This unusual fruit features a lychee-like skin, rambutan-like translucent flesh, and a small size. Found in An Giang’s mountainous regions, it offers a tangy flavor with a sweet aftertaste and is considered a rare local delicacy.

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The truong tree is a wide-canopy perennial. After branches are cut, it grows back fuller. New branches bear fruit after three years. Photo: Truc Chi

In An Giang, the truong tree grows wild across the Bảy Núi area, including Nui Dài, Nui Co To, and Nui Cam. The fruit looks like northern lychee but is only about one-third the size, with thin skin in shades of deep red or pale pink depending on the tree.

The interior is white and juicy like rambutan, soft in texture, and emits a delicate fragrance. Its taste is tangy but finishes with a light, pleasant sweetness.

“Truong fruit is small but mighty. It’s more sour than sweet, but not sharply so like gooseberry or tamarind. First-timers may grimace, but its unique taste and sweet finish grow on you,” said Nguyen Tran, a local vendor in Tri Ton, An Giang.

Historically, the fruit was overlooked, eaten casually during forest trips. But in recent years, it has gained favor among locals and outsiders for its wild, clean origin and distinct flavor.

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Truong fruit, also called forest lychee, is thumb-sized and as popular as tram or bon bon. Photo: Vinh Ton
Harvesting truong fruit is labor-intensive, especially with its three-year fruiting cycle. Photo: Hue Nguyen
Truong fruit has lychee-like skin and rambutan-like flesh with a tart-forward flavor. Photo: Thanh Huyen
Once overlooked, the truong fruit has become a specialty of An Giang, attracting curiosity and interest from tourists and urban consumers. Photo: Thao Thu

Tran noted that based on local knowledge, truong trees typically need to reach 30 years of age before fruiting. Even then, they only bear fruit once every three years.

The fruiting season lasts about two months, from late April to mid-June. During this time, locals head into the forests to harvest the fruit, either for home use or to sell. Vendors set up roadside stalls, especially along the route from Nui To to An Tuc in Tri Ton District.

Harvesters must venture deep into the forest and climb tall trees, cutting whole branches rather than picking fruit clusters. This encourages new branch growth and boosts yield in the next cycle.

Once ignored, the truong fruit is now celebrated as a regional specialty, with urban visitors and tourists eagerly seeking it out. Photo: Thao Thu

In season, truong sells locally for about 50,000–70,000 VND per kg (approx. 2–3 USD), and fetches higher prices when transported to neighboring provinces.

Like many tropical fruits, it can be eaten fresh or prepared in creative ways - peeled and tossed with chili salt, soaked in sugar syrup, or made into snacks. In towns like Tinh Bien, Chau Doc, and Tri Ton, some vendors even press the fruit into juice for a refreshing summer drink.

Thao Trinh