Top 9 Most Famous High-Value Lychee Varieties in Vietnam

Undoubtedly, Hung Yen is the homeland of Lychee Lồng. The Lychee Lồng tree has dark green leaves, thick and less curly at the leaf edge. Lychee Lồng fruit has thick kernels, small seeds, with an average fruit weight of 11-12g. The edible part of the lychee kernel accounts for 62-63% of the fruit weight, with a golden color, sweet taste, crispness, and a pleasant aroma. Lychee Lồng from Hung Yen has become a famous specialty nationwide. Especially in Hien Pagoda, Hung Yen province, where there is a lychee tree with an inscribed stele commemorating its ancient royal recognition. Lychee Lồng blooms during drizzly and chilly spring days. If you happen to visit during the lychee blossom season, you will be captivated by the gentle fragrance filling the air. By July, Lychee Lồng ripens. You will be amazed when passing through Hung Yen at this time. You can touch the swaying clusters of lychee fruit.

Lychee Lồng Hung Yen is a group of trees with fairly tall and wide canopies. The tree has a good number of green branches. Lychee leaves are bird feather-shaped, growing sparsely apart. Lychee blooms in spring with beautiful light yellow flowers. The lychee tree tolerates cold relatively well compared to some other species like longan and isn't overly picky about soil. The lychee tree adapts well to nutrient-rich soil, sandy loam soil. The pH level of 4.5 - 6.0 is most suitable. In addition to being grown from seeds, lychee is now commonly propagated by grafting or budding methods. Trees planted until the third year will bear fruit, and the fruiting period is quite long. Lychee trees prefer moisture but cannot tolerate flooding. When newly planted, water should be irrigated every 2 days. In the following months, reduce the frequency of watering. In the dry season, increase the amount of water, while in the rainy season, avoid waterlogging the trees.

Peel Lychee is a robustly growing tree, with dark green leaves and tightly wrapped leaf edges. The peel lychee fruit is somewhat flattened, with a brownish-yellow peel, weighing 7 - 11 grams per fruit, with a peel ratio of 57 - 58%, and less sweetness and fragrance than litchi and sugar-apple lychees. This type of lychee is mainly dried for export as dried lychee. The peel vein lychee is actually one of the ancient peel lychee varieties from ancient times, easily distinguishable from other types of lychees. The lychee fruit has a yellow, smooth peel, and the flesh is milky white, thick, arranged in layers resembling clouds with fish-scale-like patterns. When eaten, it has a sweet and crispy taste. This lychee variety is harvested in the main crop in the sixth lunar month. The special feature of growing this lychee variety is mainly 'going with nature,' not preferring industrial care methods, so the yield is usually not as high as other common lychee varieties.

Currently, the lychee growing area in the province is about 4,845 hectares, of which about 4,200 hectares are for harvesting. However, the area planted with precious lychee varieties such as sugar-apple lychee, ancient peel lychee... accounts for less than 1% of the total lychee area in the province, so this product is almost not sold in the market. Peel vein lychee is an ancient lychee variety, with the characteristic of thick peel when ripe, marked with clear veins on the peel, and small seeds. When eaten, the peel is crispy, juicy, sweeter and more fragrant than many other lychee varieties in the region. This variety has a longer ripening time on the tree. Peel vein lychee meets the VietGAP certification standards. Peel vein lychee is the Second Prize winner at the '2020 Hung Yen Lychee Contest.'

In Hung Yen, there are various types of lychee. Based on the size, color, and flavor of the fruit, they are classified into many types such as: lychee with thick peel, lychee with seeds, lychee with grainy flesh, lychee with water, sugar lychee,... Among them, phenomenal sugar lychee is the most delicious type. Although this type of lychee may have a somewhat dull appearance and small fruit size, the fruit quality is extremely excellent, with crispy flesh, sweet taste, intense fragrance, and unforgettable flavor. Peeling the tiny bunch of phenomenal sugar lychee, you can see the thick layer of lychee flesh, golden shine, and moist veins layered on top of each other. Putting it in your mouth to taste, it feels absolutely wonderful. The phenomenal sugar lychee tree is widely grown in Hung Yen, with strong growth and good drought resistance. Phenomenal sugar lychee is currently being propagated and grown extensively in our country, especially in Quang Ngai province. The leaves are slightly inflated, with distinct veins, green color, and slightly wrapped leaf edges. The phenomenal sugar lychee

fruit is smaller than the ordinary lychee fruit, with an average weight of 7 - 11 grams.

