Vietnamese green mangosteens flown to the US cause a 'fever', priced at nearly 3 million VND/kg

Although not a new dish, recently, mangosteen chicken salad has suddenly become a "fever" on many online forums about tourism and quickly created a culinary trend, attracting customers to "catch the trend".

Also because of the attraction of the salad of the same name, green mangosteen - the main ingredient to make this specialty - is also sought after by diners, even though the price is dozens of times higher than ripe mangosteen.

Mangosteen chicken salad - a specialty of Binh Duong has been causing a "storm" on the internet in recent days (Photo: Huynh Hong Dao).

Not only "making waves" in the domestic market, on some Vietnamese groups in the US, green mangosteen also attracts a lot of attention and is being sold for 120 USD/kg (more than 2.8 million VND).

Even peeled green mangosteen costs more, up to $182 for 3.3 lbs (about VND4.2 million for 1.5 kg).

According to the seller in the US, this is green mangosteen hand-carried directly from Vietnam, not refrigerated, so it is guaranteed to be fresh and of good quality. In particular, the mangosteen is also peeled, put in a vacuum bag, and stored in ice to help keep it white, crispy and not lose its flavor.

When buying, diners just need to process it immediately to make salad or dip it in salt, both are delicious.

Green mangosteen is being advertised widely on many Vietnamese groups in the US (Screenshot).

A Vietnamese man in Houston, USA sells peeled green mangosteen for about 4.2 million VND for 1.5 kg (Screenshot).

Not only in the US, in Canada, green mangosteen is also sold by Vietnamese people here at 25 USD/kg (about 590,000 VND), the unpeeled type, originating from Lai Thieu (Binh Duong) and 60 USD/kg (about 1.4 million VND) peeled green mangosteen. Customers who want to buy must order 1-2 weeks in advance.

The reason why green mangosteen is expensive is because the preparation process is elaborate and the flesh obtained is quite small (Photo: Truc Green).

Despite its high price, green mangosteen is still ordered by many Vietnamese people abroad, spending a lot of money to enjoy.

Ms. Phuc Le (in Texas, USA) said that it is almost impossible to find green mangosteen in supermarkets in the US, so she had to order in advance from an acquaintance who specializes in selling Vietnamese food in the US to "reserve a spot" to buy green mangosteen.

“I grew up in Binh Duong and am familiar with ripe mangosteen, but I only had the chance to enjoy chicken salad made from green mangosteen a few times when I visited my hometown a few years ago. This dish is very delicious, so even though it is expensive, I still try to buy it for my whole family to enjoy,” said Ms. Phuc.

However, many people are hesitant about this dish because of its high price. “I am quite curious about green mangosteen and want to try the taste of mangosteen chicken salad, but the high cost is beyond my means. I will have to wait until I have the chance to return to Vietnam to enjoy it,” said Kim Jessi, a Vietnamese living in Florida, USA.

Phan Dau

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