Countryside and street markets in TT-Hue sell a lot of delicious jackfruit, why do many people crave wet jackfruit?

Jackfruit trading trips

For many years, Mrs. Ngan has been trading on the Phu Loc - Nam Dong route. Every early morning, Mrs. Ngan is present at My Loi market. Along with other specialties, Mrs. Ngan's trading route is packed with the fragrant smell of ripe jackfruit.

Ms. Ngan said: "Thanks to the suitable soil, Nam Dong jackfruit has many fruits, big fruits, delicious, sweet and fragrant segments.

On each trip, I collect all kinds of vegetables and fruits from Nam Dong such as oranges, bananas, guavas, lemongrass, and figs to sell at My Loi market. When in season, jackfruit is also an indispensable item.

Depending on the quantity of jackfruit harvested, Ms. Ngan brings it home to sell whole or splits it into pieces to sell by the kilo. With the advantage of an early crowded market and high-quality jackfruit, even though each shipment sometimes contains 10-15 jackfruits, Ms. Ngan still sells out Nam Dong jackfruit early.

Unlike Ms. Ngan's wholesale method at the market, taking advantage of having a grocery and refreshment stall right in front, Ms. Xuan (Thuy Bang commune, Hue city) sells jackfruit right on the table in front of her house.

She said: “This year, my work is busier because the jackfruit crop is good, beautiful in appearance, and of good quality. In addition to jackfruit from my home garden, I also buy and sell jackfruit from Thuy Bang’s gardens.”

With over 11 years of experience selling jackfruit, Ms. Xuan said: “In Hue, the two types of jackfruit commonly sold are the wet jackfruit and the old-style dried jackfruit. The characteristics of jackfruit are shown through the name. Wet jackfruit has soft, sweet, fragrant segments. Dried jackfruit has drier, more flexible segments, with a rich, unique sweetness.”

Jackfruit season brings significant income to jackfruit growers and jackfruit traders in Thua Thien Hue. These jackfruits all come to the market through traders traveling to the mountainous district of Nam Dong. Wet jackfruits are sold for 10,000-12,000 VND/kg, dry jackfruits are sold for 15,000-17,000 VND/kg.

Because it is popular and suits many people's taste, dried jackfruit is often priced higher than wet jackfruit by 5,000-7,000 VND per kilogram.

Currently, the price of wet jackfruit is usually from 10,000 to 12,000 VND/kg, dried jackfruit is from 15,000 to 17,000 VND/kg.

Ms. Xuan added: “Not only the flavor, dried jackfruit is also easier to transport and preserve than wet jackfruit. Normally, after ripening on the tree, dried jackfruit can be kept for 3-5 days in a cool place. But wet jackfruit can only be kept for 2-3 days. Dried jackfruit can be separated into segments and stored in the refrigerator for longer, so it is also more popular.”

Everyone benefits

According to the experience of Ms. Xuan and Ms. Ngan, to choose a delicious jackfruit, you must first observe the outside of the fruit's skin.

Ms. Ngan shared: “To make a profit from trading, each jackfruit must be carefully selected. In the garden, I prioritize fruits that are evenly tapered, not shriveled at the top or bottom. The jackfruit stem must be fresh and firm, the skin of the jackfruit must be worn, smooth, and uniform in color. The larger the distance between the thorns and the larger the thorn size, the larger the jackfruit segments will be, and the higher the price will be.”

To collect enough jackfruits in time to meet buyers' demand, in addition to tree-ripened jackfruits, Ms. Ngan also uses the method of seasoning (using wooden sticks to stick into the stem) or wrapping salt grains around the stem to speed up the ripening of old jackfruits. The above methods are all convenient and safe for the health of users.

Being a fairly easy-going plant, requiring little effort and care, jackfruit is often grown in gardens or along forest gardens. The season is from May to August, thanks to traders, most jackfruit is purchased directly from the garden, bringing income to farmers and reaching consumers at reasonable prices.

In addition to the areas that have long been famous for jackfruit such as Truoi area (Phu Loc district), Nam Dong district, in recent years, A Luoi district and Huong Tra town have become more and more known for their heavy and quality garden jackfruit.

Mr. Thiep, the owner of a stall specializing in selling jackfruit in Hue City, added: "Currently, I collect jackfruit from Binh Thanh and Binh Tien communes (Huong Tra town).
Jackfruit in these localities is very large and of good quality. Each tree can produce 5-10 fruits, some trees produce dozens of fruits weighing 3-10kg each. The price is reasonable and the jackfruit is delicious, so customers love it, so I also have a stable source of income in the summer.

Source: https://danviet.vn/cho-que-cho-pho-o-tt-hue-bay-ban-la-liet-mit-ngon-sao-nhieu-nguoi-them-an-trai-mit-uot-20240729200053461.htm