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The Côn Của family storyOur family has lived in Côn Đảo for three generations. Côn Của started with one ice cream cart.
Côn Của is short for "của ngon Côn Đảo" (Côn Đảo's fine treats). This is the story of Giang, a child born on the island who went far away and came back to tell the story of her homeland through food.
When people mention Côn Đảo, they think of its people and its flavors
I'm Giang, born in 1996 and raised in Côn Đảo. Many people only know the island's name through visits to pay respects. I love that place, but I hope for something more.
"I want people, when they mention the name Côn Đảo, to think of its people, its flavors and its beautiful stories, not just the prison and the cemetery."
Côn Của was born from that wish. Every candy, every cup of ice cream is a little story about the island that you can take home.
I didn't go looking for products. I grew up inside them.
"On a small island, three generations means this sea, this fish market, this smell of caramelizing sugar were in my blood before I knew what to call them."
A family tied to the sea and the island
Giang's family has lived in Côn Đảo for about three generations and works in fishing. Since childhood Giang has been used to seeing fish and squid just landed, and can tell how fresh the catch is just by looking.
Studying and working far away
Giang left the island for Vũng Tàu to study in the physics specialized class at Lê Quý Đôn High School, then studied at the University of Economics and Law. After graduating she worked as a project development manager for a shopping mall, then went to invest in Lâm Đồng right during the Covid season.
Coming back with an ice cream cart
Giang came home to start a business with an Indian almond ice cream cart. In August 2025 she launched the channel "Em Giang Côn Đảo", sharing stories about food, places to visit and the weather on the island. In December 2025 the Côn Của brand was born: Indian almond ice cream and three lines of fruit candy with Indian almond.
Côn Của stand at the Night Market gate
Every evening the Côn Của stand is lit up at the Côn Đảo Night Market gate. Côn Của also makes one-day sun-dried seafood and takes ticket bookings and gives island travel advice. The candy travels everywhere with orders to the mainland.
Wanting to take on everything, until burnout
In her first year back on the island, Giang made products, sold them and handled tourism all at once. She didn't divide up any of the work. The goals were big, the energy was limited. There were nights sitting listening to the waves feeling empty.
Seafood was the same. The family is in the trade and her eye for the catch never fails, but doing the processing and managing new staff herself was more than she could handle. Some batches were still edible but didn't look up to standard, and Giang left them in the freezer.
"Better to throw away a batch that doesn't pass than let it reach a customer."
We don't make what's easy to sell. We make things with a story to tell.
Giang divided up the work, keeping for herself the most important part, quality standards and the story, and handing the hands-on work to people skilled at it.
- Candy: Giang's recipes and brand, made at a skilled workshop to the exact standards Giang has set.
- Seafood: bought directly at the boat, no reselling; processed to one standard with Giang.
- Ice cream: made on the island, sold at the cart, because ice cream is best eaten right away in the sea breeze.
Why nothing with Indian almond can be made carelessly
The Indian almond tree is a symbol of Côn Đảo: ancient trees standing against sun and wind, their leaves changing color with the seasons. Côn Của's treats begin with the very fruit that falls beneath those trees.
- The Indian almond treeA quiet, enduring symbol of Côn Đảo.
- The Indian almond fruitRipe fruit falls on its own, and locals gather it.
- Sun-dryingDried under plenty of sun until the fruit is dry.
- Cracked by handEach fruit is chopped open by hand with a knife; a whole morning yields just a handful.
- Taking out the kernelA tiny kernel lies inside the hard shell.
- Roasted until crunchyThe soul of every Côn Của treat.
"One kilo of Indian almond kernels is a full day's work chopping fruit one by one."
Buy from islanders, with the peace of mind of buying from family
Not happy? Exchange or refund
If you're not happy with your order, message Côn Của for an exchange or a refund. No difficult questions.
Real ingredients
The candy has no preservatives, no flavorings and no white sugar, as declared by Côn Của.
Real people on the island
Come to Côn Đảo and stop by the Côn Của stand at the night market gate to meet us. Leave your contact in advance to get a free Indian almond ice cream code.