In the daily life of Vietnamese people, many dishes are inherently associated with sidewalks, street food stalls or ordinary street vendors.
However, just stepping across the national border, those dishes can immediately "upgrade", bringing prices many times higher, even becoming luxury goods.
The most typical is Vietnamese bread. Domestically, a popular bread has a price ranging from about 15,000 - 35,000 VND, depending on the filling and region. This is a familiar fast food for students and workers.
However, in the US, Vietnamese bread is sold in famous chains such as Lee's Sandwiches for about 3 - 5.5 USD, equivalent to 80,000 - 150,000 VND per loaf.
For many international diners, Vietnamese banh mi is no longer a "popular" dish, but is considered a convenient and flavorful Asian specialty.
Pho is also a similar case. In Vietnam, a traditional bowl of pho is usually only about 30,000 - 50,000 VND. But in the US or Europe, the price of 12 - 15 USD for a bowl of pho is not uncommon, equivalent to about 315,000 - 390,000 VND.
Many Vietnamese tourists have shared the feeling of being "shocked" when having to spend a large amount of money to eat a dish that is familiar every day, while the flavor is not necessarily expected.
Not only dishes, seemingly ordinary ingredients can also become expensive goods when exported.
Banana leaves are a surprising example. In Vietnam, this is easy to find, even many places discard it after harvest. But when exported to Japan to serve the needs of food packages or decorations, the selling price on e-commerce platforms can be up to more than 500,000 VND per leaf.
Similarly, grilled coconut cake - a Quang Nam specialty - in the country is only about 15,000 - 18,000 VND per package.
When appearing on Korean e-commerce platforms such as Gmarket, the selling price can increase to about 44,000 VND. This difference comes from transportation costs, preservation, import tax and the "foreign goods" factor in the eyes of consumers.
Even iced milk coffee - a drink associated with the rhythm of Vietnamese sidewalk life - becomes more "luxurious" when it goes abroad.
A cup of coffee in Vietnam is only about 10,000 - 20,000 VND, but in major cities in the US or Europe, the price can range from 3 - 7 USD, equivalent to 80,000 - 180,000 VND.
The change in the value of dishes when "exported" abroad is not simply about ingredients. It is also a story about logistics costs, hygiene standards, raw material supply, labor and especially cultural factors.
A familiar dish to Vietnamese people can become a new and exploratory experience for international diners.
