15/08/2026
THE COCONUT TREE OF BEN TRE: IS THERE ANY PART OF IT THAT GOES TO WASTE?
If there is one humble tree that can turn almost every part of itself into something valuable, it is the coconut tree. And nowhere in Vietnam is this more evident than Ben Tre, widely known as the “Land of Coconuts.”
A young coconut provides refreshing natural water and can even be used to make coconut wine. Its flesh becomes coconut milk and oil, as well as ingredients for countless cakes and sweets. When the coconut becomes mature, the flesh can be transformed into jams, candies, and other food products.
The coconut husk can be turned into organic fertilizer, while coconut fiber is used to make mats, ropes, growing media, and plant pots. Even the hard coconut shell is transformed into beautiful handicrafts.
The trunk, once old, can be used as timber and furniture. Coconut leaves are traditionally used for roofing, weaving baskets, and making handicrafts. Even when a coconut tree dies from pests or disease, its coconut heart can become a local delicacy, while coconut beetle larvae are considered one of the Mekong Delta’s most unusual traditional foods.
The coconut is not only an economic resource but also part of local culture. Its influence became so profound that the Mekong Delta even witnessed the emergence of the Coconut Religion, founded by Nguyễn Thành Nam in 1963.
Today, coconuts are also reaching global markets. In 2024, Vietnam’s coconut and coconut-product exports approached US$1.1 billion, with fresh coconuts alone generating around US$390 million. Vietnam has approximately 200,000 hectares of coconut plantations, producing around 2 million tonnes annually.
Few trees can offer value from their water, flesh, husk, fiber, shell, leaves, trunk—and even what remains after the tree dies.
In Ben Tre, the coconut is more than a tree.
It is an economy, a culture, and almost a way of life.
