Greenie Scoop Gelato by Ly Huy Sang – the Ultimate Aspiration
Inherited his father’s talent, fastidiousness and patience, Ly Huy Sang – the first son of Minh Long Company’s founder Ly Ngoc Minh, is also a perfectionist who does not hesitate to push people to their limits.
His meticulousness and seriousness in setting ultimate goals himself result in accuracy in every production stage. For those who once worked with him, “reaching the peak of perfection also becomes a norm”.
Passion is the name of the game
40 years ago, every time his father returned home from a business trip, he would ask for nothing but ice cream, as gifts. “And every time, what we got is just a large box of melted ice cream, but that seemed to be the best thing we’d ever tasted in the world”, he recalled.
Even when studied abroad, his all-time favourite was still the “frozen sweet treat”, which made him knock on the door of all famous ice cream shops and gelateria in more than 40 countries across the globe. He slept on the idea of bringing these cold snacks home.
After returning to Vietnam, he kept trying new ice cream flavours at any newly opened shops. “I was craving ice cream all the time, but it turned out not so easy to find the right one here. I still could not have enough”, said he. Growing disappointment drove him to building his own brand. Then, all started with small gelato-makers brought from Italy. During weekends, he began making DIY gelato in his spare time.
Who would have known the vice general director of Minh Long Company and boss to well over 3,000 staff could run his family business efficiently while still searched tirelessly for unique gelato recipes?
Happiness glowed in his eyes when his loved ones enjoyed the products. The gelato was so good they encouraged him to sell it. That is how Greenie Scoop by Ly Huy Sang was born.
As the eldest child of a successful family where the father put foundation stones for Vietnam’s porcelain industry, Sang possesses solid determination to realize his dream. Strive only for the best, otherwise quit – he told himself.
That statement becomes the core philosophy of his new brand – Greenie Scoop, the bestest gelato. In Vietnam it is really difficult to find a true player who is able to spend a 10-digit sum of money in this field.
That so-called humble amount spent on years of chasing his childhood dream have raked up tens of billions dong. Taking the whole seven years, rejecting hundreds of suppliers, spending more than half a million US dollars, discarding countless batches, drafting hundreds of recipes, and so on, are proof of a well-played game that no ordinary player can afford to lose.
It took seven years for the testing phase to finalize, and before he was confident to bring his products to market.
For him, profitability is not a crucial factor of “a game”. If asked how far it is to break-even point, he grinned and replied, “Have you ever heard any player has concerns over loss or gain?”
“They were once fertilized with my failed batches of gelato”, said he pointing at the trees in his home garden.
Greenie Scoop styled ice cream
There are various styles of ice cream in the world. Sorbet is known for its freshness made of frozen fruit and sugar; while gelato contains more milk, sugar and fruit, bearing a creamy texture and natural, romantic taste.
Inspired by the Italian gelato and his childhood’s ice pops, plus a bit of Japanese tenderness, Greenie Scoop by Ly Huy Sang is a combination of different styles at their finest.
For him, food hygiene is priority. As a result, the gelato production has to follow one ultimate rule: clean ingredients and sterile machinery.
The seven-year-old factory worth up to thousands of US dollars looks spotless. So clean that it seems to visitors that the place just opened yesterday. The olive green floor is wholly imported from Germany because of its easy-to-clean and dust-resistant features.
The factory’s regulation reads clear procedures of washing hand, frequently changing apron, sterilizing boots, etc., which prevents germs from entering the machines.
Transparent. He chose a glass-walled factory design for visitors to eye-witness all production stages and stay assured of his product quality and hygiene.
Unlike other young businessmen of his generation who are keen on fancy sport cars and luxurious utilities, Ly Huy Sang focuses on researching new gelato-making technologies. In his factory presents the most trusted brands of the industry ranging from Bravo, Ironox, Metter Toledo, etc.
For him, tasty gelato must be made from the freshest fruit, which is why Greenie Scoop is selective when it comes to choosing suppliers. He agrees to pay as twice as market price to get the freshly-picked, juicy coconuts for his recipe. Also, in order to make the fragrant, buttery and creamy durian gelato, which is one of Greenie Scoop best-selling, Sang instructs his staff to buy the fruit only from Lai Thieu garden owners who provide the old kind of durian; at the same time, signs contracts with qualified gardens that “let them ripen naturally”.
Gelato is a sensational dessert. Any minor mistake and lack of ingredients might cause degradation in its flavours.
