The Cay Thi brand has successfully exported its second shipment of fresh porridge made out of ST25 rice to the United States.

Nguyen Thi Thu, general director of AK Food, said that the company shipped its first batch of Cay Thi rice porridge to the U.S. in November 2024, followed by a second shipment in December.

“Most companies announce their first shipment right away, but I wanted to wait until we were confident the product was well-received,” Thu explained.

She described the journey of using ST25 rice -- once crowned the world's best -- in rice porridge for global export as a significant challenge.

Cay Thi’s research and development team dedicated over 1,000 hours across three months to perfect a recipe that preserved the signature fragrance of ST25 rice while ensuring the porridge’s texture remained smooth and it was not overly clumpy or sticky.

“Opting for ST25 rice made our task more demanding, but we believe the pursuit of top quality is always worth the effort,” Thu added.

Cay Thi’s rice porridge exports to the U.S. include specialties like Nghe An eel porridge from north-central Vietnam, snakehead fish porridge from the Mekong Delta, and Da Lat vegetable porridge.

These dishes not only showcase Vietnam’s rich culinary traditions but also emphasize the unique identities of their respective regions.

The company’s porridge products gained official export approval after meeting the strict standards set by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and are projected to account for 25 percent of its gross revenue in 2025.

Cay Thi is planning to expand its export markets to Australia and Canada.

C&T Produce Wholesale, Cay Thi’s U.S. import partner, praised the company’s bold approach to a niche market.

“Porridge made out of ST25 rice is in high demand in the U.S. and Vietnamese consumers are familiar with the exceptional quality of ST25 rice," C&T president Dziem Chinh.

"They are thrilled to see it used in fresh porridge.”

Cay Thi rice porridge sells for US$2.5-3 per 240g bag -- significantly lower than similar imports from South Korea, which are priced between $3.5 and $4.5.

According to the director of a food export company in Ho Chi Minh City, the global recognition of ST25 rice, which was awarded the title of the world’s best rice in 2019 and 2023, has introduced Vietnamese rice directly to a broader consumer base.

Building on this success, ST25 is becoming a catalyst for Vietnamese agricultural products to penetrate demanding markets with items like porridge, fried rice, and rice cakes.

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