Xí mà đây, xí mà nóng đây — this street cry was once one of the most familiar sounds in the alleys of old Hoi An. Black sesame, tapioca starch, sugar, and mint water are simmered into a warm, silky sweet soup, a dish that traces back to the Chinese community that settled in Hoi An in the 17th century. Today, the second generation of the Ngô Thiều family carries on the recipe, still using water from Hoi An's ancient Bá Lễ well.
Seventy years of memory carried on a shoulder pole
Multiple local heritage and travel outlets, including Mia.vn, Hội An Creative City, and Review Hội An, consistently record that Ngô Thiều (born 1915) walked the streets carrying his wares on a shoulder pole, calling out xí mà đây, xí mà nóng đây for over 70 years — a sound that remains a vivid memory for old-generation Hoi An residents.
Honest clarification: the street-cry tradition has shifted to a fixed stall over time
It's worth being clear that the original tradition of walking the streets with a shoulder pole has, over time, largely given way to fixed stalls or shopfronts — what you find in the old town's alleys today is unlikely to be an actual street vendor with a pole. These reports come from local heritage and travel media rather than official certification, but the narrative of seventy years of family tradition is consistent across multiple independent sources, giving it moderately high confidence.
Where to Find It
- It's now mostly served from fixed stalls or shopfronts — don't expect to stumble on an actual street vendor with a shoulder pole.
- Best enjoyed hot; the tapioca starch's texture changes once it cools.
- There's more than one dessert stall in the old town's alleys — treat this as a casual stop while strolling.
Don't Expect the Original "Shoulder Pole" Scene
- The story of seventy-plus years walking the streets with a shoulder pole is consistently recorded across multiple local heritage sources, giving it moderately high confidence.
- But this tradition has largely shifted to fixed stalls or shopfronts over time, so the experience today differs from what's recorded in the historical accounts.
- These reports come from local heritage and travel media rather than official certification, but the consistency across independent sources makes them worth taking seriously.
The street cry may no longer be heard, but that warm bowl of black sesame sweet soup still carries on a fading alleyway memory through its recipe.