Vietnamese Pomelo Fruit Types

Where are pomelo grown in Vietnam

In Vietnamese culture, there is a type of fruit that is always present on the five-fruit tray of the altar every Tet holiday, which is the pomelo – a kind of citrus fruit. Pomelo is both delicious and nutritious, depicted as a symbol of perfection and completeness. Vietnamese locals have long been attached to this special fruit not only when eating, but also through childhood verses and songs.

This fruit is usually named after the province where it is found or planted.

A variety of pomelo types in Vietnam can be listed as:

Nam Roi: specialties of Vinh Long province. It has a form similar to a pear. When ripe, the center is hollow and the skin is yellow with a rough surface.

Green skin : discovered in Thanh Tan commune, Mo Cay district, Ben Tre province. The name “Green skin” comes from the characteristics of the fruit that when ripe, the fruit remains green. The skin is usually thin and the center of the fruit is pink.

Dien: Derived from the sweet pummelo Doan Hung, grown in Phu Dien commune – Tu Liem – Hanoi. When ripe, the fruit is more eye-catching compared to the Doan Hung ones, the citrus is thick and sweet, and deserves to be a local specialty.

Doan Hung: grown in Doan Hung – Phu Tho. The skin is thin, yellow when ripe. The flesh of the fruit is yellowish, and has a sweet taste.

Phuc Trach: Planted in Huong Khe – Ha Tinh. The fruit is slightly flat, the skin is thin when ripe, yellow in color; its flesh is dry, yet stimulates a delicate taste.

Depends on each type of pomelo, the origin and planting is different. Take the famous Nam Roi pomelo as an example, the fruit is widely grown in some Southwestern provinces of Vietnam, especially Vinh Long. This fruit specialty is delightful, nearly seedless, juicy, sweet, mixed with a mild acidity flavor. Its cousin, the Green skin pomelo, firstly grown in Cho Lach, Ben Tre, has been replicated in many places around Mekong Delta, providing a great source of income for Vietnamese farmers. Nevertheless, there are also other varieties of pomelo such as Dien pomelo – planted mainly in Cau Dien district, or Phuc Trach pomelo – grown in Ha Tinh province.

How to eat

Pomelo is an extremely nutritious, refreshing and healthy fruit of Vietnam. However, the stitching and peeling of this fruit takes time, making foreigners, and even locals afraid to do it. First, use a knife to cut off the bottom and top of the grapefruit, close to the center until the inside layer comes out. Then, separate the citrus into each piece, and peel the silk skin of the citrus to enjoy the sweet and sour taste of this summer fruit.