Lying on the region where the equator crosses, Vietnam inherits all of the attributes that a tropical climate has. Thus, there is a variety of fruits changing from the North to the South that would make you feel curious enough to explore them. Let’s follow this post to learn more about all the kinds of Vietnam fruit and where to find the best ones!
1. Avocado – Bơ
Avocado is one of the fruits containing many beneficial vitamins, nutrients as well as fiber for humans. Currently, there are the top 7 types of Avocados grown in the highlands of Middle Vietnam. They include Shepard Avocado, 034 Avocado, Four Seasons Avocado, Booth Avocado, Hass Avocado, Reed Avocado, and Fuerte Avocado.
Where Avocado Trees Grow Well in Vietnam?
Avocado fruit highly requires conditions of soil and climate to be suitable for growth. At the moment, Avocado is commonly grown in Vietnam’s central highlands and has high economic efficiency. Typical avocado growing areas include Dalat, areas of Duc Trong, Don Duong, and Bao Loc, Di Linh region, and especially Daklak, the capital of avocado in Vietnam.
Depending on the types of avocados, avocado price per kg for a normal one could be about VND 15,000 – 30,000. Moreover, a seasonal branded one may be priced at VND 50,000 – 80,000.
2. Banana – Chuối
The Banana fruit in Vietnam is very diverse with precious varieties such as Chuối Tiêu, Chuối Tây, Chuối Bom, Chuối Ngự, and the most well-known Chuối Ngự Đại Hoàng in Nam Dinh, which used to be a specialty for the King to use. Vietnamese banana varieties are not only rich in size and flavor, but also have very different uses. Among those, the highest grade is still the Chuối Ngự, the kind of banana that is thin, golden, and fragrant. Nevertheless, the planting area and yield are not high. In contrast, Chuối Tiêu and Chuối Gòng have a larger yield. Even the taste is not as delicious as Chuối Ngự, the quality is improving day by day.
Some central and southern provinces have quite large banana planting areas including Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Khanh Hoa, Dong Nai, Soc Trang, Ca Mau with areas from 3,000 ha to nearly 8,000 ha. Meanwhile, the northern provinces have the largest banana planting areas such as Hai Phong, Nam Dinh, and Phu Tho with less than 3,000 ha.
Prices for Banana is significantly varied depending on the kinds and the units. Places sell it in piece, bunch, or kg. Most Banana prices are acceptable that you can easily choose one to buy.
3. Bell Fruit – Mận
Bell Fruit or Rose Apple is the name that refers to a kind of indigenous tree of India. It is a favorite food for people of all ages because of the freshness and little sour sweetness it brings.
In Vietnam, “Mận” is the name that is used to call 2 kinds of different fruits. One is Mận Hà Nội, which is plum, and Mận, which refers to bell fruit or rose apple. Both of them are juicy and lip-smacking but I think bell fruit is much better.
Price range: VND 30,000 – 50,000 per kg.
4. Coconut – Dừa
Vietnamese Coconut has many types. If divided by its usage, there are 3 main groups:
- The fresh coconut for drinking.
- Group of coconuts for taking oil or making candies.
- The special coconut group has high economic value.
Presently, Vietnam’s coconut area is about 175,000 ha in total, which mainly concentrates in the Central Coast provinces and the Mekong Delta. Particularly, the Mekong Delta accounts for nearly 80% of the country’s coconut area with about 130,000 ha. Provinces with large coconut planting areas are Ben Tre with over 72,000 ha, Tra Vinh with nearly 20,000 ha, Tien Giang, and Vinh Long. From that, now you know where you should come for the best coconut in Vietnam.
Mostly you will see the coconuts for drinking in places. Coconut prices are depending on types that vary from VND 10,000 to VND 20,000.
5. Custard Apple – Na or Mãng Cầu
Have you ever known the phrase “the heart of the ox” which refers to a kind of healthy fruit? Yes, it is talking about Custard Apple.
