In recent years, Luan Van pomelo has become a highly sought-after product. At this time of year, visitors to Luan Van Village can see groves of pomelo trees gradually turning red, signaling that the harvest is nearing its peak ahead of the Lunar New Year.
Nguyen Van Tu, 60, is among those who have spent nearly their entire lives cultivating Luan Van pomelos. He recalls that several decades ago, for a variety of reasons, the Luan Van pomelo gradually fell into decline and faced the risk of disappearing altogether. Fortunately, thanks to the dedication of local growers and timely intervention by authorities at various levels, the prized variety was preserved, allowing its cultivation to continue to this day.
At present, Mr. Tu’s family owns more than four hectares of Luan Van pomelo orchards, with an estimated yield of around 10,000 fruits this season. Traders have already placed advance orders for more than 4,000 pomelos to meet demand ahead of the upcoming Lunar New Year.
According to gardener Nguyen Van Tu, Luan Van pomelo trees propagated through branch grafting begin bearing fruit after about four years. Each year, flowering typically starts around the first or second month of the lunar calendar, but the long growing cycle means the fruit does not fully ripen until the 11th or 12th lunar month. Each tree yields an average of 40 to 50 pomelos, with individual fruits weighing between 0.5 and 1.5 kilograms.
Young Luan Van grapefruits are no different than normal grapefruits with green skin. They turn yellow between the seventh and eighth months and then gradually turn red in the tenth and eleventh months of the lunar calendar. The red hue develops first within the flesh before spreading outward to the peel. When fully ripe, the pomelo emits a mild, delicate fragrance, with juicy segments that remain firm rather than mushy.
Luan Van pomelos are widely favored not only for their flavor but also for their striking appearance. People often buy Luan Van grapefruits to offer to ancestors or give to others as a gift because the fruit, when ripe, is red from the peel to the segment, with a pleasant aroma. A Luan Van red pomelo costs about VND100,000 (US$3.8)–VND200,000 (US$7.6). Large grapefruits can be up to VND250,000 (US$9.5) per fruit.
Today, Luan Van pomelos are sold not only within Thanh Hoa Province but have also expanded into major markets such as Hanoi, Da Nang, and Ho Chi Minh City.
According to Mr. Phan Ba Tai, director of the Tho Xuong Agricultural Cooperative in Lam Son Commune, the area currently has nearly 60 hectares of red pomelo orchards, with around 100 households involved in cultivation. In 2024, the Luan Van red pomelo was officially recognized as a three-star OCOP product under “One Commune, One Product” program. Thanks to this variety, local farmers collectively generate revenues of tens of billions of Vietnamese dong each year.
