Today, Hang Duong street is much different, just a few houses keep the traditional job but when it comes to Hang Duong street, people think about salted or sugared dry fruits that make up a distinct beauty for Hanoi.Tien Thinh ô mai shop at number 21 Hang Duong street still remains their old house and simple ancient decoration. In a glass case, dozen of ô mai jars and Vietnamese traditional gifts such as tea, cakes, cassava flour, and green rice cakes are arranged.
There are a variety of ô mai such as: young dracontomelon fruits, ginger, apricot, five-star fruits, plum, etc. Customers in each area have their own favorite. Southern people like salted dracontomelon fruits, young dracontomelon fruits while northern people like salted ginger, salted apricot in cold days.
Main materials of ô mai are typical fruits such as: apricot, plum, tamarind, peach, mango, jackfruit, etc. To make color and flavor for each kind of salted and sugar dry fruits, every single ô mai shop has its own traditional recipes.
Nowadays, ô mai is no longer exclusive products on Hang Duong street, one can buy ô mai at any supermarket, market, or drinking shop in street corner or from street vendors with different backgrounds and origin. Quality issues of food safety and hygiene of ô mai is very difficult to control, but ô mai Hang Duong is still a reliable address because of prestige quality products giving customers an elegant cuisine imbued with Hanoi capital.