In fact, there is a big difference between the pronunciation of custard apple in Vietnamese. In the North, people usually call it “Quả Na” while Southern people are familiar with the name of “Mãng Cầu Ta” to distinguish from Mãng Cầu Xiêm, which is Soursop.
Where to Buy Custard Apple in Vietnam?
About the taste, Custard Apple has a flavor of mangosteen but sweeter and melting in your mouth. To enjoy a good custard fruit, I recommend you to pick Vung Tau Custard Apple because of the tenderness and fewer seeds it has.
The price range of Custard Apple is VND 50,000 – 70,000 per kg.
6. Dragon Fruit – Thanh Long
If you ever visit Bình Thuận province, you might see dragon fruit fields along 2 sides of the road. Actually, Dragon Fruit in Vietnam is not only a nutritious fruit that is good for health but also the core farm-tree of many provinces of Vietnam such as Bình Thuận, Tiền Giang, Long An.
About the types of Dragon Fruit, if there are 4 ones in over the world, Vietnam owns 2 of them: the red skin with white flesh, which is the most common type, and red skin with red flesh. Furthermore, have you known that Vietnam is one of the main suppliers of the Dragon Fruit with red skin white flesh to the world!
In my view, Dragon Fruit is suitable for anyone of all ages since it has mild sweetness, a little bit of sourness, and juicy inside. On top of that, Dragon Fruit with red flesh is more attractive and used in many dishes to catch eaters’ eyes.
Dragon Fruit’s price range is VND 20,000 – 25,000 per kg.
7. Durian – Sầu Riêng
You may have heard the name of this fruit, I think? Yes, Durian is considered the representative of tropical fruits in the world. And Vietnam is also on the list!
By having a delicate mix of various flavors, from the mild sweetness like honey, richness as butter to the smell of pungency, Durian is absolutely one of the must-try Vietnam fruits you should try on your trip to the country.
As I said, Vietnam is a perfect region for growing Durian. Evenly, there are many kinds of Durian with different flavors such as Sầu Riêng Cái Mơn, Sầu Riêng Ri 6, Sầu Riêng Chuồng Bò, etc. You can find many of them in Tien Giang and Ben Tre provinces. Nevertheless, Vietnamese people are likely to love Ri 6 durian because of its attributes like the thick, stunning yellow of meat, dwindling seed, and unique smell.
Price range: VND 60,000 – 80,000 per kg.
8. Grape – Nho
In Ninh Thuan, the lush vineyards along the sea have long held their own brand of this sunny and windy land. Thanks to the arid area that is suitable for growing grapes, Ninh Thuan’s famous specialty grapes are much better than the others in Vietnam. Therefore, Ninh Thuan grapes are considered a famous and rare specialty in the arid area. This grape’s capital each year provides a huge yield of grapes to the market. So, if you have an opportunity to visit Ninh Thuan, you should also try the feeling of enjoying sweet and sour grapes right on the branch.
Are Grapes Good for You?
Ninh Thuan grapes have a sweet but slightly sour taste, thin skin, and seeds. There are many different varieties, but two of the most famous are red and green grapes. As one of the Vietnam fruits with nutritional value, they contain many essential nutrients for the body such as easy-to-absorb glucose and fructose, vitamins, and minerals that increase the body’s resistance. Definitely, Ninh Thuan grapes should be on your list of must-try Vietnam fruit.
Grape’s price is about VND 50,000 per kg.
9. Guava – Ổi
Guava is one of the most popular fruits today providing a plentiful amount of nutrients, low in fat, high in fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Evenly, Guava fruit provides more Vitamin C than oranges. So, many people love to make guava juice to replace orange juice in their daily drink.
In Vietnam, guava is grown in many localities. Notwithstanding, the northern part of the country is home to the largest concentration of guava growing areas. In Vietnam, there are types of guava include Ổi Găng, Ổi Đài Loan, Ổi Đông Dư, Ổi Xá Lị Không Hạt, Ổi Ruột Đỏ, and Ổi Nữ Hoàng.
The minimum Guava price per kg is starting at VND 25,000 depending on the type.
