Vietnam has a tropical climate with abundant soil and freshwater that is suitable for growing fruit trees. Many Vietnamese fruits are famous for the locals and tourists, selling in the domestic region and exporting to different countries.
When traveling to Vietnam, you might try some of the popular fruits that you can love more this beautiful country.
The structure of each part is to introduce the fruit name in English and Vietnamese, how it is, where it is the main place to grow, original seasons of harvest, and the average price of each fruit.
- Vietnamese orange
- Mango
- Milk Fruit
- Durian
- Dragon Fruit
- Mangosteen
- Rambutan
- Passion Fruit
- Bon Bon Fruit
- Guava
- Jackfruit
Vietnamese orange | Cam sành
Vietnamese orange, also known as green orange, is very popular in most regions of Vietnam. Oranges are usually green on the outside, but inside, they have a beautiful orange-yellow color.
Vietnamese orange has a sweet, sour taste and a lot of juice, rich in Vitamin C, so the locals often use it to make orange juice.
Orange juice is well-known in Vietnam because of the hot and humid weather.
However, the main crop of Vietnamese oranges is from September to December every year, falling in the rainy season in central and northern Vietnam.
Therefore, orange growers want to get good prices and meet people’s consumption needs, so they have to take measures to interfere with the flowering and fruiting process of orange trees.
The result is almost all year round you can find green oranges in local markets in Vietnam.
Called green oranges because people harvest them still slightly green to transport and keep longer. If oranges are harvested when they have yellow color on the skin, oranges are easy to spoil and do not preserve for long.
If you have the opportunity to travel to Vietnam, do not miss the opportunity to try this green orange. A glass of orange juice will provide a lot of micronutrients, especially Vitamin C to give you more stamina for the trip.
The average price of green oranges: 15,000 VND – 35,000 VND/kg
Mango | Xoài
Vietnamese mango is a delicious fruit with rich flavor and attractive colors. The fruit has a large weight of 350 – 450gram. When it is ripe, the mango becomes light yellow with fresh flesh and very sweet taste.
Visitors can find mangos at most of the places in Vietnam. But, the best mango originates from Hoa Hung commune, Cai Be district, Tien Giang (the former name Hoa Loc commune, Giao Duc district, Dinh Tuong province) in the Mekong Delta.
Eating Hoai Loc mango (Xoai Cat Hoa Loc) is great when it is ripe. You can feel the smooth meat, less fiber, and no matter how ripe it is, it will not be friable. Hoa Loc mangoes follow traders to many provinces and cities and are also reaching out to the international markets to be sold in the US and Japan.
Usually at the end of April to July is the mango season in South Vietnam. You can see many boats and trucks carry ripe aromatic mangoes to other cities.
The average price of Hoa Loc mango: 60,000 – 80,000 VNN/kg.
Milk Fruit | Vú sữa
Milk Fruit, also called Milk Apple or Star Apple, has a light sweet taste. The milk fruit is very popular in Vietnam. It has plenty of vitamins, fiber, minerals providing essential energy to the body. For some research, milk apples also support for reducing weight and increasing strength for bones.
Lo Ren Milk Fruits are the best ones in Vinh Kim commune, Chau Thanh district, Tien Giang province, Mekong Delta of Vietnam. The milk apple trees grow in this area offer good flavor, white skin, small seed, thick pulp, and sweet and aromatic taste.
The average size of a milk fruit has a diameter of 7.3 – 8.4cm, weight 250 – 350 gram/fruit. The main crop to harvest the star apple is from January to March every year.
You can buy the Milk Fruit at almost local markets and supermarkets in Vietnam. And, you may see another kind of milk fruits with purple skin. The purple start apple is not as good as the white milk apples, so you know this to choose good ones to taste.
The average price of milk fruit: 40,000 – 80,000 VND/kg
>>> You can want to read the Vietnamese apple.
Durian | Xầu riêng
Durian is a typical fruit growing in South Vietnam. The durian trees in Vietnam came from Thailand, and first cultivated in Tan Quy and Bien Hoa district, Dong Nai province. Then, they have spread to the Mekong Delta region and the Central Highlands.
But the best durian is Vinh Long commune in the Mekong Delta. For many people who have never eaten, the smell is awful as scary as its thorny appearance. But those who are familiar with its taste, they love a very special flavor of sweetness and flour-like butter.
And, the famous name of this fruit is durian Ri6. Ri6 was named to remember Mr. Sau Ri, who was created the great kind of durian in Vietnam. Ri6 durian is a special fruit with the high value of calories, carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, and minerals in the comparison to the different fruits
A durian fruit weighs from 2 to 5 kg. This durian often has a large yellow zone looking very eye-catching.
