Cantonese lemons are experiencing a price surge in Vietnam.

Fresh lemons from Guangdong, China, which were imported into Vietnam only three months ago, are now experiencing a "craze," selling for three times the price of Vietnamese lemons.

On the market, seedless lemons from Vietnam are retailing for 15,000-20,000 VND per kilogram, while lemons from Guangdong are priced at 55,000-60,000 VND per kilogram, which is three times higher than the Vietnamese variety. However, these prices have cooled down somewhat compared to August, when they first entered Vietnam and each kilogram reached 100,000 VND.

Mr. Thanh, a seller of Cantonese lemons in Hanoi , said that he imports tons every day but sells them all out.

Ms. Han, a supplier of fresh lemons in Binh Phuoc, also said that orders are placed in advance in large quantities despite the high prices. According to her, fresh lemons from Guangdong are large, oval-shaped, pointed at both ends, with thick skin, dark green color, and a distinctive aroma, subtly reminiscent of lemongrass and pomelo.

Lemons from Guangdong (China) are imported to Vietnam. Photo: Hoang Nguyen — Lemons from Guangdong (China) are imported to Vietnam. Photo: *Hoang Nguyen*

Explaining the price surge of this type of lemon, vendors said it was due to the popularity of handmade lemon tea among Vietnamese youth . This drink has appeared on streets throughout Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi. Many vendors reported long queues of customers taking numbers to wait for their turn to buy. Each glass of handmade lemon tea sells for 20,000-35,000 VND.

The main ingredient for making a glass of freshly squeezed lime tea is fresh Guangdong lime (also known as fragrant green Guangdong lime). This type is widely grown in Guangdong city (China) and is quite similar to the seedless limes of Vietnam.

"Only this type of lemon can make a glass of freshly squeezed lemonade with the same authentic taste as the original product from Guangdong. This time, the shops selling freshly squeezed lemonade in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi are expanding, so they've increased their lemon purchases by 10-20%," said Mr. Thanh.

Ms. Hanh, the owner of a bubble tea shop in Binh Thanh District (Ho Chi Minh City), said that her shop sells hundreds of cups of handmade lemon tea every day. "In the past few days, the shop's sales have improved, with customers buying at the counter and also ordering online," she shared.

According to beverage vendors, hand-ground lemon tea has an appealing flavor; the hand-grinding process captures the full aroma of lemongrass, bamboo leaves, pomelo, and lemon essential oil without any bitterness or astringency. When brewed, the lemon flavor is also very fragrant and delicious, requiring no additional ingredients. Currently, no other type of lemon can replace it.

According to traders, Guangdong lemons weigh 8-10 fruits per kilogram. This type also became very popular in China when the trend of hand-crushed lemon tea emerged.

Thi Ha

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