Sương sâm is a popular summer treat in Vietnam, and for good reason. This unique plant offers a range of benefits that make it a refreshing and healthy choice during the hot summer months.
The heart-shaped leaves of the sương sâm plant are covered in a soft layer of fuzz, giving them a distinctive appearance. The flowers grow in clusters and have a bright yellow hue. The fruit of the plant is a small, curved berry that typically measures between 10 and 12mm in length.
To prepare a delicious and nutritious treat, the fresh leaves and vines of the sương sâm plant are carefully harvested, washed, and then gently crushed in cold filtered water. After a few hours, the mixture sets into a delicious jelly-like dessert known as thạch sương sâm. Alternatively, the leaves can be dried and stored for future use.
One of the advantages of sương sâm is its ability to thrive in a variety of conditions. Mr. Định, a farmer from Quảng Nam, discovered this first-hand when he brought the plant to his hometown in 2013. Despite the dry and arid local soil, the sương sâm flourished, adapting well to the hot and dry climate with minimal water requirements.
Mr. Định has since refined his cultivation techniques, experimenting with trellis designs, iron stakes, automatic irrigation systems, and root-covering tarps to optimize growth. He spaces each row of sương sâm half a meter apart, ensuring ample sunlight and airflow for the leaves to thrive.
With a harvest cycle of just 5-6 months and a yield of approximately 20,000 kg per 3,000 square meters, sương sâm is a profitable crop. The leaves are particularly in demand during the summer, selling for around 100,000 VND per kg.
In Đắk Lắk, Ms. Tý has also found success with sương sâm. After learning about the plant from a friend, she decided to replace her aging coffee plants with this new crop. Despite initial challenges and a lack of experience, she persevered and successfully cultivated 2 sào of sương sâm, earning a stable income of 15-20 million VND per month.
Encouraged by her success, Ms. Tý expanded her operation to 5 sào, producing 15-20 kg of leaves per day, which she sells for 60,000-70,000 VND per kg. With low overhead costs and a consistent customer base, she now earns a comfortable 30-40 million VND per month, all while working with a crop that is well-suited to the local climate and requires minimal care.
The sương sâm plant has brought financial stability to both Mr. Định and Ms. Tý, allowing them to improve their livelihoods and providing a valuable lesson in the potential of adaptable and resilient crops.
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