10. Jackfruit – Mít
Jackfruit is a popular Vietnam fruit that can be found anywhere from the North to the South. In fact, Jackfruit is easy to grow. Yet, its flavor changes depending on the soil and climatic conditions in which it lives.
The size of the jackfruit is relatively large compared to other fruits. Its skin is covered in durian-like spines but the meat is divided into small, yellow pods. Besides that, the seeds inside each pod can be roasted or boiled and made a delicious snack while the jackfruit flesh is the main edible part.
Jackfruit price per kg for a good one is roughly VND 33,000. You can buy the peeled one, without seeds, for about VND 170,000 per kg depending on the types of Jackfruit.
11. Longan – Nhãn
From my research about Longan, I learned that this plant is a native plant of tropical Asia and China. This means that you could only find it in countries that have a tropical climate.
Like Rambutan or Lychee, Longan is a kind of plant that provides its fruits gleaming flesh. Verily, its flesh is fresh, highly sugary, and a little bit chewy. In the past, this fruit was used to be only served for King and the aristocracy.
Nowadays, Longan is common with every Vietnamese. The best season to enjoy this fruit is from July to August. Also, there are many types of Longan you can look for in Vietnam such as Nhãn Quế, which originates in Huế, Nhãn Lồng Hưng Yên, or Nhãn Xuồng. Above all, Nhãn Xuồng is the best among them since it has a lot of flesh, super sweet in taste.
Finding the Best Longan’s Origins?
There are places that you can come and check out:
- Hưng Yên province has Hung Yen Longan, or Nhãn Lồng Hưng Yên.
- Huế city has Que Longan, or Nhãn Quế.
- Vũng Tàu city has Xuong Longan, or Nhãn Xuồng.
Price range: VND 40,000 – 50,000 per kg.
12. Lychee – Vải
Another tropical native I want to share is Lychee fruit. Lychee is one of the favorite fruits of Vietnamese of all ages. Like Longan, Lychee has sweet, juicy flesh when tasted. The only difference between them is Lychee tastes a lit bit sour while Longan doesn’t have. Especially, in the summertime when it’s Lychee season, the fruit has the best value than in other months.
Because Lychee is a tropical tree native, it is cultivated and distributed in Asian countries, mainly in China and the Southeast Asian region.
In Vietnam, we also have special types of lychee and it becomes a specialty of a province. It is called Vải Thiều, or Thieu Lychee in English. The word “Thiều” refers to the flesh of lychee with many attributes such as stunning red skin, thick & with flesh, and tiny seeds. Thieu Lychee is mainly grown in Hải Dương province.
Fresh as Lychee in Its Uses
Like other Vietnamese fruits, Lychee can be eaten in lots of ways. Instead of eating directly, you can taste Lychee in dried status. Some people love to make lychee ice cream in the summer. Or else, you can have yourself a lychee black tea, lychee oolong tea, or lychee green tea with canned lychee fruits. Believe it or not, this kind of tea is significantly “hot” with Vietnamese young people these days. If you travel to Ho Chi Minh City, many of the beautiful coffee shops in the city have these drinks on their menus.
The price of Lychee is about VND 40,000 – 60,000 per kg.
13. Mango – Xoài
Mango fruit seems to be the common fruit with everybody. This fruit originated in India and soon spread to Southeast Asia. In Vietnam, Mango is a famous fruit for everyone. It’s not only the rich nutrition it brings to our health, but also the meaning of its name to the Vietnamese spirit life.
Because the name “Xoài” sounds quite similar to “Xài”, which means spending, Vietnamese people use mango as one of the 5 special fruits, including Cầu – Dừa – Đủ – Xoài – Sung, offering to their ancestors when Tet coming.
In Vietnam, Which Mango is the Best?
Generally, mango trees are cultivated throughout Vietnam and having different tastes. However, the “king” of Vietnam mango that people always talk about is Hoa Loc Mango. Indeed, Mango that comes from Hoa Hung commune, Tien Giang province has a lot of fans because of its fleshy, aromatic meat, light yellow, and bright smell when it is ripe.
