Vietnam is a country with a mild climate, so its agricultural sector is highly developed. As a result, garlic is grown in many places across the country, with a wide variety of shapes, flavors, and quality levels. Garlic in Vietnam is not only well known domestically, but has also reached international markets. Let’s explore and distinguish the different types of garlic grown in Vietnam.

Ly Son Garlic

If you are Vietnamese, you have almost certainly heard of this garlic. It is a famous specialty from Ly Son Island. Ly Son garlic has a stronger and more distinctive flavor than other types of garlic because of its unique soil conditions, which contain volcanic basalt formed by eruptions thousands of years ago.

Ly Son garlic has three types: regular garlic, three-clove garlic, and single-clove garlic.

Regular garlic: This type has many cloves, and each clove is very small, even smaller than the tip of a little finger. Some cloves are only as small as the tip of a chopstick. Because of that, the bulb itself is quite small, only slightly bigger than a kumquat, and is covered with a very white outer skin.
Three-clove garlic: As the name suggests, this type has only three cloves. Each clove is fairly large, about the size of a thumb tip, so it is very easy to peel and use. This garlic has a cloudy yellowish color. People often use this type to soak in alcohol.
Single-clove garlic: This name definitely leaves a strong impression, doesn’t it? In fact, it is called this because the bulb has only one single clove, large and round. This type is loved by many home cooks because it is easy to peel, easy to use, and has a very fragrant, delicious flavor. On Ly Son Island, this type is rarer than the other two, so it is usually more expensive because of its convenience and unique characteristics.

Phan Rang Garlic

Phan Rang belongs to Ninh Thuan Province. Garlic grown here has a rather hot and pungent smell, making it suitable for people who enjoy eating raw garlic. The climate in Ninh Thuan is hot and sunny all year round, so the garlic cloves are quite dry, small, and packed tightly together. After harvesting, the garlic is dried in the sun so that part of the outer skin peels off, then it is tied into bunches and sold.

Hai Duong Garlic

Garlic grown in Hai Duong Province is known for having fairly large cloves, with an outer skin that is white with a light brown tint. This type of garlic is very easy to store, and if stored properly, it can last up to one year. Its price is also lower than many other kinds, around 50,000–60,000 VND per kilogram, so it is a popular choice for many kitchens.

Origin: Hai Duong garlic is grown in Hai Duong, Bac Giang, and Bac Ninh.
Characteristics: It usually has a large shape, a big bulb, and a mildly spicy taste.

Dien Bien Garlic

Dien Bien garlic is quite similar to the single-clove garlic grown in Ly Son, but its clove is long rather than round like Ly Son garlic. The outer skin of this garlic is quite unusual, with a pinkish-purple shine. People often call this type “one-branch garlic” or single-bulb garlic.

Khanh Hoa Garlic

Because it originated from Ly Son garlic, many people confuse this type with regular garlic from Ly Son Island. Their appearance is very similar, but Khanh Hoa garlic has a milder flavor, is less spicy, and is cheaper than Ly Son garlic.

Origin: Garlic from Khanh Hoa, a coastal province in central Vietnam.
Characteristics: It may have a shape and spicy taste typical of coastal-growing regions.

Da Lat Garlic

This is the most commonly used type of garlic because the bulbs are large and firm, the cloves are numerous, and the price is not too high. The skin usually has purple streaks like veins or a brownish-purple tint. Although its flavor is not as distinctive as some other types, Da Lat garlic is the top-selling variety.

Kimmy Farm

A brand specializing in the production and export of agricultural products in Vietnam. We have a black soldier fly farm in Tay Ninh and a cashew growing area in Binh Phuoc. The main export products of the company are: cashew nuts, cashew nut kernels, black soldier fly, frozen seafood, shrimp, prawns, catfish… from Vietnam.