Japanese Grocery Terms Guide for Ho Chi Minh City: JA-VI Reference for App, Supermarket and Market Shopping

3 Routes to Get Japanese Ingredients in HCM

For those who have just arrived in HCM or want to organize their shopping options, let us first review the purchasing routes.

Note: This article and some images were created with AI assistance and reviewed by our editorial team before publication.

Route	Features	Language
Delivery app (Farmi, etc.)	Order from home, delivery in as fast as 1 hour	Japanese support available
Japanese supermarket (Aeon, etc.)	Wide selection, easy brand comparison	Mixed Japanese-Vietnamese labels
Local market (cho)	Fresh vegetables and seafood at low prices	Vietnamese only

Below is a summary of the terms needed for each situation.

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1. Delivery App Category Names (JA-VI Reference)

The Farmi App has a Japanese interface so no vocabulary is needed, but these terms are useful when using other Vietnamese-language apps or web searching.

日本語カテゴリ	ベトナム語表記	発音の目安
調味料・ソース	Gia vị, nước chấm	ジア・ビ、ヌック・チャム
米・麺・パスタ	Gạo, mì, pasta	ガオ、ミー
冷凍食品	Thực phẩm đông lạnh	トゥック・パム・ドン・ラン
冷蔵食品	Thực phẩm tươi sống / chilled	トゥック・パム・トゥオイ・ソン
野菜・果物	Rau củ quả	ラウ・クー・クア
肉・魚介	Thịt, hải sản	ティット、ハイ・サン
乳製品・卵	Sữa, trứng	スア、チュン
スナック・お菓子	Đồ ăn vặt, bánh kẹo	ドー・アン・バット、バン・ケオ
ベビー用品	Sản phẩm em bé	サン・パム・エム・ベー
飲料	Đồ uống	ドー・ウオン

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2. Display Terms at Japanese Supermarkets (JA-VI Reference)

Japanese supermarkets have mixed Japanese-Vietnamese labeling. Knowing these terms makes it easier to navigate the shelves.

Food State and Type

日本語	ベトナム語	補足
冷凍	Đông lạnh
冷蔵	Ướp lạnh / Lạnh
常温保存	Bảo quản nhiệt độ phòng
生（なま）	Tươi sống
乾燥	Khô	乾燥わかめ等
有機（ゆうき）	Hữu cơ	オーガニック
無添加	Không chất phụ gia
日本産	Xuất xứ Nhật Bản
輸入品	Hàng nhập khẩu

Dairy and Eggs

日本語	ベトナム語	発音の目安
牛乳	Sữa tươi	スア・トゥオイ
豆乳	Sữa đậu nành	スア・ダウ・ナン
ヨーグルト	Sữa chua	スア・チュア
チーズ	Phô mai	フォー・マイ
バター	Bơ	ボー
卵	Trứng	チュン
生クリーム	Kem tươi	ケム・トゥオイ

Frozen and Processed Foods

日本語	ベトナム語	補足
餃子（ぎょうざ）	Há cảo chiên / Gyoza	ハー・カオ・チン
枝豆	Đậu edamame đông lạnh	冷凍が主流
うどん（冷凍）	Mì udon đông lạnh
さつまいも（冷凍）	Khoai lang đông lạnh Nhật
豆腐	Đậu phụ Nhật / Tofu	ダウ・フー・ニャット

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3. Practical Phrases for Local Markets

Local markets operate in Vietnamese only. Knowing these phrases is helpful.

場面	ベトナム語フレーズ	発音の目安
日本産か確認する	Cái này nhập từ Nhật không?	カイ・ナイ・ニャップ・トゥ・ニャット・コン
今日入荷したか確認する	Hàng hôm nay về chưa?	ハン・ホム・ナイ・ベー・チュア
新鮮なものを選んでもらう	Cho tôi cái tươi nhất	チョー・トイ・カイ・トゥオイ・ニャット
値段を聞く	Bao nhiêu tiền?	バオ・ニエウ・ティエン
これをXつください	Cho tôi X cái này	チョー・トイ・エックス・カイ・ナイ
袋は不要です	Không cần túi	コン・カン・トゥイ

Ingredients Easy to Find at Markets

Some ingredients that "work for Japanese cooking" are available at HCM local markets.

和食での使い方	食材	市場でのベトナム語
薬味・炒め物	生姜	Gừng tươi（グン・トゥオイ）
みそ汁・煮物	大根	Củ cải trắng（クー・カイ・チャン）
和え物・スープ	れんこん	Ngó sen（ゴー・セン）
炒め物・鍋	えのき	Nấm kim châm（ナム・キム・チャム）
炒め物・和え物	豆腐	Đậu phụ（ダウ・フー）
薬味・鍋	長ネギ	Hành lá to（ハン・ラー・トー）

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Use Farmi App as Primary, Market as Supplement

The most common shopping pattern among Japanese residents in HCM is "regularly ordering Japanese brand seasonings and frozen items through the Farmi App, and supplementing with fresh vegetables and tofu from local markets."

On the Farmi App, search and ordering are completed entirely in Japanese, with delivery in as fast as 1 hour. For reliably obtaining Japanese seasonings and branded ingredients, the Farmi App is the smoothest option.

[TODO: confirm product URL for chilled/frozen category]

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q. Are all category names on the Farmi App in Japanese?

A. Yes, the Farmi App interface supports Japanese, with categories, product names, and descriptions available in Japanese. Searching is also done in Japanese.

Q. Are wasabi and hon-mirin sold at local markets?

A. Wasabi tubes, hon-mirin, and other uniquely Japanese seasonings are almost never available at local markets. We recommend purchasing at Japanese supermarkets or through the Farmi App. Some imported food specialty stores may also carry them.

Q. Can local market tofu be used in Japanese cooking?

A. Vietnamese tofu (dau phu) is soft and works for miso soup and hiya-yakko. However, it tends to have more moisture and breaks more easily than Japanese silken tofu. For atsuage or tofu steak, firm (momen) type is preferred, but Japanese-quality momen tofu is limited in Vietnam, so please check the Farmi App.

Q. Do I need to haggle when shopping at markets?

A. Wet markets often do not display prices, and lightly asking about prices is common. However, aggressive haggling is not culturally preferred. Simply asking "Bao nhieu tien?" (how much?) and if the price seems clearly high, saying "dat qua" (too expensive) gently is sufficient.

Q. Can I find Japanese unsweetened soy milk in HCM?

A. Japanese brand soy milk is available on the Farmi App and at Japanese supermarkets. Vietnamese soy milk (sua dau nanh) is widely available locally but usually sweetened. For unsweetened/unadjusted type, check Japanese brand products on the Farmi App.

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Summary

There are three routes to get Japanese ingredients in HCM: delivery apps, Japanese supermarkets, and local markets. Each requires different vocabulary, but keeping this article's reference list handy makes daily grocery shopping much smoother.

With the Farmi App, you can order Japanese ingredients without knowing Vietnamese. Please use it as the core of your daily grocery shopping.

"Home is Here" : even in Ho Chi Minh City, continue your Japanese dining table with confidence.

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Pending Japanese native review