A grapefruit cut in half. — VNA /VNS Photo

THUA THIEN - HUE (VNS) — Hue will hold a festival in honour of its special fruit thanh tra, a local variety of grapefruit, and its growers.

During the two-day festival from August 29 to 31, the fruit and dishes made from it would be displayed. Visitors would also have a chance to help the fruit growers harvest thanh tra in orchards.

Thanh tra was an exclusive food item meant for the king in the past, and ordinary people rarely got a chance to taste it. The trees grow well in Hue only, in fields lined with alluvia deposited by the local Huong and Bo rivers.

Thanh tra is said to taste better than grapefruit and good-quality essential oil is extracted from its peel. The fruit can be served fresh, mixed with fried squid, or cooked as a sweet soup.

The local authorities expect that many people would get to know and taste the fruit at the festival, which would help increase its sale.

The authorities will also showcase other local food specialties, allowing visitors to taste items such as bun bo (beef noodles), com hen (rice with mussels), banh khoai (fried rice crepes), me xung (sesame candy), che hat sen (sweet lotus seed pudding) and mam tom (pickled shrimp).— VNS