Why Vietnamese nuts are ideal as souvenirs
Are you unsure what souvenirs to choose for your trip to Vietnam?
Vietnam has a significant presence in cashew nut processing and export. However, the figure of "2.66 million tons in-shell in 2018" from the older article may have conflated statistics on production, imported raw materials, processing, and exports, and will not be used as a current production volume ranking.
Nuts are easy to carry at room temperature, but preferences, allergies, salt content, and prices vary by person and product. Rather than asserting they are "guaranteed to please" or "higher quality than Japan at a lower price," make it your top priority to check whether the recipient has a nut allergy.
Many varieties are sold, but even products packaged in Vietnam may use raw materials from other countries. If origin matters to you, check the country-of-origin labeling, and do not use a personal number of years of residence or a "top pick" assessment as a quality guarantee.
Sources Nuts edition | introducing 5 recommended brands for Vietnamese souvenirscreated from
5 recommended Vietnamese nut brands
THÁI BON: a central-region local brand with stylish packaging
THÁI BON, a nut brand from Khanh Hoa province in central Vietnam, is characterized by its highly designed packaging.
It offers an abundant lineup—cashews, pistachios, almonds, macadamias—sold in two sizes, 180 g and 250–275 g. The best-before date is a long one year, plenty of time to give as a souvenir. It’s a brand trusted on both quality and design, so much so that residents always buy it as a souvenir for family and friends when returning home temporarily.
You can get it at the Annam Gourmet market in Ho Chi Minh City.
Viets Nuts: strongly recommended for macadamias
Viets Nuts, run by HUY HIEU AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS CO.,LTD in Lam Dong province in Vietnam’s Central Highlands, has a solid reputation for the quality of its macadamias.
The large size (500 g) sells for 242,200 VND (about 1,360 yen) and the small size (230 g) for 131,200 VND (about 738 yen), and it has a track record of everyone who received it as a souvenir—Japanese business partners and friends—responding with “it’s delicious & requests for a repeat.” The box-type packaging makes it a bit cumbersome to bring home, but it’s a quality you won’t regret even buying for yourself.
You can get it at Co.op Extra (basement level 1 of Van Hanh Mall) in District 10, Ho Chi Minh City.
Nutty.SG: a health-food brand offering a varied range of products
Nutty, a health-food brand developed by the Vietnamese food-processing company KASH Fine Foods, was born from inspiration its founders—captivated by the nutritional value of nuts and the potential of that market—gained while touring farms and markets around the world.
It’s characterized by products roasted using 100% cashews only, with no salt or sugar added at all, letting you enjoy the cashew’s original flavor and nutrition as they are. There are both in-shell and shelled types, and the value bulk-buy sizes are perfect as souvenirs too.
You can get it at the Annam Gourmet market.
Nấm Xanh: characterized by a traditional wood-fire roasting method
Nấm Xanh is a central-Vietnam local brand with stylish packaging.
It’s characterized by cashews using a traditional wood-fire roasting method, and offers both in-shell and shelled types. This roasting method produces a distinctive savoriness and deep flavor, letting you enjoy a taste that sets it apart from other brands.
You can get it at the Annam Gourmet market.
Pam’s: for those who prefer American or Australian products
For those who prefer American or Australian nuts over Vietnamese, Pam’s is recommended.
It handles products that meet international quality standards, a brand that even those used to overseas nuts can buy with peace of mind. Quality control is thorough, providing a consistent flavor.
Sources Nuts edition | introducing 5 recommended brands for Vietnamese souvenirscreated from
Spots to buy nuts in Vietnam
Buying at supermarkets
Vietnamese supermarkets are a treasure trove of souvenirs.
You can buy nuts at many supermarkets—Co.opmart, AEON, Winmart in Ho Chi Minh City, and the huge Lotte Mart in District 7. Lotte Mart in particular is spacious with a good selection, a popular spot so busy on weekends that the registers get crowded with local Vietnamese shoppers. There are also many convenient products with resealable zips, like Langfarm-brand in-shell cashews.
Visiting a local supermarket is a very enjoyable experience, like peeking into a slice of local life. At the FamilyMart in Le Thanh Ton, the Japantown, bagged coconut crackers and the like are also sold, and with a good selection of Japanese food and a spacious store, it’s recommended for those with errands in Le Thanh Ton.
Buying at the airport
Handy for those short on time or for last-minute shopping is the airport.
Souvenir shops inside airports across Vietnam are well stocked, with an abundant selection of nuts too. Since you can buy them at the last moment before departure, there’s the advantage of choosing without worrying about your luggage weight. However, prices are sometimes set a bit higher than at city supermarkets, so we recommend visiting with some room in your budget.
Buying Vietnamese nuts at MUJI
It may be surprising, but MUJI in Vietnam is also a recommended spot for choosing souvenirs.
