Vietnam is super famous for its delicious food and drinks. But the country is also known for the abundance of tropical fruit that is cheap and easily accessible. It would be a wasted opportunity not to indulge ourselves in exploring some of the most famous ones such as dragon fruit, durian, rambutan or jackfruit.
Following is my personal list of uniquely tropical fruit that I recommend everyone to try
1. Dragon Fruit (Thanh Long)
If bananas and watermelons didn’t exist, Dragon Fruit (Thanh Long) would be definitely my most favourite tropical fruit. This unique tropical fruit is widely grown in southern Vietnam and therefore also very cheap and super easy to get almost everywhere in South Vietnam.
Its unique shape and red (or pink) colour mean it’s very easy to spot when strolling around streets and markets. The cost should be anywhere from 6k to 25k VND per piece (0.3 – 1.1 USD).
One of my Vietnamese friends told me once that Dragon Fruit plant is actually a type of cactus, which makes it even more unique for me.
I have noticed that many of my fitness-obsessed friends like dragon fruit as their daily snack. I guess it’s because Thanh Long (Dragon Fruit) is low on calories and offers numerous nutrients, including Vitamin C, phosphorus, calcium, plus fibre and antioxidants.
I personally like to store my dragon fruit in the lower compartments of the fridge so when I eat it it’s always nicely chilled and even more refreshing.
Perhaps it’s needless to say but I’m gonna say it anyway: you should only consume the white (or red) inside pulp that is distinctly dotted with small seeds. Don’t eat the outer red shell.
