On July 16, Tuoi Tre Online recorded the Japanese sweet potato market at some markets, supermarkets, and retail stores in Ho Chi Minh City.

At Tan Dinh market (District 1), sellers introduce Japanese sweet potatoes at 40,000 - 45,000 VND/kg depending on the size of the potato.

"This potato was grown in Da Lat and brought down here. It's a Japanese variety, so it's called Japanese sweet potato. It's very sweet, fragrant, and starchy. Dieters and vegetarians often buy it," said Ms. Lan, a vendor at the "rich people's market."

Similarly, at a store on Huynh Tinh Cua Street (Vo Thi Sau Ward, District 3), Japanese sweet potatoes are sold in plastic trays, placed in the vegetable, root and fruit section. The potatoes are dark red, about 4 tubers per kilogram and cost only 30,000 VND/kg.

Meanwhile, on Facebook, an MF page introduces itself as a special grocery store, advertising: "The best sweet potatoes in the world, Japanese golden sweet potatoes, hand-carried by air, naturally sweet and super delicious."

This store sells Japanese sweet potatoes for 550,000 VND/kg. If you buy 2kg, the price is 540,000 VND/kg; if you buy 3kg, the price is 530,000 VND/kg; and the price is 2.5 million VND/5kg box.

"Our products are sweet potatoes grown in Japan. These are not Japanese potatoes grown in Vietnam. The products are "hand-carried" from Japan, so sweet potatoes are rare and 20 times more expensive than Japanese potatoes grown in Vietnam that are currently sold on the market," the store employee explained.

Japanese sweet potatoes weigh an average of 600 - 700g/tube, with some types weighing up to 1kg.

Ms. Ngoc Lan (Hanoi City) specializes in importing Japanese potatoes officially and "hand-carried" for distribution. She said that although they have the same name, imported potatoes are more expensive because in Japan, the cultivation and production process follows special standards.

Ms. Lan said: "The potatoes are very sweet, easy to eat, good for health, so they are chosen by beauty professionals, mothers with babies, and customers with means. Because they are expensive, some places sell them in small pieces, sliced, boiled, and packed in 300g packs for easy sale. Many people eat them and then want to buy more, and many people buy them to eat... once to experience them."