This type of flower is usually cut off from home gardens and dried into a specialty product that sells for 1.5 million VND/kg.

Nhat Thanh• July 31, 2019 09:50

Grown in many mountainous areas, harvested from May to October, male papaya flowers are considered a precious medicine, many people seek to buy them at quite expensive prices. Dried male papaya costs up to 800,000-1.5 million VND/kg.

In Vietnam, papaya is a popular fruit tree, grown in all regions. However, male papaya - the type of tree that does not produce fruit is often rarer and difficult to grow. Because everyone thinks, if the tree does not produce fruit, why plant it. However, male papaya flowers are a precious medicine, a specialty dish sold at a rather expensive price, not everyone can buy it.

Currently, consumers in Hanoi have to order months in advance to buy several kilograms of fresh and dried flowers to eat gradually. Stir-fried fresh papaya flowers are a very popular dish.
Hoa đu đủ đực là vị thuốc quý, được nhiều người lùng mua.
Male papaya flower is a precious medicine, sought after by many people.

Male papaya flowers bloom only once a year. The flowers are white, grow in small clusters like morning glory flowers, and have a slightly bitter taste. Fresh flowers are often used for stir-frying or making soup, but the quantity is small because they cannot be kept for long. Dried flowers are used to make tea.

Hanoi consumers often have to ask acquaintances to order from Dien Bien at quite expensive prices, up to 1 million VND/kg for dried flowers, even peaking in years of bad harvest when the price of flowers reaches 1.2-1.5 million VND/kg. Fresh flowers are cheaper, priced at 400,000 VND/kg but are rare because of difficult transportation, and if left for a long time, they will lose nutrients. Therefore, people often dry them, vacuum-pack them for year-round use.
Giá 1kg hoa đu đủ đực khô khá đắt đỏ, dao động từ 800.000-1,5 triệu đồng
The price of 1kg of dried male papaya flower is quite expensive, ranging from 800,000 - 1.5 million VND.

People only harvest papaya flowers once a year, from May to October. Fresh flowers are used as stir-fried vegetables or mixed in salads, soups, and mainly dried and stored for year-round use as medicine. Dried flowers only need to be boiled in water to drink as usual, or soaked in honey to help reduce the bitterness of the flowers, making them easier to drink, especially for children. Dried flowers need to be stored in a dry place, for a longer shelf life.


Hoa đu đủ có vị đắng nhẹ, thường sắc nước uống hoặc ngâm với mật ong để bồi bổ sức khỏe.
Papaya flowers have a slightly bitter taste, often boiled in water to drink or soaked in honey to improve health.
According to physician Vu Quoc Trung (Vietnam Oriental Medicine Association), male papaya flower is a folk remedy that has medicinal uses such as curing coughs, prolonged asthma, sore throat, detoxification and some other diseases such as blood pressure, cardiovascular disease,...
The flower has a bitter taste and can be used fresh or dried.
However, depending on each person's constitution and physical condition, not everyone can use this flower. Therefore, everyone should learn carefully before using. Usually, with dry products, on average, only 10-20g should be used per day.

Nhat Thanh