By continuously creating quality products rich in Vietnamese authentic flavours, “3 Mien”, one of the brands owned by UNIBEN JSC, has achieved robust growth in the past 3 years and been maintaining its top position in the instant noodles market.

Rich in Vietnamese authentic flavours

Vietnamese cuisine is harmonised by the fine mix of spices that makes the food delicious & balancing; and therefore, spice is such a secret.

The cuisine uses many herbs, such as Asian basil, perilla, balm, marjoram, fennel, eryngium, lemongrass and many spices to forge the taste of the food, such as chillies, peppers, ginger, garlic, and lemon. However, the art of Vietnamese cuisine is the balance between ingredients - good dishes must not be overly spicy (i.e not too sweet, too salty, too sour, too hot or too greasy), said PhD Nguyen Nha, an culinary expert.

“For instance, to give a sour taste, we have a great number of options, like using fruits with acidic properties, such as tomatoes, pineapple, dracontomelon, tamarind, …. We also use fermented vegetables and tree leaves,” Nha said.

“A lot of efforts has gone into recreating the fine, delicate flavours of traditional Vietnamese cuisine, from selecting to highlighting the best features of rural dishes from different regions and communities across the country,” Nha said.

Climate, geographical features of the land and the long-standing process of seed selection have created distinct flavours of spices, such as Ly Son garlic, Da Nang basil or Phu Quoc pepper, said an R&D expert of UNIBEN JSC.

UNIBEN's 3 Mien noodle has been the most favourite brand of customers in Viet Nam. — Photo Uniben

A fine balance of different ingredients

Promoting the essence of Vietnamese cuisine authenticity and creating unique flavours for each product across regions have enabled the growth of 3 Mien and helped position its leading share in the Instant noodles market in Viet Nam rural.

The 3 Mien brand - including two products lines “3 Mien” and “3 Mien Gold” - , continues to grow and captured 27 per cent of market share despite the fact that the Instant noodles market in Viet Nam has seen drastic competition from foreign brands, as the latest report by Global market research company Kantar Worldpanel recorded.

“Thanks to the support of consumers, 3 Mien has seen two-digit growth rates in the past two years, though the Instant noodles market is barely growing, and in fact has been facing the stagnancy,” said Mr Nguyen Huy Hoang, Business Development Director of Kantar Worldpanel VietNam.

3 Mien has performed well in many factors comprehensively such as the Product quality, Marketing & Communication, Pricing, Distribution, Mr Huy Hoang said, adding, the company has continued to innovate more and more Vietnamese-authentic-taste-based products that accommodate consumers’ needs to diversify their palate choices.

“3 Mien has achieved a balance between the tastes of various spices mix and aroma of delicate herbs tailored to each flavour that generate a good and familiar appetite as hometown flavour,” said Ngoc Anh, a student of the Ha Noi University of Social Sciences and Humanities.

Besides domestic market, 3 Mien products of UNIBEN JSC have been exported to around 10 international markets, which require high Quality Standards Inspection and strict Food Health & Safety regulations. Along with Instant noodles, Uniben aims to introduce Instant “Pho” (Rice Noodle), the iconic Vietnamese dish, to more foreign markets to spread out the beauty of Vietnamese cuisine to international consumers, thus making a flag for Vietnamese cuisine across the world.