Dracontomelon is a fruit that has an outstanding sour taste. Thus, it has become a favorite ingredient in Asian food and beverages.
Introduction
Although it is not a well-known fruit worldwide, dracontomelon is widely grown in Southeast Asia. The usages and benefits of dracontomelon are great, so the local people use it as a part of their daily meals. Along with that, more and more recipes with dracontomelon are created. Now, let’s discover some interesting things about this unique fruit.
What is dracontomelon?
Dracontomelon can be called dracontomelon dao, Pacific Walnut,… It is a fruit in the family Anacardiaceae, popular in Asia. Dracontomelon has green skin, white flesh and is crispy when eaten. Green dracontomelon has a sour, mild acrid taste and unique fragrance. Ripe dracontomelon. When ripe, dracontomelon turns yellow and the taste is sweeter with a passionate fragrance.
The peak harvest season of dracontomelon lasts from 2 to 3 months, between June and September in Vietnam. These fruits are slightly fleshy drupes, produced in clusters, ripening from green to yellow. Because dracontomelon is quite hard, it can be stored in the freezer to use for a long time.
Dracontomelon is also used as a spice in Vietnam, which adds sourness to daily meals. Not only the fruits but young leaves of dracontomelon can also be cooked and eaten as vegetables. Besides, the wood of dracontomelon is considered an economical product.

Where is dracontomelon grown?
Dracontomelon is an evergreen tree, which is mainly grown in Southeast Asia and the Pacific islands. Dracontomelon can grow well in tropical, subtropical, or monsoonal climates. That’s why it is native to India, China, the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, etc. In Vietnam, dracontomelon appears on many roads in Hanoi as well as in the Northern provinces.
Vietnamese dracontomelon is also an export product. Frozen dracontomelon was exported to Australia in 2021 to meet the demand of Australian and overseas Vietnamese consumers. This proves that Vietnam is a good source of dracontomelon and other products from dracontomelon.

How does dracontomelon benefit health?
The popularity of dracontomelon is partly due to its health benefits. When ripe, it contains 80% water, the rest are organic acids, protein, glucid, calcium, phosphorus, iron, etc. Therefore, dracontomelon fruits can support your health and reduce many diseases.
- Strengthen the immune system, and increase metabolism in the body.
- Boost the digestive system thanks to its sourness.
- Relieve cough and sputum for children with simple remedies.
- Refresh and purify the body when using dracontomelon in food or beverage.
Source:
https://www.healthbenefitstimes.com/pacific-walnut/
How to enjoy dracontomelon?
Due to the short season of dracontomelon, Asian people create many recipes to use it. Dracontomelon when mixed with other ingredients can make several great drinks or dishes. The fruit is easily preserved in the fridge to use throughout the year.
Dishes with dracontomelon
- Add to soups
An easy way to use dracontomelon is to cut it into small pieces and add them to your soups. With its aroma and smooth sourness, the soups will be more delicious and can help to stimulate digestion. In summer, this is the most popular way to use dracontomelon in Vietnam.
- Stew with duck and pork
Sour dracontomelon is cooked with duck or pork, and other ingredients to make several great dishes. These dishes are often served with hot steamed rice. This is a good suggestion for summer. Not only do they have an unforgettable taste, but these food recipes will also relieve summer heat so well.
- Salted & sweet dry dracontomelon with ginger
This is a traditional snack of Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam. This recipe needs dracontomelon, sugar, ginger, and salt. The mixture will be heated until the green dracontomelon turns to an amber color and let them dry. Salted & sweet dry dracontomelon has a little spicy taste of ginger, added with the sourness, salty, and sweetness. This is a typical recipe with dracontomelon that you must try.

Drinks from dracontomelon
Dracontomelon mixed with sugar is known as sugar-preserved dracontomelon. It is not only a preservation method but also a delicious drink base. The combination of this fruit, sugar, and ginger creates a good refreshing drink. Adding some ice cubes, you will have a wonderful drink to cool off, especially in summer.

Know more about sugar-preserved dracontomelon:
With sugar-preserved dracontomelon, you can also blend with tea leaves to enjoy a special flavor. At FGC, we develop a unique formula and method of sugar dracontomelon tea, creating a distinctive taste. Its pleasant sour and sweet taste will make consumers satisfied. We commit to bringing the best quality sugar dracontomelon tea.
About Future Generation Co., Ltd
Future Generation Company Limited is one of the largest beverage suppliers in Vietnam, with 26 years of experience in production and export. FGC is equipped with modern machines such as Hotfill PET and TetraPak machines, ensuring high capacity production. FGC strives to achieve our mission to become Vietnam’s leading healthy beverage company. Our factories also meet international standards such as ISO, HACCP, etc. In addition, we constantly innovate our machinery system, strengthen production capacity, and increase productivity.
FGC also provides Private Label Services. With this service, we can help customers in researching and formulating beverages, designing product label packaging, and creating their own brands. This is an ideal solution for small and medium enterprises. Moreover, FGC provides free samples for customers to test before bulk orders. We also ensure delivery as fast as possible.
If you are tea distributors, tea importers, teashop managers, or even tea lovers, we are committed to being your prestigious tea source supplier in Vietnam!
Conclusion
Dracontomelon is quite common in Vietnam and some other countries in Asia. It is a good source of healthful substances, protein, and fiber. Dracontomelon can create diverse food and beverage recipes that should be known and consumed more in the world.
Contact
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