'Tips' to help buyers identify Phuc Trach grapefruit

(Baonghean.vn) - Currently, Vinh city is flooded with places selling grapefruits that are said to be Phuc Trach grapefruits - a precious specialty of Huong Khe district (Ha Tinh province). Buyers are wondering about these places selling "Genuine Phuc Trach grapefruits", not knowing if they are real Phuc Trach grapefruits or just "borrowing the brand"? So how to identify the right Phuc Trach grapefruit?

Grapefruit is sold a lot in Vinh city, even on street corners, market corners, everywhere the sellers advertise it as "genuine" Phuc Trach grapefruit.

These days, all over Truong Chinh Street, Le Viet Thuat Street and many corners of Vinh Market, Ga Market, Quang Trung Market, Quan Lau Market, Cua Dong Market... are flooded with grapefruit selling points. And most of the sellers here are 100% sure that these are genuine Phuc Trach grapefruit.

According to some people in Huong Khe district, this is the main season for Phuc Trach grapefruit. Along with the "genuine" Phuc Trach grapefruit, other types of grapefruit are also transported from all over the country to gather near Huong Khe market and Huong Pho station for sale, causing many traders from other places to confuse them with the "specialty" Phuc Trach grapefruit.

Phuc Trach grapefruit has thin skin, looks juicy, and the grapefruit segments do not stick to the skin when peeled...

Identifying whether it is a "standard" Phuc Trach grapefruit imported from Phuc Trach grapefruit gardens in Huong Khe district (Ha Tinh) or not requires the buyer to have a keen eye and many years of experience eating this famous grapefruit.

In addition, buying from acquaintances and asking for accurate information from the growers of Phuc Trach grapefruit in Huong Khe district is an important factor that helps customers easily distinguish between real Phuc Trach grapefruit and "fake" Phuc Trach grapefruit.

Ms. Nguyen Thu Hien (Bac Linh hamlet, Huong Trach commune, Huong Khe, Ha Tinh), a person with decades of experience growing Phuc Trach grapefruit, said: “Phuc Trach grapefruit has a thin skin, looks juicy, and feels firm in the hand. There are often tiny spots on the surface of the grapefruit, when ripe the grapefruit turns bright yellow, and the grapefruit segments do not stick to the back. Phuc Trach grapefruit has small and medium sized fruits, and very few fruits that are too large.”

On the surface of Phuc Trach grapefruit there are often tiny spots. When ripe, the grapefruit turns bright yellow and feels firm in the hand.

According to long-time Phuc Trach grapefruit vendors at Vinh market, inexperienced grapefruit buyers can identify grapefruit from the outside of the peel. The best way is to peel the grapefruit to be accurate. Phuc Trach grapefruit usually has a thin peel and back, the grapefruit segments are pink or white, plump and crunchy, and have a sweet taste when eaten.

In previous years, Phuc Trach grapefruit was sold wholesale for 40-60 thousand VND/fruit, and retail for 90-200 thousand VND/fruit. This year, the weather is warm, and people who grow grapefruit in Huong Khe district are afraid that the grapefruit will ripen and they will not be able to sell it in time, so they are selling it at a cheaper price than last year. The price is unstable, so it is not certain that the price can be used to identify genuine grapefruit. In Huong Khe, there are currently hundreds of households growing this "special" grapefruit, each household harvests at least 5,000 - 10,000 grapefruits. The sale of grapefruit mixed with other types of grapefruit is causing difficulties for Phuc Trach grapefruit growers and reducing consumer confidence in prominent brands.

Thien Thien - Vuong Van