{"id":2858,"date":"2026-06-01T19:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-06-01T10:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vietnam-gift.com\/news\/lyson-garlic-island\/"},"modified":"2026-06-01T19:00:00","modified_gmt":"2026-06-01T10:00:00","slug":"lyson-garlic-island","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/vietnam-gift.com\/en\/news\/lyson-garlic-island\/","title":{"rendered":"Ly Son Island\u2019s \u201csingle-clove garlic\u201d\u2014a phantom ingredient nurtured by a 25-million-year-old volcano, not yet available in Japan"},"content":{"rendered":"

Just one clove per bulb: Ly Son Island's \"white gold\"<\/h2>\n

Ly Son Island floats about 30 km off the coast of Quang Ngai province in central Vietnam. This volcanic island of just 10 km2 is called the \"kingdom of garlic.\" Among its produce, the \"single-clove garlic\" is a mutant variety with only one clove per bulb. While ordinary garlic trades at 80,000 VND per kilogram (about 470 yen), single-clove garlic commands 700,000 VND (about 4,100 yen), about nine times the price.<\/p>\n

This ingredient, still almost unavailable in Japan, is prized within Vietnam as a top-grade souvenir.<\/p>\n

The miracle soil created by 25 million years of volcanoes<\/h2>\n

Ly Son Island was formed by volcanic activity about 25 million years ago. Traces of five craters still remain, and the entire island is a basalt lava plateau. This volcanic soil is rich in trace minerals such as magnesium, selenium, and germanium, creating a nutritional environment fundamentally different from ordinary farmland.<\/p>\n

Even more unusual is the fertilizer. Farmers carry \"sand\" from the sea, but it is no ordinary sand. It is shell sand, formed over hundreds of thousands of years as oyster and snail shells were ground down by the waves. By spreading this seaweed and shell sand across the fields, minerals from the sea seep into the soil, growing garlic with a flavor and medicinal properties found nowhere else.<\/p>\n

Characteristics and nutrition of single-clove garlic<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Item<\/th>\nSingle-clove garlic<\/th>\nOrdinary garlic<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Structure<\/td>\nOnly one clove per bulb<\/td>\n6 to 12 cloves per bulb<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Formation<\/td>\nA mutation during cultivation or a special growing technique<\/td>\nNormal clove division<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Flavor<\/td>\nMellow, with a mild pungency<\/td>\nStrong pungency depending on the variety<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Main component<\/td>\nAllicin (an antibacterial and antiviral compound)<\/td>\nThe same, but less concentrated per clove<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Market price<\/td>\nAbout 700,000 VND\/kg (about 4,100 yen)<\/td>\nAbout 80,000 VND\/kg (about 470 yen)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Annual output<\/td>\nOnly 1 to 2 tons per season<\/td>\nSeveral hundred tons<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Certification<\/td>\nGeographical Indication (GI) protection<\/td>\nNo<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Single-clove garlic is said to have a higher allicin content than ordinary garlic because its nutrients are concentrated into a single clove. Allicin is a compound with antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral properties, and benefits from selenium's antioxidant action and support for the cardiovascular system have also been reported.<\/p>\n

The whole island is a garlic field: a year of cultivation<\/h2>\n

Garlic cultivation on Ly Son Island begins in October and is harvested four months later, in February and March. In the 2025-2026 winter-spring season, about 314 hectares were planted, yielding 500 to 600 kg per sao (360 m2).<\/p>\n

But in 2026, farmers also face a harsh reality. The purchase price for ordinary garlic has fallen to 30,000-35,000 VND per kg (about 180-210 yen), dropping below the production cost of roughly 20 million VND per sao. Only single-clove garlic still holds a high price, intensifying the pressure to switch varieties.<\/p>\n

Getting to Ly Son Island and things to do<\/h2>\n

Ly Son Island is about 30 minutes by speedboat from Sa Ky Port in Quang Ngai Province. From Da Nang to Quang Ngai is about a two-hour drive. Snorkeling in the crystal-clear water, trekking to the craters, and day tours to Dao Be (the small island) are the classic activities.<\/p>\n

Garlic fields spread across every corner of the island, and during the harvest season in February and March you can see a landscape blanketed in green garlic fields. You can also buy directly from farmers, the surest way to get genuine Ly Son garlic.<\/p>\n

Voices from the island: \"This island is made of garlic\"<\/h2>\n