# What should you buy at a Vietnamese wet market or supermarket, and what is worth carrying home?

> Vietnamese markets sell herbs and fish sauce the supermarkets cannot match. What to buy at each, what Tet looks like on the shelves, and what packs well.

- Source: https://clevertourists.com/resources/what-to-buy-at-a-grocery-store-in-vietnam
- Authors: Evan & Clara, Clever Tourists (first-hand, from years of travel across 20 countries)
- Published: 2025-12-06

Vietnamese shopping splits cleanly: the **wet market** (*cho*) for anything alive, green or ground fresh, and the **supermarket** (WinMart, Co.opmart, GO!) for packaged goods, air conditioning and a predictable price. The cuisine leans on a small set of strong ingredients — **fish sauce**, rice, herbs, chilli — so a short shopping list goes a long way.

## Fish sauce, and why the brand matters here

**Nuoc mam** is the backbone. Vietnamese fish sauce is generally lighter and sharper than the Thai style, and the first-press grades from Phu Quoc are the ones worth seeking out.

The label usually carries a nitrogen figure — a higher number means more protein and a stronger, better sauce.

**Mam tom** is fermented shrimp paste, much stronger, used in dips and in *bun dau*. Buy it sealed and double-bag it.

## The dry goods that travel best

**Rice paper** (*banh trang*) for fresh rolls, and **dried rice noodles** in the widths used for *pho* and *bun*. Both are light and unbreakable.

**Chilli sauce** — Chin-su and Cholimex are the two brands you will see — is sweet-hot and used as a dipping sauce rather than as a cooking ingredient.

**Coffee** is the real souvenir. Vietnamese coffee is dark-roasted, often with robusta, and brewed in a metal *phin* filter. Trung Nguyen is the widely stocked brand.

**Condensed milk** is not optional if you want to make *ca phe sua da* at home — the drink is coffee, condensed milk and ice, and nothing else.

**Cashews** are excellent value, and **dried mango** and **lotus seeds** are the snacks worth bringing back.

## Herbs are the thing supermarkets cannot do

A Vietnamese meal arrives with a plate of raw herbs: mint, coriander, Thai basil, perilla, fish mint, and sometimes banana flower. Supermarkets sell a sad subset. The market sells the whole plate for very little.

The same applies to **morning glory** (*rau muong*), **water spinach**, and the various leaves that go into *bun* and *goi cuon*.

Buy herbs in the morning. They are cut that morning and they wilt by evening.

## Tet reshapes the shelves entirely

In the weeks before **Tet**, the lunar new year, supermarkets fill with gift hampers, **candied fruit** (*mut*), watermelon seeds and **banh chung** or **banh tet** — sticky rice cakes with pork and mung bean, wrapped in leaves.

Prices for some goods rise and certain fresh items disappear as markets close for several days. Stock up before, not during.

After Tet, prices settle and the gift displays come down quickly.

## Practical notes

**Prices are quoted in thousands of dong** in speech. A spoken 20 means twenty thousand.

**Cash dominates**, especially at markets. Cards work in supermarkets, malls and convenience stores.

**Bargaining is expected at markets**, not in supermarkets. Markets also quote tourists differently, so ask more than one stall.

**Motorbike markets** — informal roadside stalls — are common and cheap, but do not buy pre-cut fruit that has been sitting in the sun.

## Frequently asked questions

### What is the best food souvenir to bring back from Vietnam?

Coffee, rice paper, dried rice noodles, chilli sauce and cashews. All are light, sealed and travel well, and they are meaningfully cheaper and better than the imported versions.

### Can you buy pho ingredients at a Vietnamese supermarket?

Yes. Dried rice noodles, star anise, cinnamon and fish sauce are all standard supermarket items. Fresh herbs are better from a market.

### What happens in Vietnamese supermarkets before Tet?

Shelves fill with gift hampers, candied fruit, watermelon seeds and leaf-wrapped sticky rice cakes, and some fresh items run short as markets close for the holiday.

### Is Vietnam a cash society?

Largely, yes. Cash is normal at markets and small shops, though cards are accepted in supermarkets, malls and convenience stores.