The Ultimate Guide to Vietnamese Dragon Fruit: From Nutrition to Recipes

What will you discover in this article?

In this article, we’ll dive into the world of Vietnamese dragon fruit, a superfood known for its high nutritional value and numerous health benefits. Grown in the rich soils of Vietnam, this vibrant fruit not only contributes to the nation’s thriving agriculture but also makes Vietnam one of the largest producers and exporters of dragon fruit worldwide.

We’ll explore some fascinating aspects of Vietnamese dragon fruit, including its varieties, the famous regions where it’s grown, and its nutritional profile. You’ll also discover the health benefits that make this fruit special, along with tips on how to enjoy it and some delicious recipes to try at home. Plus, we’ll touch on the cultural significance of dragon fruit in Vietnam, giving you a deeper appreciation for this fruit.

What is dragon fruit?

Image: VITA MARKET

Overview

Vietnamese name: thanh long

Shape and appearance: oval or elliptical with vibrant pink or yellow skin and green, scale-like leaves. The inside is white or red with black seeds.

Flavor profile: mildly sweet and tangy, with a refreshing and slightly crunchy texture.

How to enjoy it: enjoy it fresh, in fruit salads, smoothies, desserts, or as juice.

Harvest season: In Vietnam, dragon fruit is harvested 3-4 times a year, with the main harvest season stretching from April to October.

Dragon fruit, scientifically known as Hylocereus, comes from a cactus species that originates in Mexico. It gets its name due to its unique appearance, which resembles the scales of a dragon.

The French introduced this plant to Vietnam over a century ago. What started as a small cultivation effort on a few plantations has grown significantly. By the 1980s, dragon fruit farming boomed in Vietnam, turning the country into a global leader in both dragon fruit production and export.

Dragon fruit plants are incredibly resilient to drought, making them well-suited for hot, sunny climates. However, they can’t handle the cold and thrive best in areas with strong sunlight. If planted in the shade, these plants won’t grow well and may not even produce flowers.

In Vietnam, dragon fruit is harvested 3-4 times a year, with the main harvest season stretching from April to October.

Shape and color

When the fruit is young, it starts off green, but as it ripens, it takes on an oval shape with bright pink or yellow skin adorned with green scales. Inside, the flesh can be either red or white, dotted with tiny black seeds.

A dragon fruit plant with unripe green fruit in its early growth stage.

What does dragon fruit taste like?

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When dragon fruit is still unripe, its flesh can be quite firm and doesn’t have much flavor. However, once it’s fully ripe, it transforms into a flavor that’s like a mild blend of kiwi and pear. The juicy, tender flesh then offers a gentle sweetness that’s both refreshing and delicate.

How to eat Vietnamese dragon fruit

Check out our video below for a step-by-step guide on how to cut dragon fruit perfectly. We’ll show you how to handle this exotic fruit with ease, so you can enjoy its vibrant flavor in no time!

To fully enjoy the delicious flavor of Vietnamese dragon fruit, start by choosing a ripe fruit. The simplest way to check if it’s ripe is to press it with your fingers gently. It should feel slightly soft, like a ripe avocado. If it feels very firm, it may not be ripe yet.

Step 1: Slice off both ends of the dragon fruit

Step 2: Cut the fruit lengthwise

Step 3: Peel the skin with your fingers or scoop out the flesh using a spoon

Step 4: Cut it into bite-sized pieces

Finally: Enjoy the sweet, refreshing taste of your Vietnamese dragon fruit!

The different varieties of Vietnamese dragon fruit

Vietnamese white dragon fruit

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Vietnamese red dragon fruit

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Both red-fleshed and white-fleshed dragon fruits are packed with health benefits, but they have a few differences worth noting. Red-fleshed dragon fruit is richer in antioxidants compared to its white-fleshed counterpart. It’s also sweeter due to its higher sugar content. Because of this, nutrition experts often recommend white-fleshed dragon fruit for people with diabetes.

