7 Specialty Foods from Phu Quoc to Bring Home as Gifts

Phu Quoc is a large island located in the southwest of Vietnam. It is famous for its emerald-green beaches and endlessly long, smooth white sand. When exploring the distinctive beauty of this green sea region, besides enjoying the scenery and immersing yourself in the cool waters, you shouldn’t miss Phu Quoc’s specialties. After your trip, you can choose from Phu Quoc’s specialties to bring home as gifts. Let's take a look at Vietjet’s list of specialty foods from Phu Quoc to bring home as gifts!

Phu Quoc Island is an ideal place to witness the sunset, as the sun gradually sets over the sea.

1. Top 7 Specialty Foods from Phu Quoc to Bring Home as Gifts

1.1 Ham Ninh Crab

After your trip to Phu Quoc’s beaches, the delicacies with a strong sea flavor are always the best gifts to bring home. Among them, seafood is one of the must-try and best to gift to loved ones. In Phu Quoc, Ham Ninh crab is a specialty you must take home. Ham Ninh crab is famous for its firm, fresh meat and abundant roe. To transport this Phu Quoc specialty, ensure it is well-packed, kept cold, and boxed to maintain its freshness.

The average price for 1kg of Ham Ninh crab is around 200,000 VND.

1.2 Sea Cucumbers

When visiting Phu Quoc, you will likely hear about sea cucumbers. Known as the "ginseng of the ocean," sea cucumbers are a precious gift to bring home for friends and family after your trip to the Pearl Island of Kien Giang. There are two types of sea cucumbers: black and white. Usually, people buy dried sea cucumbers as gifts since they are easier to preserve and transport. You can prepare sea cucumber dishes such as sea cucumber porridge, stir-fried sea cucumber with shiitake mushrooms, or soak them in wine for a nutritious treat.

Dried sea cucumbers are more expensive than fresh ones bought directly in Phu Quoc. On average, dried sea cucumbers cost between 2,000,000 - 3,000,000 VND/kg.

1.3 Phu Quoc Fish Sauce

In a coastal region abundant with seafood and various types of marine fish like Phu Quoc, fish sauce is a must-have specialty. The unique feature of Phu Quoc fish sauce is that it uses anchovies, fermented in wooden barrels made from the island’s forest trees. Phu Quoc fish sauce has a natural amber color, obtained by fermenting the fresh fish with their blood for over 12 months, resulting in high-protein fish sauce. Therefore, Phu Quoc fish sauce has become a famous specialty not only in Vietnam but also internationally.

Phu Quoc fish sauce is traditionally fermented for a long time, resulting in high-protein, delicious fish sauce.

Due to its high quality, Phu Quoc fish sauce is priced higher than regular fish sauce. Tourists can buy this Phu Quoc specialty for about 150,000 - 200,000 VND per liter.

1.4 Sim Wine Phu Quoc

Phu Quoc Island, besides its pristine blue beaches, is blessed by nature with sprawling forests of rose myrtle. Every season, ripe rose myrtle fruits are harvested and processed into delicious Phu Quoc sim wine, which intoxicates drinkers with its aroma. These rose myrtle fruits are fermented with cane sugar, creating a deeply hued drink that offers a memorable bitter-sweet taste. Therefore, when used as a gift, this Phu Quoc specialty easily captures the heart, leaving a lasting impression from the very first sip.

Sim Wine Phu Quoc is priced around 250,000 VND per bottle.

1.5 Phu Quoc Pepper

In addition to rose myrtle forests, pepper is also extensively cultivated in Phu Quoc. With its numerous cool pepper gardens, Phu Quoc distributes a large quantity of high-value pepper. Unlike other peppers in the country, Phu Quoc pepper has a strong, aromatic, and enticingly spicy taste. There are several types of pepper produced in Phu Quoc such as black pepper, red pepper, and white pepper. Among them, for gifting purposes, tourists should choose red pepper and white pepper for their unique colors and distinctive spicy aroma compared to regular pepper.

Each type of pepper has a different price. Red pepper averages about 250,000 VND per kg, while white pepper can reach 300,000 - 400,000 VND per kg.

Moreover, the islanders also process various specialty dishes made from pepper, such as pink pepper salt, pepper candy, and pickled pepper in vinegar. These dishes are also suitable for tourists to buy as gifts.

1.6 Khéo Cake Phu Quoc

Walking through the markets on Phu Quoc Island, you will surely be curious about the many uniquely shaped cakes with vibrant colors that you have never seen elsewhere. These are the Khéo cakes, one of Phu Quoc's specialty foods. Particularly when passing through the Dinh Cau night market under the lights, Khéo cakes easily attract the eyes of tourists with their attractive appearance, diverse shapes, and colors.

