The journey of bringing Vietnamese chili to the international market

DNO - Chili peppers, once familiar in Vietnamese family meals, have now become a source of inspiration for many young people to start businesses, exporting products to demanding markets.

Vietnamese chili sauce products are introduced at international trade promotion events. Photo: NVCC

Application of deep processing technology

Born in the countryside of Dai Loc, having worked in shrimp farming for many years, in 2016, Mr. Nguyen Thanh Hien (currently CEO & FOUNDER of Chilica Fresh Chili Sauce) thought about a different direction for Vietnamese agricultural products. When the agricultural rescue movement took place vigorously, he realized that the biggest weakness was the processing industry.

"In many countries, 80% of agricultural products are deeply processed, only 20% are sold fresh. Meanwhile, in our country, technology is weak, processed products are often inferior to fresh products. This situation motivates me to do something different," said Mr. Hien.

He then searched for a product that had a unique flavor, was easy to prepare, and had a global reach. After much deliberation, he chose chili peppers, a popular spice that often suffers from "good harvests and low prices."

Mr. Nguyen Thanh Hien's chili sauce factory operates in a closed model from raw material input to finished product output. Photo: PHAN VINH

Not following the beaten path, he researched natural fermentation technology to preserve the original flavor of fresh chili. This technology does not cook, does not use flavoring or coloring, but the chili sauce still retains its original flavor, naturally spicy.

Mr. Hien boldly invested more than 50 billion VND to build a factory in Ho Chi Minh City and imported chili raw materials from Dong Thap, an area with geographical indications for chili plants. The production process is strict, from picking to processing in no more than 24 hours, through 16 washing and treatment stages to remove pesticide residues.

The result is jars of chili sauce fermented for many months, mixed with garlic and natural ingredients, creating a distinct product, well received by the market thanks to its rich flavor, bright color and stable quality.

Currently, Mr. Hien’s Chilica chili sauce products are exported to many demanding markets such as the US, Canada, Europe, Australia, Korea, the Middle East, Malaysia… with an output of about 20 tons per year. Mr. Hien plans to expand production to his hometown of Da Nang , which is convenient in terms of human resources and planning of raw material areas.

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My goal is to bring Vietnamese chili sauce to the world , to build a systematic agricultural processing industry, to help farmers feel secure in growing chili with stable output. When Vietnamese brands conquer the international market, the true value of agricultural products will be affirmed.

Mr. Nguyen Thanh Hien, CEO & FOUNDER of Chilica Fresh Chili Sauce

Cooperation opportunities with Korea

In Da Nang, besides large-scale investment enterprises, many farmers and rural women also choose chili plants to start their businesses, as a way to preserve and increase the value of their hometown agricultural products.

The story of Ms. Vo Thi Le (Go Noi commune) is a proof. Coming from a farming family, Ms. Le understands the situation of "good harvest, low price". Instead of continuing to sell fresh chili at unstable prices, she experimented with processing chili into chili sauce and satay to increase value.

"To develop, we must build a brand, invest properly, and the products must be clean and retain their natural flavor. From there, I persevered in learning preservation techniques, food safety procedures, and gradually standardized the products.

From the first batches of chili sauce, my products are now available in big cities and on supermarket shelves, contributing to affirming the sustainable value of my hometown's agricultural products," Ms. Le shared.

The Korean National Agricultural Cooperative Alliance and the Korean Chili Association visited the chili sauce production model of Dien Phong Commune Agricultural Cooperative. Photo: PHAN VINH

Ms. Le’s efforts, combined with deep processing enterprises, have opened up a new face for Vietnamese chili. No longer stuck with unstable prices, chili is put into the deep processing chain, aiming at the international market.

On September 17, 2025, the National Agricultural Cooperative Federation of Korea (NACF), consisting of 10 units, and the Korean Chili Association visited the chili sauce production model of Dien Phong Agricultural Cooperative (in Go Noi commune) of Ms. Vo Thi Le.

Here, Mr. Hong Seong Ju, Chairman of the Korean Chili Association, said that normally, Vietnamese chili is mainly consumed domestically. However, with favorable natural conditions, especially in the Go Noi area, chili plants grow well, with rich flavor, suitable for international tastes.

This is an important factor for the two countries to be able to develop the market together in the future. Currently, Korea is facing an aging population, the number of chili farming households is decreasing, leading to a large dependence on imports from Vietnam.

It is a challenge for Korean agriculture, but at the same time an opportunity to expand cooperation with Vietnamese farmers and businesses.

"We hope for increasingly close cooperation, not only in trade but also in food safety, environmental protection and quality improvement. When Vietnamese chili peppers meet international standards, they will certainly have a stronger position in the Korean market, where consumption demand is always very high," said Mr. Hong Seong Ju.

Source: https://baodanang.vn/hanh-trinh-dua-ot-viet-vuon-ra-thi-truong-quoc-te-3303119.html