Lucky Doi tree in Western Nghe An

(Baonghean.vn) – With just one Doi tree, each year it brings Mr. Luong Van Vinh's family, Cang village, Chau Tien commune (Quy Hop - Nghe An) 30 million VND.

Mr. Luong Van Vinh with the doi seeds collected from his family's doi tree. Photo: Ho Phuong

For the past 5 years, Mr. Vinh's family's Doi tree has regularly generated more than 30 million VND/year in revenue from selling seeds as spices.

Doi seeds are as small as chopsticks and red in color. When crushed, the seeds have a fragrant, spicy taste.

Mr. Vinh said that since he was born, he has seen the Doi tree growing in his garden. He also said that this area used to be dense with many large trees. However, over time, people have cut it down, sawed the wood to build houses or sold it. Mr. Vinh's Doi tree was also cut down at the base. He thought the tree would die like other large trees, but surprisingly, it not only survived but also grew tall and produced a lot of fruit every year.

Before Doi seeds became a popular spice for cooking, Mr. Vinh only collected them to serve his family's needs. In recent years, consumer demand for Doi seeds has increased, so his family has collected seeds to sell. Mr. Vinh affirmed that with just one Doi tree, his family has earned more than 30 million VND per year. "This year, the fruit is not as much as the ones outside, but there are still more than 20kg of dried Doi seeds," said Mr. Vinh.

Ripe Doi fruit. Photo: Ho Phuong

From September to the end of November is the time when the dổi tree bears fruit. When the dổi fruit is ripe, it will crack and fall. Mr. Vinh said that every 2 days, his family collects it once. There are also days when Mr. Vinh has to use a pole to poke it down because customers request it.

Mr. Vi Van Luan, a resident of Chau Tien commune, expressed his excitement: “Mr. Vinh’s family is very lucky. In the past, the whole village and commune had a lot of wild Do trees, but everyone cut them all down. Only Mr. Vinh’s family has trees left.”

Mr. Vinh's family's Doi tree. Photo: Ho Phuong

Doi seeds are considered a special spice in the Western region of Nghe An. Doi seeds can be used in Oriental medicine, especially as a spice in meals. Currently on the market, 1kg of Doi seeds costs from 1.5 to 1.8 million VND.

Ho Phuong