Phenomenal sugar lychee is a precious type of lychee. It is a sought-after delicacy by gourmet enthusiasts. Those who have had the pleasure of tasting this type of lychee will surely always remember its sweet and fragrant taste. Hence, every June, when the lychee season arrives, they return to Hung Yen to search for and reminisce about that flavor. The elderly in Pho Hien used to call phenomenal sugar lychee the 'king of lychee,' the 'ancestral lychee,' anyone who has tasted it once will never forget it. During the lychee harvesting season, although the price of phenomenal sugar lychee is often three times higher than that of ordinary lychee, it is still very scarce. For a tree of phenomenal sugar lychee that wins the first prize, the yield can reach up to 2.5 quintals in a fruitful season, but in a lean season, it's only about 1.5 quintals.

Golden Rice Boat Lychee is grown in the Southern region, with robust growth and drought tolerance. The leaves of the tree are shiny on the leaf surface, with pointed tips and curved edges. The lychee fruit weighs 17 - 18 grams, with white, firm flesh, thick, chewy, and watery peel, over 60% flesh ratio, sweet and fragrant taste, with seeds intact, and golden peel color. Golden Rice Boat Lychee trees can bring about high and long-lasting economic efficiency, lasting about 30-40 years. The average revenue is about 400 million VND/ha/year. The tree is 5–10 meters tall. The bark is rough, grayish in color. The trunk has many branches, with dark green leaves all year round. The tree has a fairly wide and evenly distributed canopy. The leaves are feather-shaped, alternate, consisting of 5 to 9 narrow leaflets, 7–20 cm long, 2.5–5 cm wide. The fruit is boat-shaped, with a yellow-brown membranous peel, with many small black-brown spots on the fruit surface. The fruit flesh is slightly yellowish-white. The fruit flesh is crunchy, firm, and prone to falling.

The fruiting season is around July-August. Golden Rice Boat Lychee trees are relatively more cold-resistant than other trees of the same genus like longan, and they are also less soil-specific. Golden Rice Boat Lychee is easy to grow, less prone to diseases, and requires minimal care. Golden Rice Boat Lychee trees usually bloom in late April of the lunar calendar and are harvested in June of the lunar calendar each year. Each lychee tree can yield from several dozen to over 100kg of fruit per crop, and with good care, it can yield up to 200kg of fruit. Thanks to low investment costs and relatively stable profits, since 2012, many households in Khanh Hoa commune have established orchards to grow golden rice boat lychee. With the characteristics of large, crispy, delicious, sweet fruit, beautiful appearance, and high quality, the product golden rice boat lychee is favored by many customers, and its price is relatively high.

In addition to the litchi, Hung Yen also has the Hương Chi lychee variety. These two types of lychee are highly favored and chosen as seeds for cultivation by many people. The Hương Chi lychee variety has low trees with wide, circular canopies, making them easy to care for and protect from pests and diseases. The Hương Chi lychee fruit is large (average 13 - 14 grams per fruit), with thin skin, small seeds, crispy flesh, and a very fragrant, beautiful appearance. The Hương Chi lychee variety is favored by many gardeners. This is a delicious lychee variety originating from the garden of Mrs. Hương Chi in Hong Chau ward, Hung Yen town, so it is called Hương Chi lychee. An outstanding advantage of this lychee variety is that it blooms in many cycles. If the first bloom fails due to unfavorable weather, there will be a second or third bloom, resulting in more stable yields compared to other lychee varieties.

The fruit clusters are of the uneven type, with an average weight of over 1 kg per cluster. Large clusters can weigh 2-3 kg each. When ripe, the flesh is thick, crispy, easy to peel, juicy, with small seeds and thin skin, and the fruit appearance is beautiful. In Bac Giang, the Hương Chi lychee variety has been propagated and is now widely cultivated and harvested, with very good yields. Similar to Luc Ngan lychee, Hương Chi lychee products grown and harvested in Bac Giang continue to receive support from domestic enterprises through purchase and consumption at the source.