Vietnam has 17 Muji stores (as of 2025), stocking a lineup slightly different from its Japanese shops. The Vietnam Original corner features Vietnamese-grown nuts and honey ginger tea, and one standout item is lotus seeds—the national flower of Vietnam—coated in honey ginger, a quintessentially Vietnamese product. The shelves are also stocked with organic pho, Vietnamese seasonings, sweets, and more, so you can shop for souvenirs with confidence in the quality.
Sources Ryohin Keikaku Co., Ltd., "Muji Opens Flagship Stores in France, Thailand, and Vietnam" (October 10, 2025)created from
Recommended souvenirs other than nuts
Vietnamese Coffee
Vietnam is a coffee powerhouse, boasting the world’s second-largest coffee-bean production.
Mainly the Robusta variety is grown, letting you enjoy its distinctive bitterness and rich flavor. The biggest feature of Vietnamese coffee is putting not milk but condensed milk in the coffee. Since milk spoiled easily, highly preservable condensed milk was used as a substitute—the trigger that created its unique flavor.
Today, convenient instant coffee is popular too. There are products like 2-in-1 (coffee & sugar) and 3-in-1 (coffee & sugar & milk), letting you enjoy an authentic flavor just by pouring hot water. The instant coffee of the “TRUNG NGUYEN” brand in particular has a flavor so solid you wouldn’t think it’s instant, and it boasts popularity as a souvenir.
Coconut crackers
Thinly baked coconut crackers have an addictive crunchy texture.
The texture, rarely eaten in Japan, and the coconut flavor full of a Southeast Asian feel are appealing. TOP COCO’s coconut crackers are good for handing out individually wrapped, and with Da Nang’s famous Dragon Bridge drawn on the box, the design is just right as a souvenir too. There are three flavors—original, peanut, and sesame—each letting you enjoy a different taste.
Dried-fruit chips
Dried-fruit chips with all sorts of fruit jumbled together—banana, jackfruit, sweet potato, coconut—are popular too.
The purple-packaged brand called “vinamit” is often seen at any supermarket. The jackfruit chips in particular are loved by Vietnamese too, so much so that many people keep a stock at the office. They have a distinctive smell—not as strong as durian—so some may not be fond of them, but many say the dried version is easier to eat than fresh jackfruit.
Sources [2026] 30 popular souvenirs in Vietnam! Sweets, goods, and picks for womencreated from
Priorities before purchasing
- The recipient's nut and peanut allergies
- Distinction between country of origin and country of processing
- Presence of salt, sugar, oil, and flavorings
- Oxidation odor, breakage, moisture, and sealed condition
- Individual packaging and best-before date
How I would check things on the ground
For restaurants and food, I look at the condition of the shop rather than its reputation. I would check the price list, cooking and storage practices, how busy it is, and the ingredients, and if something seems off, I would choose a different shop or order a smaller portion. Since opening hours, prices, and menus change, I would not insist on old information when talking to staff. For food to bring home, even if it is pre-packaged, I would confirm Japan's animal and plant quarantine and customs conditions.
To preserve the amount of information in the article, the policy is to retain the background and options covered in the original article and correct only errors. If you are unsure how to decide, write down your constraints in terms of time, budget, energy, and travel companions, and choose one priority. Because the optimal answer changes when conditions change, it is important not to apply the article's conclusions directly to your own situation.
How I would check things on the ground
For restaurants and food, I look at the condition of the shop rather than its reputation. I would check the price list, cooking and storage practices, how busy it is, and the ingredients, and if something seems off, I would choose a different shop or order a smaller portion. Since opening hours, prices, and menus change, I would not insist on old information when talking to staff. For food to bring home, even if it is pre-packaged, I would confirm Japan's animal and plant quarantine and customs conditions.
Summary: make your souvenir choices a success with Vietnamese nuts
Vietnamese nuts are an ideal souvenir with all three—quality, price, and convenience.
Starting with cashews, which boast world-class production, you can choose from an abundant variety like macadamias and pistachios. Trustworthy brands are on offer—THÁI BON, Viets Nuts, Nutty.SG, Nấm Xanh, Pam’s—available in various places such as supermarkets, airports, and MUJI.
Nuts are easy to share, but they can also cause serious allergic reactions. Do not assume they make a healthy souvenir; check the origin, ingredients, salt, sugar, oil, best-before date, and seal, and only choose them if they are suitable for the recipient.
For those who want to know more about Vietnam’s tourism information, coffee culture, and choosing souvenirs, seeVN. The information you want to know before visiting Vietnam is gathered in one place, packed with genuinely useful content—café culture, how to drink coffee, and how to choose locally.
If you're looking for coffee, tea, or seasonings to give alongside cashew nuts, seeour Vietnam souvenir guideyou can choose by recipient there.