Price range: VND 50,000 – 60,000 per kg.
14. Mandarin Orange – Quýt Hồng
Like an orange, but in a mini size, Mandarin Orange is the next name on the list. Though Mandarin Orange has its name that sounds quite “Chinese”, it originated from Thailand, which is a popular, highly-productive fruit plant of the country.
Honestly, I don’t know when Mandarin Orange was grown in Vietnam but up until now, it becomes one of Vietnamese’ favorite fruits for desserts. Indeed, with the size is just bigger than that of lime, Mandarin Orange flesh is so sweet and has a mild good smell, fits for everyone, especially with children.
Price range: VND 30,000 – 45,000 per kg.
15. Mangosteen – Măng Cụt
One of the unique and interesting fruits I really want to talk about is Mangosteen. Yes, it’s my favorite fruit too. Surprisingly, Mangosteen’s birthplace is in Southeast Asian countries.
In Vietnam, Mangosteen fruit also gets the crown. Nonetheless, this kind of fruit only appears at the start of May and ends in July. The best time to enjoy Mangosteen is June when its flavor is sweetest. If you want to buy some at its origins, Lái Thiêu or Bình Dương city should be your destinations.
Price range: VND 45,000 – 50,000 per kg.
16. Melon, or Honeydew – Dưa Lưới, Dưa Gang
Thanks to the development of agritech, Vietnam is now able to list its name to the countries that produce Melon fruit, or Honeydew, in the world. In addition, the melon farms are allocating across the country, with more areas are focusing in the south. If you want to buy Melon directly from the farms, you can find some at Binh Thuan province, Tay Ninh province, or Cu Chi district in Ho Chi Minh City. Honestly, as melon is one of my favorite fruits, I really want to have a farm to enjoy all of the melon types that I grow myself.
Yes, there are many types of melon for different levels of sweetness and crunchy. On top of that, they are all of high-quality to cope with high demands within the country and even in the world.
Melon fruit’s price is starting at about VND 45,000 – 60,000 per fruit. Some of Japanese origin is even much more expensive.
17. Orange – Cam
If you’re familiar with the color of orange that refers to Orange fruit, Vietnamese Orange will change your mind since there is one with green skin, instead of orange, lol.
Cam Sành, which is King Orange, and Cam Xòan, aka King Mandarin Orange, are the most popular types of oranges in Vietnam. The best time to enjoy them is in summer when the weather gets hot. The difference between the two types of orange fruit is that Cam Xoàn is sweeter and can be eaten right after a cut. By contrast, Cam Sành tastes sourer and needs squeezing and adding sugar before enjoying.
As Orange is a great resource of Vitamin C and some minerals, a lot of Vietnamese people love drinking iced orange juice to cope with the hot weather. Hence, you can find orange juice at almost the places from the cafés, restaurants, or even on the streets. In truth, when traveling around Vietnam, you may see the orange-juice vendors on the street with their particular tools to get the juice easily.
Price range: VND 15,000 – 35,000 per kg.
18. Peach – Đào
Unlike western countries where peach is quite easy to grow. Vietnamese Peach is the kind of fruit that just appears in the North of Vietnam.
The first time I’ve tried this fruit was when I visited my cousin’s house in Hanoi. At the very first bite, Peach gives me the feeling of crunch, followed by the sour and sweet scent. Wow, it really tastes great!
Price range: VND 20,000 – 30,000 per kg.
19. Pineapple – Dứa, Thơm, or Khóm
Pineapples in Vietnam are classified into three main groups:
- Queen Pineapple – Its flesh is dark yellow with a characteristic aroma, sweet in taste. This is the group of pineapples with the highest quality that are commonly grown in Vietnam.
- Cayenne Pineapple – Although this kind of pineapple isn’t high quality, it is grown a lot for processing because this kind is large in size. As a result, it’s easy to mechanize, giving economic efficiency. Based on the characteristics of Cayenne Pineapple, this is the most suitable for industrial productions such as canned food, pineapple juice, and pineapple syrup.