Currently in Hung Yen, Miền Thiết lychee is considered even better than litchi. It is named after Mr. Miền and Mrs. Thiết - the two individuals who created this lychee variety. The flowering and fruiting rate of this lychee variety is very stable. Miền Thiết lychee fruit is large, with thick flesh, very fragrant, and of high economic value. The Miền Thiết lychee variety has also been cultivated in Moc Chau, Son La, Dien Bien, Nghe An, Hai Phong, and many other localities. However, just like litchi, Miền Thiết lychee grown in Hung Yen is the best, so the 'Hung Yen lychee' brand seems to have no... rival! According to local experience, Miền Thiết lychee is divided into three stages: early crop, main crop, and late crop. If the early crop starts from July to the end of August, then the main crop starts from the end of August to the end of September. The late crop is from September to November, although these are late-ripening lychees, they are still delicious with thick, juicy flesh, fragrant aroma, and sweet taste.

Miền Thiết lychee has many advantages over other lychee varieties: high purity, stable flowering and fruiting rate; large fruit, thick flesh, fragrant aroma, hence high economic value. Lychee is a delicious fruit with high nutritional value and medicinal properties: According to traditional medicine, lychee flesh has a sweet taste, warm nature, and has the effect of nourishing the heart and calming the mind. According to many studies, regular consumption of lychee can slow down the aging process, improve sleep, enhance body immunity, reduce blood fat, inhibit inflammatory cells, increase blood flow in arteries, and reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Lychee can be used as a fruit or processed into dishes such as specialty litchi and lotus seed sweet soup of the North.

Not only does the Hà Tây Late Harvest Lychee yield high productivity, but it also boasts a much more delicious flavor compared to other lychee varieties. Thanks to their superb quality, this lychee variety was awarded a brand by the Ministry of Agriculture in 2007.

The Hà Tây Late Harvest Lychee has many advantages over other lychee varieties, such as large-sized fruits, thick and juicy pulp, and high sugar content. Moreover, their thin skin makes them easy to eat. On average, there are about 105 fruits per kilogram. The Hà Tây Late Harvest Lychee is the latest and longest harvesting variety among lychee varieties, taking approximately 50 days to mature.

The Hà Tây Late Harvest Lychee is known for its excellent resistance to pests and diseases, high tolerance to humidity, and ability to thrive in various regions while still producing delicious fruits with high yields. Due to its late harvesting nature compared to other varieties, it commands a higher price, thus offering great economic potential for its development.

Mã River Lychee is a specialty of Sơn La region. These lychees are fragrant, with thin skin, large fruits, and a sweeter, cooler taste compared to other varieties. Consequently, the price of this lychee type is quite high. Currently, the Sông Mã district (Sơn La) has an area of 6,736 hectares dedicated to lychee cultivation, yielding nearly 30,000 tons, which is more than one and a half times the area of lychee cultivation in Hưng Yên province, making it the largest lychee-growing region in the country. To promote and introduce this distinctive product, the Sông Mã district organizes the Sông Mã Lychee Festival annually. During these days, the lychee region is bustling with activity, with the government, local residents, cooperatives, and businesses working together to enhance the value of the lychee fruit. One of the main reasons that makes Mã River Lychee famous is the favorable natural conditions of the land, which is enriched by sandy soil from the Mã River, coupled with a hot and humid climate ideal for lychee trees to thrive.

The lychees here are large, with thin skin, thick pulp, small seeds, and particularly sweet and fragrant, making them highly favored by consumers. Mã River Lychee has become known to domestic consumers and is expanding its export market to many countries. Among them, China is a promising market, highly appreciating the appearance and quality of Mã River Lychee. With its large area and high yield, Sơn La Lychee and the lychees from Sông Mã district are becoming the largest lychee-growing regions in the country. In recent years, in line with the province's policy, Sơn La has been converting local low-yield lychee varieties to grafting Hung Yen lychee varieties, late-ripening lychees, and planting new lychee varieties, with over 80% of the area having been renovated. Thanks to the suitable soil and climate of Sơn La, lychee trees grow quickly, producing large, delicious fruits highly praised by domestic and international consumers.