Yellow-skinned dragon fruit

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Yellow dragon fruit is grown in Vietnam, but it’s not as common as the red or white varieties. This type of dragon fruit is more challenging to cultivate, which is why it’s only grown in smaller quantities. You’ll find it scattered around areas like Binh Thuan and the Mekong Delta,

Nutritional facts of dragon fruit

Here’s the nutritional breakdown for a 3.5-ounce (100-gram) serving of dragon fruit, based on data from the USDA:

Antioxidants in dragon fruit

Studies show that dragon fruit contains antioxidants and has the potential for the prevention of diseases associated with inflammatory and oxidative processes.

Betalains: These deep red pigments found in the pulp of red dragon fruit can help lower total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and other health risk markers.

Flavonoids: This large group of antioxidants is associated with better brain health and a lower risk of heart disease.

Hydroxycinnamates: These compounds have shown potential in fighting cancer in lab and animal studies.

You can find more details about the research here.

How dragon fruit is cultivated in Vietnam

While dragon fruit can be grown from seeds, this method takes a lot longer to produce fruit. In Vietnam, farmers often use a more efficient method by planting dragon fruit from cuttings taken from the parent plant. This is a form of asexual reproduction, where healthy cuttings from a mature dragon fruit plant are sliced off and planted directly in the soil.

This approach offers several benefits. It allows the new plants to inherit all the desirable traits of the parent plant, including its growth rate, disease resistance, and fruit quality. By using cuttings, farmers can enjoy quicker harvests and ensure consistent fruit quality.

Typically, after planting, dragon fruit plants start producing fruit within a year. By their third or fourth year, they reach their peak productivity. With proper care, dragon fruit plants can have a lifespan of 15 to 20 years.

Dragon fruit plants need support poles to grow properly because they are a type of climbing cactus that can’t stand upright on their own. Farmers often use poles for the plants to climb and wrap around.

These poles are usually made of concrete, wood, or other sturdy materials and are typically between 4 to 4.5 feet tall (about 1.3 to 1.4 meters).

Nighttime lighting helps dragon fruit plants bloom faster (Image: Đ.Hoà/ baobinhthuan.com.vn)

Mapping the dragon fruit growing regions in Vietnam

Simple and delicious dragon fruit recipes

Get ready to dive into some deliciously simple dishes made with Vietnamese dragon fruit! We’re excited to share easy-to-follow recipes:

Dragon fruit smoothie

Ingredients:

White-flesh dragon fruit

Condensed milk

Sugar

Instructions:

Step 1: Cut the white-flesh dragon fruit into small pieces.

Step 2: Add the dragon fruit, condensed milk, and sugar to a blender.

Step 3: Blend everything together for about 3 minutes.

Step 4: Add ice and continue blending until the mixture is smooth and creamy.

Enjoy your vibrant and delicious dragon fruit smoothie!

Dragon fruit juice recipe

Ingredients:

Red dragon fruit

2 lemons

Sugar

Ice cubes

Instructions:

Step 1: Peel the dragon fruit and cut it into small pieces. Juice the pieces using a fruit juicer until you have fresh dragon fruit juice.

Step 2: Prepare a glass by filling it with ice cubes.

Step 3: Squeeze the juice from the 2 lemons into a small bowl, remove any seeds, and mix in a bit of sugar to taste.

Step 4: Slowly pour the dragon fruit juice into the glass, followed by the lemon juice. Stir well to combine.

Step 5: Garnish with a lemon slice on the rim of the glass, and enjoy!

A symbol of good fortune in Vietnamese culture

Dragon fruit is offered on Vietnamese ancestral altars. Source: vietnamplus.vn

In Vietnamese culture, the red color of dragon fruit symbolizes prosperity, abundance, and good fortune. That’s why, during special occasions and holidays, Vietnamese families often place dragon fruit on the family altar, hoping to bring good luck and blessings.