- Spanish Pineapple – When ripe, the skin of the fruit is dark red with deep eye-holes. The flesh is sunny yellow, has a sour taste, and contains fiber. This kind of pineapple is considered to have lower quality than the others.
In Vietnam, Where Pineapples Come From?
Pineapples are grown throughout from North to South, of which 90% of the area is concentrated in the South. Provinces with large pineapple planting areas include Tien Giang, Kien Giang, Hau Giang, Long An, Thanh Hoa, Ninh Binh, etc.
You can buy Pineapple at around VND 25,000 – 30,000 per kg.
20. Pomelo – Bưởi
If you have a chance to visit Ben Tre province, you may see this kind of Vietnam fruit. Pomelo is seen as one of the specialties in the Mekong Delta. These are names of popular Pomelos that Vietnamese people enjoy most:
- 5 Roi Pomelo.
- Tan Trieu Pomelo.
- Green Skin Pomelo aka Da Xanh Pomelo.
In Vietnamese cuisine, Pomelo is not only consumed as a fresh dessert but also used in dishes such as pomelo salad, pomelo sweet soup, vegan sour meat, etc. Additionally, the skin of Pomelo could be made into finger food, which is called pomelo jam.
Price range: VND 45,000 – 80,000 per kg.
21. Rambutan – Chôm Chôm
An exotic kind of fruit with a marvelous taste you would never find in Western countries. Rambutan fruit was firstly cultivated in Malaysia and Indonesia. Later, it spreads to all countries that have tropical climates.
The name Rambutan in Malaysian means hair, which directly depicts the exotic shape of the fruit that has hairy skin. In Vietnam, Rambutan is enjoyed well when it comes to summer. Comparing to Longan, Rambutan is sweet and sour when tasted but crunchier than Longan.
Because of those attributes, Rambutan is used in various ways in Vietnamese cuisine. You can find them from the main course to dessert such as stewed chicken with rambutan, rambutan salad, fresh fruits sweet soup, etc. So, are these rambutan dishes enough to make you have some munchies?
In Vietnam, Rambutan price per kg is about VND 30,000 – 35,000.
22. Sapodilla – Hồng Xiêm
If this is the first time you’ve heard of this kind of fruit, you might be surprised that the Sapodilla tree natively originates from central American countries.
In Vietnam, Sapodilla fruit was firstly grown in the north of Vietnam. Nowadays, it could be grown in the south too. Sapodilla, visually, looks like an egg with brown skin. Inside, there is a bright brown of its flesh and 2-3 seeds. If you are curious about Sapodilla taste, it is a blend of apple and custard fruit.
Sapodilla price is approximate VND 50,000 – 60,000 per kg.
23. Star Apple – Vú Sữa
Star Apple is a fruit tree that has various different names from all over the world such as Caimito (golden leave fruit) in Spain, or 牛奶果 (milk fruit) in Hongkong. In my country, Star Apple in Vietnamese is called Vú Sữa, or “milky breast” as translated into English.
In Vietnam, Star Apple is one of the favorite fruits for anyone of all ages since its tasty fresh meat and aromatic smell. On top of that, it is the sugary sweet that Star Apple brings when you taste it.
There are 2 types of Star Apple fruit in Vietnam that are differentiated by their skin colors. To illustrate, one has purple skin on the outside, another has green skin. Both of them are good but the purple one tastes better a little bit.
Where to Buy Star Apple Fruit in Vietnam?
About the place that produces the best tar apple in Vietnam, Lo Ren is always the first name coming up to my mind! Truly, Lo Ren Star Apple becomes a specialty of My Tho province since 2007 and up until now, Star Apple from Lo Ren – Vinh Kim is not only a favorite fruit in Vietnam but also in other countries.
Price range: about VND 60.000 – 80.000 per kg.
