Harvesting of black tomatoes, a much sought-after delicacy in Vietnam, has begun, and they are attracting high prices, because of their exotic appearance and touted healthy properties, and because storms have reduced supply.
Tomatoes turn black under sunlight
The tomatoes are believed to have been developed at Oregon State University, in the US. The pigments from the stem turn them black as they ripen in sunlight.
They are rich in anthocyanins, an antioxidant believed to help fight cancer, diabetes and obesity.
Regular tomatoes sell for VND7,000 to VND12,000 a kilogramme, while black tomatoes attract prices of VND65,000 to VND140,000 a kilogramme.
Many gardens in Lam Dong Province, which switched to the more expensive variety, have opened to visitors as harvesting begins.
Tran Mao, owner of an agriculture shop in Da Lat, said there were many orders for black tomatoes, but because of recent storms and hail, the already relatively small harvest has been even smaller.
A kilogramme of black tomatoes - VND65,000 to VND140,000
Nguyen Thuy Duong, a local in Hanoi, said she ordered her six tomatoes about a week ago, and was happy to take delivery.
Seeds for the exotic tomato are expensive, discouraging those who want to grow them at home.
Tran Thu Ha said she had to undertake an extensive search, but managed to find a bag of ten seeds, which cost VND170,000.
"My family really likes black tomato, but it's too pricy so I wanted to grow them myself. The plants are now fruiting and hopefully we will have some to eat in the next two weeks," Ha said.
A shop in HCM City said seeds from the US have a high germination rate and each seed costs as much as VND26,000. Seeds from China and Russia are cheaper, but had a lower chance of bearing fruit.
