home made olive oil so i am little too sensitive to industrial concoctions.

But if one has more liberal taste, this is acceptable option.