Tràng Tiền ice cream came into being in 1958 after peace returned to Việt Nam in 1954 from the first Indochinese. It was a landmark for local people because since that time they had only ever had the availability of expensive ice cream, recalled Hanoian Nguyễn Thị Đào, 75.

The ice cream is not simply loved by people but it’s also a unique symbol closely connected to the collective memory of Hanoians, she said.

Worth it: Adults and children wait in line for their turn to buy the ice creams.

“I will never forget the flavours of Tràng Tiền ice cream such as cốm (green rice flakes), đậu xanh (green bean), and sữa dừa (coconut juice and  milk). They helped to create a trade mark that is alive until now,” she said, noting that its not only enjoyed by her, but also by children, workers, State employees and the elderly.

Despite things having changed over the years – 35 Tràng Tiền is now surrounded by shops selling ice cream from the US, Italy and other countries – the way to buy a Tràng Tiền ice cream is still unchanged: people stand in line as they did in the subsidised economic periods, Đào recalled.

Compared with the past, Tràng Tiền now sells various varieties of ice cream, but Đào said she likes cinnamon ice cream cones, and the coconut and milk ice cream. The sweet flavour of the ice cream mixed with the crisp of the cone is an excellent combination, she said.

Brain breeze: Fresh Tràng Tiền ice cream sells very well in summer.

“I often have a passionate feeling that is hard to describe when I eat it,” said Đào, adding that compared with other ice creams, the affordable prices of the Tràng Tiền one – between VNĐ7,000 and 8,000 each – lure masses of people, including foreign visitors.

One of the producers for Tràng Tiền ice cream, Lê Thanh Hòa, said her company uses traditional materials with charming favours such as cốm from Vòng Village on the outskirts of the ccity, pure green bean powder, condensed milk from Vinamilk and imported ingredients such as cocoa powder and milk powder from New Zealand.

“By applying handicraft production without using preservatives, our products are always tasty because they are fresh, with characteristic flavours. It is the secret keeps our product selling well, even in the winter,” Hòa said.

Sweet tooth: Ice cream cones are among the most delicious on offer.

Hồ Hồng Lam, 35, from Hồ Chí Minh City, said he travels to Hà Nội on business twice a year, and despite being very busy, he always tries to visit 35 Tràng Tiền to enjoy an ice cream there.

“In the past I asked my father why it carried the name Tràng Tiền, my father said the ice cream was produced on the street of the same name in downtown Hà Nội. I still remember when I first enjoyed an ice lolly there more than 30 years ago. It bewitched me with its fragrant cooling of my tongue as I licked it bit by bit with an aim to prolong my craving and interest."

“In the past, my parents were very poor so they only brought us to Tràng Tiền a few times a year to buy us such ice creams, nowadays my cousin’s children can eat them as much as possible,” said Lam.

He noted that the ice cream here is not only tasty and fragrant but still ensures food hygiene with an affordable price.

“I like waiting in the line for an ice lolly,” said Lam. — VNS