Vietnamese fruits: what to try, and when

Fruit is one of the best reasons to visit Vietnam, and the markets change with the seasons: lychees in early summer in the North, durian and mangosteen from the Mekong Delta in the rainy season, pomelos and star apples around Tết. Here is what to look for.

Fruits to try

• Dragon fruit (thanh long)

  All year. Bright pink skin with white or red flesh, grown mostly in the South. Mild and refreshing; the red-fleshed kind is sweeter.

• Mango (xoài)

  All year, at its best from about March to June. The Mekong Delta’s xoài cát Hòa Lộc is the most prized.

• Mangosteen (măng cụt)

  Roughly May to August. Press the purple shell to open it; the white segments are sweet and slightly sour. The shell’s juice stains clothes.

• Rambutan (chôm chôm)

  Roughly May to August. Hairy red skin around translucent flesh, like a lychee.

• Lychee (vải)

  A short season, from late May to July, from the North.

• Longan (nhãn)

  Summer, June to August. Small and sweet, often sold on the branch.

• Durian (sầu riêng)

  The main season is roughly May to August in the South, later in the Central Highlands. Creamy and strong-smelling: many hotels ban it from rooms.

• Jackfruit (mít)

  Most of the year. A huge fruit with sweet yellow pods, also sold dried as chips.

• Pomelo (bưởi)

  All year, at its best in autumn and at Tết. A big, mild citrus.

• Star apple (vú sữa)

  Around Tết, roughly December to March, from the Mekong Delta. Its name means “breast milk”, for its milky juice.

• Custard apple and soursop (mãng cầu)

  Custard apples in summer, soursop much of the year. Soft, sweet-tart flesh, often blended into smoothies.

• Coconut (dừa)

  All year, drunk straight from the shell. Ben Tre, in the Mekong Delta (part of Vinh Long province since 2025), is coconut country.

How to buy and eat fruit

• By the kilo

  Markets sell fruit by the kilogram. Ask to taste, especially mangoes and durian.

• Peeled and cut

  Street vendors sell fruit ready to eat, often with chilli salt (muối ớt): the Vietnamese way to eat green mango and guava.

Fruit in Vietnamese culture

At Tết, families arrange a tray of five fruits (mâm ngũ quả) on the ancestral altar. In the South it often holds custard apple, coconut, papaya, mango and fig: said together, their names sound like “cầu vừa đủ xài”, a wish to have just enough to spend. Fruit is also a common gift for elders and for hosts, presented in a basket.

Taking fruit home

Most countries do not let travellers bring in fresh fruit, and Australia is especially strict. Dried mango, jackfruit chips and coconut candy are the travel-friendly version. To send fruit to someone in Vietnam instead, we deliver fruit baskets; see also what to buy in Vietnam.

More Vietnam guides

• Map of Vietnam’s 34 provinces

  Tap any of the 34 provinces for its sights, food, flower seasons and best months, and see which province Hoi An or Sa Pa belongs to now.

• When to visit Vietnam: weather by region and month

  Three climates, three rainy seasons: which months suit the north, the centre and the south, and what is in bloom.

• What to buy in Vietnam: souvenirs worth bringing home

  Coffee, tea, an áo dài made to measure, lacquerware and silk: what to buy, where, and what to leave behind.

• The ao dai and other symbols of Vietnam

  The long silk tunic, the conical hat, the lotus, the dragon: what Vietnam’s symbols mean and where you will see them.

• Vietnam travel guide

From a florist in Ho Chi Minh City

These guides are written by Flosa, a flower shop in Ho Chi Minh City. Celebrating something while you travel, such as a birthday, an anniversary or a proposal? We deliver flowers to hotels across Vietnam. Want to thank someone in Vietnam after you get home? You can send flowers to Vietnam from abroad.