5 types of Chinese dates commonly sold in Vietnamese markets, easily confused by consumers.

Stone apples, mini apples, Chinese apples, bleached apples, and cherry apples are the names of five types of Chinese apples currently flooding Vietnamese markets. If consumers don't know how to distinguish them, they may mistakenly buy these Chinese apples, even if they don't want to.

According to a leader of the Plant Protection Department (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development), because we are a neighbor of China, we usually import whatever fruits China produces. Notably, some fruits are imported year-round in fairly large quantities, such as grapes, oranges, pears, and apples.

Regarding Chinese apples, Vietnam imports not just one but several varieties, and at this time, there are up to five different types of Chinese apples being sold in the markets.

Red-pink bleached apples

The most familiar type of Chinese apple to consumers is the "washed apple"—a name commonly used by traders at wholesale markets. In local markets, however, vendors call it the "sugar apple."

This type of apple is characterized by its beautiful, glossy skin, reddish-pink color, large, uniform size, sweet taste, and very fragrant aroma. Apples are imported year-round and are always available at fruit stalls. However, now is peak season, so there is a larger supply of these apples.

Sugar apples are imported year-round.

At wholesale markets, a 12kg box of peeled apples costs around 100,000 VND (approximately 8,000 VND/kg), while premium peeled apples cost 160,000 VND per 12kg box (approximately 13,000 VND/kg). Upon reaching local markets, peeled apples are priced at 40,000 VND/kg for large, high-quality apples; smaller apples cost 30,000 VND/kg.

Stone apple

Another type of Chinese apple worth mentioning is the "rock apple." More than a decade ago, rock apples existed under the name "Ha Giang rock apples" to deceive consumers. This is because Chinese rock apples are ugly, with varying sizes, some worm-eaten, some misshapen, etc. When harvested, the apples are often unevenly colored, with half red and the other half still green, very similar to the apples harvested in the mountainous regions of Vietnam.

However, rock apples are popular with consumers not only because they are labeled as "clean fruit," but also because they are crispy, sweet, and incredibly cheap, costing only 35,000 VND/kg at the beginning of the season and only 25,000 VND/kg in the middle of the season like now.

Chinese rock apples are being labeled as "Ha Giang rock apples".

Around this time last year, authorities exposed the fact that the "stone apples" were not from Ha Giang, but were actually from China.

Jujube

Unlike other types of apples, Chinese apples look quite similar to the small, green-skinned sour apples of Vietnam, about the size of a thumb. The only difference is that their skin has alternating dark, dull patches, resembling rotten apples.

Jujubes, advertised as having medicinal properties, are known for their crisp texture and slightly sweet taste, and have only recently become widely available in Vietnamese markets in the last two years.

Jujubes are considered to be highly nutritious and beneficial to health.

Jujubes are currently in season, so they are widely available from local markets to online marketplaces, with prices ranging from 70,000 to 90,000 VND per kilogram, depending on the variety.

Some people, even though they know these are jujubes, still buy them out of curiosity, while others think they are wild fruits and buy them to make wine or jam, believing they have health benefits.

Mini pink apples

Another type of Chinese apple flooding the markets is the mini pink apple. Its distinguishing feature is its slightly pink color and small size, about the size of a plum. At first glance, it looks quite similar to New Zealand's Rocket apple.

When eating mini pink apples, you'll find the taste quite similar to regular apples, meaning they're also crisp, sweet, and fragrant. One kilogram contains about 20-22 apples. The price at the market currently ranges from 35,000 to 40,000 VND/kg.

Mini pink apples are now flooding markets in large quantities.

At wholesale markets, the price of mini pink apples ranges from 15,000 to 20,000 VND/kg, depending on the variety. Notably, wholesale vendors say that mini pink apples are in season, so the markets are overflowing with them, and there's an unlimited supply.

This is also the second year this type of apple has been available on the Vietnamese market, sparking curiosity among many housewives who have bought them to try.

Apples

These are brand-new varieties of Chinese apples that have just appeared on the market. Traders at the wholesale market call them cherry apples because the fruit is small, similar in size to a plum. Notably, their skin is a reddish-yellow color, quite similar to the yellow cherries found in the United States.

According to vendors, this type of apple is a plum hybrid, with a slightly sour taste rather than the sweetness of other Chinese varieties like bleached apples, rock apples, or mini pink apples, but it has a very glossy and beautiful appearance. The wholesale price of cherry apples is 35,000 VND/kg.

Cherry apples are about the size of plums and have a sweet and sour taste.

Currently, cherry apples are a hot item at retail fruit stalls and online stores because consumers are very curious and want to buy them to try. Their price therefore ranges from 55,000 to 70,000 VND per kilogram.

According to VNN