Unique Binh Dinh: Village growing giant squash, fruit weighing over 60kg - Lang Son Newspaper and Radio and Television

Unique giant squash village in Binh Dinh.

In the middle of the "rotten" land of Binh Dinh, there is Chanh Trach village in My Tho commune, Phu My district, which is famous for its giant squash vines that can weigh up to 60kg.

Here, the locals have preserved the special traditional squash seeds from many generations and they only grow huge when planted on this land. So far, no one has been able to successfully propagate them, although the seeds have been brought to many places.

Mr. Nguyen Dinh Giao (63 years old), who has grown giant squash for more than 50 years, said that every early January, the whole village is busy planting squash. Children help set up the trellis, adults carefully select each seed, and care for each plant as if raising a rare creature. By mid-May - June, the squashes reach "huge" size and weight.

When ready to harvest, each giant squash weighs 30 - 40kg, and if given more time to grow, a squash weighing over 60kg is common. Because of the "huge" weight of the squash, the people of Chanh Trach village had to build concrete pillars and separate supports, and tie strong ropes to the trellis for fear that the stem would not be able to bear the weight.

According to Mr. Ba Bien (61 years old), if people want the squash to reach its maximum size and weight, they only leave one squash fruit on each vine, so that nutrients can concentrate on growing the fruit. At the same time, they must plant alternately so that the soil is not barren.

The giant squash is considered by the people of Chanh Trach village as a symbol of abundance and luck. This special agricultural product is often reserved for sale to tourists who come to visit or to traders who cut it into small pieces to sell retail or process it into other products.

According to gardeners, this squash variety is of high quality, has thick flesh, few seeds, and a sweet, cool taste. It is delicious when cooked into a beverage, soup, or jam. The price of squash ranges from 8,000 to 12,000 VND/kg.

Currently, the giant squash village of Chanh Trach is developing a community tourism model and becoming an attractive tourist destination. (Photo: Le Dinh Hieu Hanh)