Heat-dissipating code: Chinese goods disguised as Vietnamese specialties, defrauding people of 1-3 times the profit

Genuine Chinese goods

At 4am, arriving at Long Bien wholesale market (Hanoi) - the peak time when small traders flock to the market to "buy goods" - it is not difficult to see areas where trucks are parked or stalls filled with sacks of cassava tubers surrounded by traders waiting for their turn to get their goods.

People who take a lot take 2-4 bags, people who take less take 20-30kg,... then load them onto a cart and go. The buying and selling scene is bustling and fast, because the small traders only indicate the quantity, the owner will weigh and calculate the price, instead of having to sit and choose because each tuber is shiny black, plump, 10 tubes are all the same, there is no need to bargain for high or low price.

Posing as a person who goes to buy and sell horse chestnuts, the reporter was told by a contact named Ban who specializes in buying and selling horse chestnuts on the streets of Ba Trieu, Hue, Hang Bai, etc. that today she plans to buy 50kg because yesterday she bought 30kg and loaded it onto a motorbike and sold it all by the afternoon.

When the reporter wanted to buy the Vietnamese teacher's code to sell, Ms. Ban immediately said: "Where can I find the Vietnamese teacher's code? Most of the products on the market now are Chinese. Vietnamese teacher's code is very rare."

Having said that, Ms. Ban said that our country's cassava roots are small and a bit thin, and if you peel off the black outer layer, there won't be much flesh left. Meanwhile, the Chinese cassava roots are plump and big. Most importantly, the wholesale price of the Chinese cassava roots at the market is only 13,000-15,000 VND/kg depending on the day. At this price, the profit will be high.

This is the season so the price of Ma Thay is cheap and the products are also good. When brought to the market for sale, people often buy them because the weather is starting to get hot in the summer. Therefore, cool fruits like Ma Thay are often bought to eat to cool down, Ms. Ban said.

Similarly, on social networks, Chinese teacher codes are also being sold in abundance in any quantity.

Ms. Duong, a wholesaler of Chinese ma thay in Lao Cai, said that the price of ma thay depends on whether the customer buys a little or a lot. If the customer buys less than 50kg, the wholesale price is 16,000 VND/kg, if the customer buys by the ton, the price will be only 15,000 VND/kg.

According to Ms. Duong, because it is the season in China, the quantity of goods is quite abundant. However, customers who buy a lot often have to report the quantity before 7 am so that the goods can arrive on time, after that time they will have to wait until the next day.

“This type of tuber is very popular with small street vendors. Because they can buy it at a cheap wholesale price, they bring it back and advertise it as a Vietnamese specialty at a price 3-4 times higher than the original price,” Ms. Duong revealed.

Out of the wholesale market to become a Vietnamese specialty

Having just taken the monk's code from Long Bien market, brought it under the bridge, and divided it equally with another woman, loaded it onto two carts and pushed it to sell on the street, when someone stopped by on a motorbike to ask to buy it, Ms. Ban quickly greeted: "This is the monk's code from Huong pagoda, it's in season to eat, it's very cool and sweet. Buy it, I'll start selling at 45,000 VND/kg for good luck and easy selling, later I'll sell it at 50,000 VND/kg".

On the streets, in the traditional markets, on Nguyen Xien and Giai Phong streets,... it is not difficult to see motorbikes or street vendors selling votive papers. However, absolutely no one sells Chinese goods, all advertise them as votive papers from Huong Pagoda or votive papers from Lang Son.

The price of the tuber is also sold at 40,000-50,000 VND/kg depending on the place. The price of peeled tuber is usually up to 60,000-80,000 VND/kg.

Ms. Vu Thi Lien in Kim Giang (Thanh Xuan, Hanoi) has just picked 2kg of big, round tubers of Ma Thay at the market near her house. She boasted: "This tuber is a Vietnamese specialty, both cool and nutritious, priced at only 50,000 VND/kg, and can be used to make many attractive dishes."

Ms. Lien said that this root has a completely black outer skin, but the inside is pure white. It tastes cool like jicama, but much sweeter and more fragrant. Buy it, peel it, eat it raw, or if you like, make soup or sweet soup, all are delicious.

Like Ms. Lien, Ms. Pham Thi Chi in Giang Van Minh (Ba Dinh, Hanoi) said that because she believes that this specialty is grown a lot in our country, she buys it almost every week when it is in season.

“Few people know that the code is all Chinese. Because only traders admit to each other about the real origin, but when they go to the retail market, they are all Vietnamese goods,” said Mr. Duong - a wholesaler of Chinese code.