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Can Tho captivates every tourist for its peaceful landscapes, diverse cuisine and attractive tourist destinations. Apart from sightseeing, Can Tho offers chances to explore and learn about its local delicacies. Among different destinations, Muoi Cuong Cacao Farm stands out with its history, interesting activities and peaceful atmosphere.
The introduction about Muoi Cuong Cacao Farm
The farm is a long-standing one with a total area of 1.2 ha and is covered with the shades of hundreds of cacao trees. It includes more than 2,000 cacao trees with 15 distinctive types of cacao trees. The most popular type is Trinitario. Moreover, some of them range from 30 to 50 years of age.
Normally, when they are ripe and ready to harvest, they will have a red or yellow colour. Visiting Muoi Cuong Cacao Farm in the morning, you can feel the fresh atmosphere with green and lush surroundings created by different fruit trees.
Location of Muoi Cuong Cacao Farm
The cacao farm is situated in My Ai Ward, My Khanh Commune, Phong Dien District, Can Tho City. The farm is about 10km from the city centre and near many other places of interest such as Ong De Tourist Village and Chin Hong Orchards.
How to get to the Cacao Farm
There are two ways to get to Muoi Cuong Cacao Farm. First, you head to Cai Rang Bridge. Then, go down about 10km on provincial Road 923 and ask about the Muoi Cuong cocoa farm in My Ai hamlet. Local people are very glad to help you find the destination.
You can also move along Nguyen Van Cu Street, down My Khanh Street and Truc Lam Phuong Nam Zen Monastery to have the entrance. Muoi Cuong Cocoa Farm is located on the same road as Chin Hong Fruit Garden and Ong De Can Tho tourist area.
The opening time and tickets
Muoi Cuong Cacao Farm opens from 7 a.m. to 12 a.m. every day. If you want to visit the farm in the afternoon, please contact the owner of the farm so that he can prepare to welcome you. The ticket price is about VND 50,000 (including the fee for visiting the farm, experience making cacao and enjoying the cacao drinks right on the farm).
The History of Muoi Cuong Cacao Farm
The owner of the farm is Mr. Lam The Cuong, a kind, hospital and creative farmer. He is fluent in English and French so you can ask him about the farm, how to grow cacao trees, and the process of making traditional chocolate.
With his open mind, he attended a training workshop about homestay service by the EU project. He transformed the farm from a normal cacao farm to a homestay and tourism model. Regarding the history of the cacao farm, he first grew the cacao trees in the 1960s. This was also the first time cacao trees appeared in Vietnam.
Because of the unfavourable weather and geological conditions, the trees could not develop well and have productivity as expected. Many people cut them down and gave up. However, Mr. Cuong was still passionate about finding ways to grow this type of tree. Thinking about the economic potential of the trees delighted his passion.
Then, he researched how to grow cacao trees in the tropical climate of Vietnam. He eventually came up with the idea of combining traditional ways of growing cocoa trees with foreign ones to grow the best cacao trees. His first success was marked when his cacao trees produced the fruit with high quality. The cacao trees on his farm are planted mostly by the natural method and limiting pesticides.
Engage in many interesting activities here
Enjoy cocoa products right under the shade of cacao trees
When visiting Muoi Cuong cocoa garden, visitors will be invited by the garden owner to enjoy pure cocoa right under the shade of lush green trees. Besides drinking hot cocoa, eating fresh cocoa fruit is also a very special experience, with a very strange flavour.
Furthermore, visitors can choose among many cacao products such as cocoa powder, roasted cocoa beans, cocoa candies, cocoa butter, and cocoa wine. It is also a great experience to taste the natural taste of cacao with no sugar or additives. Its taste can be much bitter compared to the sugared cacao.
Learn about the finished product processing process at Muoi Cuong Cacao Farm
Visitors also have a chance to see how chocolate is traditionally made from cocoa pods. Let’s explore the traditional way of processing cacao. First, the harvested cacao pods will be opened to take out the cocoa beans. Then, people ferment the cocoa beans within 6 – 7 days to let the peels pull out.
Then, they will dry and roast the cacao beans thoroughly in the heat. This is also a complicated step because it requires the craftsman to be patient and careful. They are not allowed to leave scratches or make the beans break. Moreover, the white jelly pulps can be used to make cacao juice, having a sweet and sour taste.
After that, they grind the roasted cacao beans into powder by using a particular machine. Finally, let the liquid cool before pouring it into a mould. Then, put it into the fridge within 30-60 minutes, and you can enjoy a delicious, unique type of chocolate. Especially, he makes use of every part of the cocoa pods. The parts that aren’t edible can be used to make organic compost for plants.
Take a walk around the garden
Cacao trees are usually grown in Dak Lak Province of Vietnam. But Muoi Cuong cacao farm has been the first and long-standing place growing these trees in the Western region of Vietnam. In the ripe cocoa season, cocoa fruits with all colours make the garden as beautiful as a colourful picture.
The large number of cacao trees provide shade that can cool the hot and humid weather of the Mekong Delta. Taking a stroll around the farm, watching the beauty of cacao trees and taking in the fresh air is one of the most interesting activities to try there.
Top tours in Can Tho to visit Muoi Cuong cacao farm
It’s much better to get the tour to Cacao farm. You can hear detailed information about the cacao farm and how to make homemade chocolate from cacao fruits step by step. Here are some recommended tours you can consider:
- Can Tho river tour: 5:00 AM – 11:00 A.M (Cai Rang floating market – Small canal – Rice noodle house – Fruit garden – Cacao farm)
- Can Tho tour full day: 5:00 A.M – 12:00 P.M (Cai Rang floating market – Small canal – Rice noodle house – Fruit garden – Cacao farm – Authentic lunch meal)
- Can Tho cycling tour full day: 5:00 AM – 12:00 PM
- Can Tho cycling half-day tour: 08:00 AM – 12:00 PM; 02:00 PM – 06:00 PM
- Cai Rang floating market and cycling tour: 5:00 AM – 11:00 AM
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