Inside craft of Vietnam’s chewy sweet potato specialty

Photo courtesy of Tuoi Tre News

The elongated, amber-colored slices have a naturally rich sweetness, earning khoai deo the nickname 'Quang Binh ginseng.' Photo: Thanh Nguyen / Tuoi Tre

Today, the delicacy has become a popular local product, with producers combining generations-old techniques with modern drying equipment to meet growing demand.

Behind the chewy, sweet slices is a labor-intensive process shaped by generations of experience.

The elongated, amber-colored slices have a naturally rich sweetness, earning the specialty the nickname 'Quang Binh ginseng.'

Ninh Chau Commune is now part of Quang Tri Province and includes areas that were formerly in Quang Binh Province.

Around 500 households in Ninh Chau Commune, Quang Tri Province are involved in growing and processing 'khoai deo'. Photo: Thanh Nguyen / Tuoi Tre

According to local residents, khoai deo emerged during difficult times when food was scarce. To preserve sweet potatoes after harvest and ensure a food supply throughout the year, locals developed various processing methods.

Some chopped raw sweet potatoes into small pieces and dried them to make sweet potato chips, which could be cooked with rice or black beans.

Another method was to boil the potatoes, slice them and dry them in the sun. As the slices dried, their sweetness became more concentrated, while their texture grew chewier and more flavorful. This is how khoai deo came to be.

After peeling the sweet potatoes, residents slice them before laying them out to dry in the sun. Photo: Thanh Nguyen / Tuoi Tre

The earliest versions were simply boiled and sun-dried, making them relatively hard. Yet for generations of local residents, these tough dried slices became a familiar snack during cold, rainy winters.

Adults carried them to the fields, students tucked a few slices into their school bags, and many people enjoyed them as a humble snack to chew on during their free time.

Because the slices were hard and chewy, they had to be eaten slowly, allowing the sweet, nutty flavor to gradually spread across the palate. This simple way of enjoying khoai deo became part of the region's food culture.

Many households use electric steamers to increase 'khoai deo' production capacity. Photo: Thanh Nguyen / Tuoi Tre

Over the years, khoai deo evolved from a preserved staple into a local specialty. Some visitors describe the experience as irresistible: the slices may be difficult to bite through at first, but the longer they are chewed, the more enjoyable they become.

Today, producers have refined the process to create softer and chewier slices while retaining the sweet potato's natural flavor.

Secrets behind the specialty

Ho Thi Bon, a longtime khoai deo producer in Ninh Chau Commune, said her family once relied mainly on sweet potatoes grown in the sandy soil.

Sweet potatoes grown in the sandy soil have a mild sweetness, moderate chewiness, and distinctive aroma.

However, the area under cultivation has declined as fewer households grow the crop.

5 August 2026