Khéo cakes are made from delicious rice flour, crafted meticulously by skilled bakers. They come in various unique flavors such as vanilla, chocolate, mung bean, coconut, and durian. When eaten, you will experience the crispy outer shell combined with a soft, chewy filling that melts in your mouth. Because of this uniqueness, Khéo cakes are perfect as gifts for loved ones and friends after each trip to the Pearl Island of Kien Giang.

Khéo cakes are sold by weight, priced at approximately 120,000 VND per kg.

See more: 10+ new, free and super interesting Phu Quoc tourist destinations

1.7 Bamboo Shark

Visiting Phu Quoc Island, there is a type of fish found only here, known as the bamboo shark. Bamboo sharks are also known as "baby sharks" or "milk sharks." This is a specialty of Phu Quoc, a dish that tourists should try when visiting this island. When enjoying bamboo shark, you will clearly taste its delicious and sweet flavor through each piece of meat. This dish has a neutral taste, lots of flesh, and few bones, making it easy to eat. Because of its uniqueness, bamboo shark is often chosen as a gift after a trip to Phu Quoc.

Fresh shark is sold in markets. This type of fish has another name, milk shark, but it is completely different from the sharks we often know.

Normally, dried shark bars will be bought by many people as gifts. Just need to clean, then fry or grill, then you can dip it in tamarind sauce and eat it immediately or tear it into small pieces and mix it with vegetables to make a salad.

The price for this special Phu Quoc specialty is only from 300,000 - 400,000 VND per kilogram.

2. Places to Buy Specialties in Phu Quoc

2.1 Ham Ninh Fishing Village

Ham Ninh Fishing Village is a destination favored by many tourists when they want to buy fresh, delicious local specialties at affordable prices. You can visit in the morning when fishing boats return with fresh catches, or directly visit Ham Ninh Market nearby. Besides fresh seafood, you can easily find various dried specialties, Phu Quoc fish sauce, sim wine, etc.

Address: At the foot of Ham Ninh Mountain, Ham Ninh Commune, Phu Quoc.

Opening Hours: It's recommended to visit in the morning.

2.2 Duong Dong Market

Located in Duong Dong town, Duong Dong Market is a hub for a wide range of products. From fresh seafood to various dried specialties, there are countless delicious dishes that tourists can enjoy on the spot or purchase as gifts. As a large market situated in the town center with convenient access, prices here may be slightly higher compared to other areas. Negotiating prices to reach a suitable cost is advisable. You can directly enjoy delicious dishes such as Khéo cakes, sea cucumber porridge, prepared shrimp, and snails.

Address: 21 Tran Phu Street, Duong Dong town, Phu Quoc.

Opening Hours: 5 AM - 7 PM daily.

2.3 Phu Quoc Night Market

It would be a missed opportunity if you don't visit Phu Quoc Night Market during your trip to this pearl island. As dusk falls, stalls begin to light up with visually appealing and enticing dishes. Located along the romantic Duong Dong River, here you can immerse yourself in a culinary paradise, enjoying Phu Quoc's specialties.

Phu Quoc Night Market is a merger of Dinh Cau Night Market and Bach Dang Market.

Phu Quoc Night Market is divided into 2 areas, helping you find the desired items:

Zone 1 - Market head: where focus on foods, specialty foods like dried sea cucumbers, fish sauce, peppers, sim wine, bamboo sharks,...
Zone 2 - Market end: where the stores sell various handmade art products, souvenirs, pearls,...

Address: 6 Bach Dang Street, Duong Dong town, Phu Quoc.

Opening Hours: 6 PM - 23:30 PM daily.

3. Notes when buying Phu Quoc specialties as gifts

When choosing to buy Phu Quoc specialties as gifts, you should consider the following to avoid unwanted issues:

Before buying, you should ask for prices before deciding to avoid being "cheated". As this is a tourist destination, price fluctuations often occur. Don't hesitate to bargain for the best price!
For dried specialties, you need to check carefully as you may encounter fake, counterfeit, or low-quality products. You can refer to reputable brands that produce various specialties before deciding to buy for a safe shopping experience.
Travelers to Phu Quoc by air when buying Phu Quoc specialties as gifts should request and ask the store owner to pack carefully to avoid breakage and ensure they are accepted on the same fl

See more: How much does it cost to travel to Phu Quoc on your own?

A trip to Phu Quoc will be more meaningful when we return with specialties containing the aftertaste of that land as gifts for our loved ones. Currently, Vietjet is having a promotion program for 0 VND air tickets at 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. every day. "Hunt now" for cheap flights - save money for your trip to the pearl island of Phu Quoc.

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