During the year, durian trees usually flower at two times. From December to January and produce a full harvest in June and July, this durian season is the main crop. The second flowering time is in July and August and harvest in February and beginning ò March, this time is off-season.
The price of durian: 70,000VND – 120,000 VND/kg
Dragon Fruit | Thanh long
The dragon fruit belongs to the cactus family, some places call it Pitaya Vietnam. When the fruits are ripe, they get dark pink or red color of skin. And, two kinds of dragon fruit include white pulp or red pulp inside. The red pulp is sweeter than the white one.
Dragon fruit has a sweet taste and coolness, contains a lot of vitamins such as B1, B2, B3 … It works to improve the digestive system, fight skin aging, control, and prevent diabetes. Despite being famous for its deliciousness, the dragon fruit is listed as one of the cheapest national fruits in Vietnam.
In the 1990s, dragon fruits were planted by Binh Thuan farmers in Central Vietnam as ornamental plants. Then, they have developed into fruit trees today. This plant is a drought-resistant, not picky soil, suitable for climatic conditions and soil in Binh Thuan where often has a very hot and dry climate.
Every year, at the beginning of April, dragon fruits begin to flower. After 50 days, the main season of the dragon fruit starts at the beginning of June and lasts until the end of September. Then, the farmers continue taking care of the plants to get the off-season from December.
With the new technique to grow the dragon fruit, you can buy this fruit nearly all year round when you travel to Vietnam.
Dragon fruit can get the weight from 300gram to 500gram.
The price of dragon fruit: 15,000 – 25,000 VND/kg.
Mangosteen | Măng cụt
Mangosteen is a common fruit in Vietnam as well as in Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia. Mangosteen trees are very big, they can reach up to 10-meters height.
When mangosteens get ripe, they have a dark purple color. Mangosteen gums are white in color and divided into many zones with a sweet and slightly sour taste and special aroma.
In Vietnam, the farmers grow a lot of mangosteen trees in the Mekong Delta provinces. These plants have a good value for the economy. The eaters voted it as “the queen of tropical fruit tree” because of their beautiful shape and delicious nutritious taste.
Cho Lach mangosteen, a special of the Ben Tren province (the Mekong Delta, Vietnam), has been famous for many people. Cho Lach district has 1,200 hectares to grow mangosteen.
The harvest season of Vietnamese mangosteen is from mid-April to June. This fruit has a different size. When you want to taste them, you should choose a small and medium size. It’s because big size also has large seeds.
The price of mangosteen: 50,000 – 90,000VND/kg
As the same with any fruits, although mangosteens have plenty of vitamins good for health, you should not eat them much, because they can cause allergic reactions, and interfering with blood coagulation.
Rambutan | Chôm chôm
Rambutan is one of the exotic national fruits of Vietnam. It has a lot of soft thorns around with the red color when it’s ripe. The fruits come in a bunch looking very beautiful.
Rambutan trees are grown a lot in Long Khanh district, Dong Nai province (South Vietnam). And, the harvest season of rambutan last from July to October.
The rambutan fruits have a sweet taste, a little juice, crunchy feeling. Eating Chom Chom is very good for health because they contain a lot of carbohydrate and protein supplying energy for the body, vitamin B, vitamin C that is essential antioxidants related to the body’s immunity, and high fiber content that directly affects the bowel movement reducing constipation.
Many people see the thorn skin of rambutan and do not know how to eat them. The easy way is to use a knife cutting slightly around in the middle of a rambutan. Then, you can take the skin out of the flesh. It is safe to taste the flesh of the rambutan; however, its peel and seeds can be toxic when eating raw or in very large amounts.
The cost of rambutan: 15,000 – 30,000 VND/kg
Passion Fruit | Chanh leo
Passion fruit has a round shape with dark purple color and wrinkle skin when it’s ripe. Vietnamese passion fruits contain a lot of small seeds covered by yellow flesh. The yellow flesh can be eaten, have a sour taste, and fragrant smell. The passion is used to make a cooling drink in summer.
Passion fruit has different names in Vietnamese including Chanh leo, Chanh dây, or mát mát; and its scientific name is Passiflora incarnate, belongs to the genus of Lac Tien (Passiflora).
Passion fruit is rich in pectin, a type of fiber that helps you feel full without increasing calories. It also works to reduce bad cholesterol and improve the function of insulin. Besides, this fruit is a source of vitamin A, flavonoids, and other phenolic compounds that help prevent cancer.
