Lai Thieu – the paradise for fruits and fruit-related culinary

Stretching along Saigon River, An Son Commune, Binh Nham Ward, Lai Thieu Ward and Hung Dinh Ward of Thuan An Town are supplemented with prosperous soil, making up good nutrition sources for mangosteen, berries, jackfruit, durian, and many more. Delicacies have been processed in tight relationship with local fruits namely mangosteen salad, chicken grilled with durian.

Tourists taken to the land of fruits

Lai Thieu has long been a location of ecological agriculture of Binh Duong Province and South-eastern region of Vietnam. The orchards cover nearly 1,200 hectares on 6 communes and wards by Saigon River flowing through Thuan An Town including Vinh Phu, Lai Thieu, Binh Nham, Hung Dinh, An Thanh, and An Son. The region is a long-term orchard of special fruits such as durian, berries, jackfruits, and prominently mangosteen.

On visiting Lai Thieu, tourists may choose fruits of their tastes in orchards. In this photo: A stall selling special fruits of Lai Thieu

In lunar March through June annually, tourists flock to Lai Thieu for picnics in green orchard along Saigon River. On visiting the place, tourists can buy fruit at the site and enjoy relaxed moments on hammocks or available chairs under the fruit trees.

On the fifth of lunar May, Lai Thieu Fruit Festival is organized to attract locals and visitors to enjoy the delicacies of Lai Thieu. They may choose to be on boats floating along the river to enjoy the scenery of waterway and green trees.

Delicacies from fruits

Tourists would find it hard to resist the temptation of dishes made specifically from local fruits incurring the tastes of Vietnamese tradition and local choice, specifically expressing the Vietnamese dishes which make good use of gifts from the nature.

Mangosteen chosen for the mangosteen salad is raw but not too raw or too mature to gain the best flavor and crisp before adding spices and additives depending on dining tastes. Some may add shrimp and pork; some even add chicken but all would not miss fried peanuts and Vietnamese hot mint. The mangosteen salad can be dined with garlic and hot pepper fish sauce, fried or grilled rice paper.

Chicken grilled with durian is a famous dish of Lai Thieu thanks to its special ingredients. Visitors should taste it once visiting Binh Duong. Durian has its distinct flavor to create caramel coat on the chicken on grilling. The chicken is grilled with coated sauce to maintain sweetened liquid inside while creating crisp skin for the chicken. The dish is served with sweetened rice which is fried to crisp as a balance of flavor and win the heart of diners.

To taste the delicacies, visitors may visit No. 99 Hung Tho Quarter (Telephone number: 0274 3720118 or 01286 143043), No. 116 Hung Tho Quarter (Telephone number: 0984 258 024), Vuon Mang Restaurant at Binh Duc Quarter, Binh Nham Ward (Telephone number: 0274 3991678, and many more.

Reported by Khanh Dang – Translated by Vi Bao