24. Strawberry – Dâu
The two largest strawberry supplying provinces in Vietnam today are Dalat and Moc Chau. Both of the places have a cool climate all year round, which is very suitable for the development of strawberry trees. Among those, Dalat has a leading advantage in the strawberry farming industry. The city has a brand name known to many consumers with 2 strawberry varieties. The first is American Strawberry, which is large ones with a mild sour taste. Secondly, New Zealand Strawberries with an oblong shape and sweet.
Moc Chau, although it was going behind in strawberry cultivation, the place has the advantages of high-quality Korean and Japanese Strawberries. In particular, Japanese Ruby strawberries are so sweet in taste and have an eye-catching dark red color. Likewise, the Korean Strawberry is beautiful with outstanding size compared to other strawberry varieties. It also has a sweet taste and a very specific aroma, which is very suitable for Vietnamese tastes.
How is Vietnamese Strawberry Price?
At Dalat strawberry plants, the prices for its two main varieties are about VND 220,000 – 290,000 per kg for the good ones.
Moc Chau high-quality strawberries originating from Japan and Korea price from VND 300,000 – 350,000 per kg.
25. Watermelon – Dưa Hấu
Watermelon is a very good fruit for the heart, bones, joints, eyesight, and helping to increase human immunity. Besides, this fruit is very delicious and has a cool sweet taste. As a result, many people love this fruit, particularly in the summer, watermelon consumption increases gradually.
In Vietnam, the popular Watermelon varieties include red-fleshed watermelons such as Sugarbaby, An Tiem, and Hong Luong. Yellow-fleshed watermelons include the varieties Xuan Lan, and Huynh Chau 548. Especially, the Japanese-originated Cream Cream Fleshed Suika with white flesh contains an unusual sweetness, aroma, and coolness that many people love to try.
Where Do Watermelons Grow in Vietnam?
Watermelon fruit is allocating in many places across Vietnam. In the North, there are Hanoi, Hai Duong, Nam Dinh, Thai Binh, Vinh Phuc, Phu Tho, etc. In Central Vietnam, the four main places are Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, Binh Đinh, and Phu Yen. Finally, in the Mekong Delta region of the South, they are Long An, Đong Thap, Soc Trang, Hau Giang, Can Tho, Vinh Long, Tra Vinh, and Tien Giang.
At the Vietnamese traditional markets, Watermelon has a price of about VND 20,000 per kg. The price can be VND 2,000 more expensive at the supermarkets.
So, Where to Find All of These Vietnam Fruits?
It’s not hard to answer the question. Definitely, you should go to any Vietnam fruit market nearby to find any of the fruit you like. As you may know, going to the market is a part of Vietnamese people’s lives and it is also our cultural feature for a long time.
Otherwise, if you are currently living or traveling in Vietnam, you can always go to the farms where they are the fruit’s origins. I have pointed out the destinations in each kind of fruit above.
In particular, in case you are staying or getting around Ho Chi Minh City, here’s the list of the markets you can find many Vietnam fruits at good prices:
- Ben Thanh Market – Le Loi, Ben Thanh Ward, District 1.
- An Dong Market – An Dong Work, Ward 9, District 5.
- Binh Tay Market – 57A Thap Muoi, Ward 2, District 6.
- Tan Dinh Market – 48 Ma Lo, Tan Dinh Ward, District 1.
Why Vietnam Fruit Price Fluctuates?
You may find that the prices of fruits in Vietnam are different at places, even it’s the exact same kind. To explain, the price fluctuation could depend on many aspects including the production, the delivery, the packaging, etc. Each of the aspects contributes to the cost of fruit. Therefore, if you find that the prices of fruit are different between the two markets or places, it’s because of those cost-contributors. However, in Vietnamese markets, you are able to bargain at an affordable price so you can purchase. It would be necessary to do so. Have fun bargaining and enjoying the fruit in Vietnam!
Overall, there are still a lot of other Vietnamese scrumptious fruits that I couldn’t tell in just a post. I highly recommend you to come to Vietnam and experience them by yourself. Trust me, it is gonna be the best experience you ever got!
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