The main area to grown passion fruits is the Central Highlands Vietnam. Currently, Vietnam is a world leader in exporting passion fruit and its products. The main markets are European countries, China, and domestic consumption.
The cost of passion fruit: 10,000 – 17,000 VND/kg
Bon Bon Fruit | Lòn bon
Bon Bon Fruit in Vietnam has a milky-white color with double size of a finger. Its flesh gets a sweet taste and many zones and bitter seeds. So, when eating bon bon, you should not bite their pips.
Bon Bon (in some places also bòn bon, lòn bon in Vietnamese) has the scientific name of Lansium domesticum, belonging to the Meliaceae family. According to nutritionists, every 100 g of bonbon contains 0.8 g of protein; 9.5 g of carbohydrates; 2.3 g of fiber; 20 mg of calcium; 30 mg phosphorus; 0.089 mg thiamine; 1 mg ascorbic acid and quite a lot of vitamin A.
Bon Bon Fruits also contain sugar, fiber, fat, protein, vitamins B1, B2, B3, C, E that are considered as antioxidant substances, which helps the body eliminate free radicals leading to Cardiovascular diseases, strokes. Also, minerals such as Ca, Fe, P … help increase red blood cells and prevent anemia.
And, thanks to containing rich thiamin and riboflavin that bonbon is very good at fighting migraines, and niacin reduces bad cholesterol, increases good cholesterol in the blood.
When eating Bon Bon, you choose a good fruit that is a medium size, neither large nor small, just a little bigger size than a thumb, yellow-white skin, and round. Do not select big fruits because the seeds are large, often sour, and those with dark spots do not eat well.
Tien Phuoc district (in Quang Nam province) and Dak Lak (in the Central Highlands) are the main areas growing Bon Bon. But, now some provinces in the Mekong Delta also cultivate it. The harvest season of Bonbon is October to December.
The price of Bon Bon: 30,000 – 50,000VND
Guava | Quả ổi
Vietnamese guava can grow most of the provinces in Vietnam. This tree is easy to plant and take care of it, so many farmers like to develop the economy with it. Also, the flavor of ripe guava is odorous, so many people like to taste it. Thus, its market spreads all around Vietnam.
Guava is a round or oval fruit with light green or yellow skin. The flesh inside is white or reddish with edible seeds. Vietnamese guava is a nutritious and healthy food. Qua Oi contains many important components and contributes to support the body against disease.
In 100 g of guava contains about 126 mg of Vitamin C. Other nutrients in the fruits also have low calorie and high fiber. Regular use of guava fruits can boost heart health, digestive system, boost immunity, and protect the body from many pathologies.
The season of guava in Vietnam is from August to October. But, with the new technique to grow guava trees, you can find their fruits all year round in the markets in Vietnam.
We can eat nearly all of the guava; however, we recommend you to peel the skin before eating to avoid chemicals and hygiene.
The price of guava: 15,000 – 35,000 VND/kg
Jackfruit | Quả mít
Jackfruit is Quả mít in Vietnamese. This fruit is the same as a fast-growing tropical Asian tree related to the durian. However, Mit fruit is a very fragrant smell and has a big size up to 15kg, but the durian has a bad smell for the first taste, and much smaller than jackfruit.
The jackfruit trees grow all around Vietnam. But, the large areas to cultivate it are in the Mekong Delta, including Cai Be (Tien Giang province), Phong Dien (Can Tho), and Thoi Lai (Hau Giang).
The feature of the jackfruit tree is to harvest nearly all year round, but the good season is from June to August.
When the Mit Vietnamese fruit is ripe, it has an average weight of 10-15 kg. The inside contains large yellow zones with a sweet taste and scented flavor.
The jackfruit is rich in nutrients like vitamins A, C, calcium, iron, potassium, magnesium, and many other nutrients, so it is very beneficial to health.
However, when you feel hungry, you should not eat Mit. And, avoid tasting it at night, and need to chew its flesh carefully.
There are two kinds of jackfruit, dry and wet. The wet Mit is very soft and much easier to taste. The dry jackfruit is crunchy for who like to chew.
The cost of jackfruit: 25,000 – 40,000 VND/kg
Vietnamdrive’s thought,
Vietnam has different tropical fruits with great taste and nice flavor. When you have a chance to visit the country, tasting some fruits can make your experience of holidays more interesting.
However, for some strange fruits that you have never eaten, try a little to know the taste and how it is, this skill is to protect the body influenced by different food.
Never eat fruits directly at a market or supermarket. You have to wash them before eating. And, it is always better to peel the skin of any fruit.
All these things can help you select good Vietnamese fruits to taste when you are on your journeys.
Which fruit do you like best?