Thu Hà

Cao Bằng Province’s former Bảo Lạc mountain district is a popular destination for backpackers and other tourists, who come in droves to see its beautiful, untouched landscapes, steep roads and mountain passes. But the area is also famous for its sweet and fragrant mận máu, or blood plums, which are often compared to cherries in Western countries.

Local resident Nguyễn Thị Sang told Việt Nam News that no one knows exactly how the blood plum got its name, although it is most likely named after the red colour of its flesh.

Most visitors to the district agree that the fruit is unforgettable, she said, adding that the plums are a source of local pride.

Bảo Lạc District's special blood plums are unforgettable. Photos baocaobang.vn

Master of science in agriculture Mông Thị Xuyến said the plum trees planted in Phan Thanh, Xuân Trường, Khánh Xuân, Đình Phùng and Huy Giáp villages grow tastier fruit compared with others in the district.

Blood plums are different from the Tam Hoa plum grown in Lào Cai’s former Bắc Hà District (Bắc Hà commune now), or the Hậu plum from Sơn La and Lai Châu provinces. These other plum varieties are bigger and rounder compared with the Bảo Lạc blood plum, which is slightly harder, sweeter and more fragrant, according to Xuyến.

The peak of the plum season is from June until late July, Xuyến said.

These distinctive plums are considered a rare fruit even locally, because they can be sold at high prices of up to VNĐ170,000 per kilo, said Xuyến, adding that this year's crop was sold out even before the fruit ripened, due to orders from traders in Cao Bằng.

A tree branch fully laden with ripe blood plums in Bảo Lạc District.

Sang said that so far this plum season, her family has already earned up to VNĐ80 million, marking record-high revenues from sales to traders in Hà Nội.

Phùng Ngọc Thủy, a trader in Hà Nôi, said she signed a contract with Sang and several other households in Bảo Lạc to purchase the fruit.

“I have a stable number of customers who say they are addicted to this Bảo Lạc plum. So despite the distance of more than 300km from Hà Nội to (former) Bảo Lạc District, we are trying our best to please our customers," Thủy said.

Plum blossoms bloom beautifully in spring, making Bảo Lạc even more lovely than usual.

Local resident Hà Kiều Vân said she has to pre-order to buy the fruit from a plum gardener in Phan Thanh’s Thắm Thon A Village to send it to her relatives in HCM City.

Thắm Thon A Village is thought to be one of the places where the specialty fruit originated.

“Although we live in Bảo Lạc, we still found it difficult to buy the fruit in the market, because the blood plums have mostly already been ordered by traders,” Vân said.

To preserve and protect the genetic resources of this special fruit so that cultivators can gradually increase its quality and quantity, the Cao Bằng Provincial Department of Science and Technology has collaborated on a project with the Fruit and Vegetable Research Institute in Hà Nội. The project aims to expand the plum's acreage and transfer advanced technology to local households, said Xuyến.

Guests and visitors enjoy the enchanted landscape of Bảo Lạc and its fruit specialties, including the blood plum.

“This summer, we are thrilled to enjoy Bảo Lạc’s great natural beauty and also get a good chance to try specialty fruit, such as Phan Thanh blood plums, Xuân Trường pears and Thượng Hà watermelons. For us, they are unforgettable,” said a backpacker. VNS