Protected local food
Binh Thuan Dragon Fruit
ビントゥアン ドラゴンフルーツ
Dragon fruit from Binh Thuan province in southern Vietnam, sweeter and less tart than dragon fruit from elsewhere in the country. It is registered in Japan's GI system.
Key facts
- Registered as a protected name
- 7 October 2021
- Region
- Official name in Japanese
- ビントゥアン ドラゴンフルーツ
- Official area (in Japanese)
- ベトナム国ビントゥアン省のハムタン県、ハムトゥアンナム県、ハムトゥアンバック県、バックビン県及びファンティエット市
Sweeter, less tart
Binh Thuan dragon fruit, thanh long Binh Thuan in Vietnamese, is sweeter and less acidic than dragon fruit from other parts of Vietnam. Compared with Long An, the second-biggest producer, it has about 10% more sugar and 9% less acid.
Like home
Dragon fruit comes from the Americas, where it grows in dry places. Binh Thuan, around Phan Thiet, gets little rain and has poor grey sandy soil that drains fast, much like the plant's native habitat. The cactus hates wet roots, so it thrives here.
Protected in Japan
Japan lists Binh Thuan dragon fruit in its GI register, so the name is protected there just like a Japanese food.
Good to know
- Binh Thuan is also home to the Mui Ne sand dunes and beaches near Phan Thiet.
- Compare with Luc Ngan Lychee, another Vietnamese fruit in Japan's GI register.
Questions travellers ask
What does Japan's GI registration mean?
Only products from the registered area, made the registered way, may use the name in Japan. Foreign GIs are protected there in the same way as Japanese ones.
Where is Binh Thuan?
On the south-central coast of Vietnam, east of Ho Chi Minh City, around Phan Thiet.
Where it comes from
Sources
We checked the facts on this page against these sources.