For many years, Mrs. Lường Thị Yên, from Tâu 2 village, Thanh Nưa commune, has stayed faithful to her routine of going to the market early in the morning to handpick ingredients for each batch of her signature kitchen-smoked meat. Her meticulous care in every step is the secret behind the trust her customers place in her products. According to her experience, to produce quality dried meat, one must select lean cuts with little fat such as tenderloin, round, or shoulder. The meat must be naturally light pink in color, free from unusual odors, firm to the touch, and slightly dry on the surface.

The biggest difficulty she now faces is price competition. To produce 1kg of dried buffalo meat requires 2.5-2.7kg of fresh meat, costing over VND 600,000 in raw ingredients alone, not including spices, labor, and the 24-36 hours of wood-fire drying. Yet, some outlets are selling dried buffalo meat for as low as VND 400,000/kg. Similarly, producing 1kg of dried pork already costs more than VND 350,000 in raw materials, while the market price in some places is only VND 280,000/kg.

“This makes it very difficult for those of us doing honest work,” Mrs. Yên shared. “Good fresh meat is hard to find, every step of the process takes effort. The cost is high, so the price must also be high. But now people can buy dried meat for half the price of ours.”

The concerns of traditional producers have deepened after authorities in Phú Thọ province uncovered and prosecuted a case where over 1,000 tons of frozen meat, much of it of unknown origin, lacking documentation, and some even spoiled, was processed into about 400 tons of dried meat, packaged under the label “Highland Specialty”. Such fraud not only deceives consumers but also severely undermines the livelihoods of genuine producers in Điện Biên and across the Northwest.

Ms. Đèo Thị Thoai, owner of the OCOP-certified dried buffalo brand Kim Thoai, shared: “Over the past week, sales have dropped sharply. For the last three or four days, I haven’t sold even a single kilo. Customers are hesitant, afraid of poor quality. Even though my products are certified, the market is now flooded with real and fake, and it’s very confusing.”

According to the Sub-department of Rural Development and Cooperative Economy under the provincial Department of Agriculture and Environment, among 138 OCOP products in Điện Biên, 27 belong to the dried meat and sausage group, showing the province’s clear potential and strength in developing these specialties. To safeguard quality, provincial authorities periodically take samples, inspect production processes, and check hygiene and food safety conditions. Results consistently confirm that Điện Biên’s OCOP-certified dried meat and sausage products meet safety and quality standards.

Yet, despite official assurances, traditional dried meat producers continue to struggle in a complex market. Protecting Điện Biên’s specialty brand requires not only oversight from authorities, but also discernment from consumers. Choosing safe products with clear origin, not cheap, dubious ones, is not only a way to protect health, but also an act of respect and support for preserving the province’s culinary heritage and sustaining its reputation.