He invested another big sum in the factory’s water filtration system as well.
It is not difficult to find top-quality labels from countries with developed food industries in this factory’s storage.
Companies that pass the quality test to become Greenie Scoop’s partners are those who are frequent suppliers for 5-star hotel chains and have already been globally acclaimed.
For example, it took him and his team months to search for and evaluate the right sugar supplier.
“Do not think sugar is simply a kind of sweetener. In our opinion, one is different from the others, which make up drastic changes in one single flavor”, said he.
This dedicated player patiently analyzed and chose among different corn and cane sugar brands, then concluded which kind is able to produce light sweetness for Greenie Scoop recipes.
The same selection process applies on vanilla, if not requires more attention. Unsatisfied with currently available vanilla extracts in the market, he flew to Singapore to purchase a carton of vanilla beans, which ensure natural aroma and appealing flavour for his recipe.
Despite his role as an industrialist or a food specialist, Ly Huy Sang takes every chance to learn about ice cream “anywhere, anytime”. He does his own research over nutrition profiles of each ingredient such as sugar, milk, fat, and so on, from which he produces a unique collection of recipes. With such efforts, he now proudly calls himself “the wizard of Greenie Scoop”.
Like other businessmen, hardly does he talk about personal achievements except a few to express his observation, “It is my greatest pleasure and honor to see people enjoy and have their happy moments with friends at Greenie Scoop”.
“Our products bring a feel of North Pole to casual, fun hangouts”, said he.
His rigorous control and demanding attitude towards the product quality in the past seven years have pushed Greenie Scoop in producing the best of its kind, which “can satisfy the sternest food critics”. Be it a three Michelin-star chef like Eckart Witzigmann or other members of the Golden Spoon Awards judge panel, they are all surprised at the talent and dedication of the heir of Minh Long Company.
His success today results from multiple trips and adventures to several countries famous for their ice cream. It is undeniably the upshot of the love for food and the joy of sharing it.
Greenie Scoop – gelato that is not for those in a rush
Basic criteria for a good scoop of gelato comprise sweetness, creaminess and melting pace.
Unlike some brands, Greenie Scoop says no to yeast which causes foamy texture.
He advised, “Do not eat ice cream with just your eyes and ears. Do not listen to what people say, look for yourself and taste with your own tongue”.
He will not interrupt the original flavour with abundant topping ingredients as seen in other brands. He is confident that his gelato can please even picky customers.
It takes a few seconds for a spoonful of Greenie Scoop gelato to melt completely and embrace your taste buds with an explosion of fruity flavour, before giving your throat a cool feel. It is recommended to eat the first spoon slowly. Then, let the icy cold and creaminess cuddle your tongue tip and fruity aroma permeate into your nose. The gentle sugary taste plus the softness of pure gelato will have all of your senses awakened, releasing comfortable and enjoyable feelings.
Ice cream but not ice cream? The scoop may look like any ordinary gelato, yet it bears real fruit flakes, which brings the entire experience to a whole new level in each chewy, icy fun bite.
Greenie Scoop gelato can not be either served or eaten in a cacophonous setting.
It is a connoisseur’s guilty pleasure to take it slow, feeling the mind and heart behind this extraordinary dessert.
Not only do lovely scoops of fresh gelato have the power to rewind good memories of one’s playful, happy childhood, but also ease daily tension and become a great source of leisure.
Excellent gelato even connects people, as Ly Huy Sang shared, "Once you have opportunities to meet and eat it together, that is the happiness that you have to hold and make sure to enjoy until its very last bit. What is more fun than to share this comfort food with your loved ones?”.
We are not living to eat as much as we want, not to mention having ice cream is an art.
There will come the day Vietnam is not only famous for pho, cha gio (fried spring roll), banh cuon (rice noodle roll), etc. but Greenie Scoop, a proudly made-in-Vietnam gelato thanks to its dedicated creator. Greenie Scoop is not simply a brand; it is an ingenious blend of tropical produce and Vietnamese exotic flavours.
If Minh Long Company is Mr. Ly Ngoc Minh’s outstanding brainchild, Greenie Scoop is, on the other hand, the Ly’s bright, energetic grandchild.
Following his father’s footstep, Ly Huy Sang, along with Greenie Scoop, is rekindling the hope for healthy and tasty gelato, just like what Minh Long is doing to Vietnam’s porcelain industry. They both ensure only top-quality products that pass safety regulations are introduced to the public.
By Hồng Tâm
(Source: alobacsi.com)
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