Durian longan costs more than 2 million VND per kg in Ho Chi Minh City

With a purple skin that is thicker and harder than regular longan varieties, and a clear, flexible yellow flesh, durian longan attracts the curiosity of many visitors at the 2026 “On the dock under the boat” Fruit Week in Ho Chi Minh City.

According to Ms. Tran Thi Ngoc Chau, owner of Tam Ngoc Fruit Garden, this is a longan variety that an acquaintance imported from Thailand for trial planting in Ben Tre. Because the trees have just been put into cultivation, the harvest is still very limited.

“This time, I only have about 20 kg to divide between two display points. I mainly bring it for visitors to experience because there is almost none on the market,” Ms. Chau said.

According to her, the price of more than 2 million VND per kilogram is mainly due to the high initial cost of importing varieties and limited supply when the tree is still in the trial planting phase in Vietnam.

Unlike popular longan varieties on the market, durian longan has a thick, hard shell that helps preserve it longer. This fruit still retains the characteristic sweet taste of longan but has a different aroma, faintly smelling of durian. The durian flavor is not too strong but only appears lightly in the aftertaste. According to Ms. Chau, it is the difference in form and taste that makes many visitors come to the booth to ask to buy and make reservations right on the first day of opening for sale.

Besides durian longan, many other unique fruits also receive great attention from consumers.

At the festival, banana mango – a mango variety shaped like a banana, grown in Nha Trang and introduced to visitors for the first time. This fruit has a sweet and sour taste, a bit powdery and is sold for about 40,000 VND per kg.

Another product that attracts the curiosity of visitors is the South American betel nut grown in Da Lat. Each fruit weighs about 250 grams, selling price is 300,000 VND. According to the seller, when ripe, the eyes on the fruit will separate to reveal the flesh inside and can be eaten similar to custard apple.

According to small traders, the common point of these unique fruits is their low yield because they have only been experimentally planted by some gardeners in the West and Da Lat. Meanwhile, consumer demand for experience is increasing, especially with products appearing on the market for the first time.

While some unique fruits are sold for prices ranging from a few hundred thousand to millions of dong per kilogram, many regional specialties at the event are quite affordable. Avocado is sold for about 25,000 VND per kg, about 30% lower than the price at traditional stores and markets. Rambutan and mangosteen have prices ranging from 20,000 to 60,000 VND per kg, while Ri6 durian is sold for about 50,000 VND per kg.

Small traders said this is one of the years when specialty fruits have the most attractive prices thanks to abundant supply, many gardeners and cooperatives participating in direct sales, thus reducing intermediary costs.

Fruit Week “On the dock under the boat” 2026 takes place from June 12 to 19, bringing together more than 230 booths of businesses, cooperatives, gardeners and production facilities from Ho Chi Minh City and many localities in the Mekong Delta and Southeast regions. In particular, the fruit area has about 80 stalls introducing seasonal fresh fruits, products made from fruits and regional specialties.