Diamond-cut, polished or easy-open: which young coconut from Vietnam fits your market?
Share
Short answer. Vietnam's green Siamese drinking coconut is exported in three cuts. Diamond-cut keeps the white husk and is packed 9 pieces per carton, about 9 kg net. Polished is cut down to the shell and is a smaller fruit, packed by count to order. Easy-open is a polished coconut with a ring-pull cap. All three go by sea reefer at 2–5 °C.
How do the three cuts compare?
| Trimmed and diamond-cut | Polished | Easy-open | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | Green skin trimmed off, white husk kept: a cone top (trimmed) or flat facets with a pointed top and a flat base (diamond-cut) | Cut down to the shell | Polished coconut with a ring-pull cap on the shell top |
| Opening | No ready-made opening; a press-to-open straw point on request | No ready-made opening | Ring-pull cap; opens without a knife |
| Typical fruit weight (indicative) | About 800 g – 1.1 kg | About 500–700 g | About 400–650 g |
| Carton | 9 pcs, about 9 kg net, as standard; 12 pcs on request | Packed by count to your order | 9 or 12 pcs |
| Set point | 2–5 °C, RH 90–95 % | 2–5 °C | 2–5 °C, RH 90–95 % |
| Storage life | 3–4 weeks, film-wrapped | Confirmed with the quotation | About 3 weeks |
| Where to find it | Trimmed and diamond-cut page | A section of the young coconut page | Easy-open page |
What is the difference between trimmed and diamond-cut?
Both have the green skin trimmed off and keep the white husk; neither is polished to the shell. A trimmed coconut has a cone top. A diamond-cut coconut has flat facets, a pointed top and a flat base. Each fruit is film-wrapped.
On request, both can carry a press-to-open straw point: a press point on the top for the straw, with no metal ring.
When does polished coconut make sense?
Polished coconut is cut down to the shell, so the fruit is smaller than a diamond-cut one. It comes plain, with no ready-made opening, or with a ring-pull cap, which is the easy-open item. Plain polished coconut has no page of its own yet: choose "Polished young coconut" on the young coconut page, and we advise the count per carton with the quotation.
Who buys easy-open coconut?
Supermarkets and drink bars: it is retail-ready and opens without a knife. For grading, the opening must be intact and sealed, and defects are counted on the shell. Cartons hold 9 or 12 pieces; pallet and container counts are confirmed with the packing house in the quotation.
Which classes and size codes apply?
All cuts are graded to TCVN 10738:2015, the Vietnamese standard based on the ASEAN standard for young coconut.
| Class | Defects allowed | Tolerance |
|---|---|---|
| Extra | Very slight defects only | 5 % |
| Class I | Husk defects up to 5 % of the surface | 10 % |
| Class II | Husk defects up to 15 % of the surface | 10 % |
Meat and water must not be affected in any class. Trimmed coconut is sized by weight in five codes: code 1 above 1,500 g, code 2 from 1,201 to 1,500 g, code 3 from 901 to 1,200 g, code 4 from 601 to 900 g and code 5 from 300 to 600 g.
Do market rules change the cut?
Sometimes. The destination can decide which cut is accepted:
- USA: young coconut must have at least three-quarters of the green husk removed; it is inspected at the port of entry.
- China: open since 22 August 2024 for green coconut with a stem of 5 cm or less and for trimmed coconut, through GACC-approved ports, from registered growing areas and packing houses.
- New Zealand: easy-open coconut only.
For other markets we confirm the current requirement with the authority before the first shipment.
Frequently asked questions
Is young coconut available all year?
Yes. It is harvested about every 20 days all year; the dry season, December to May, gives larger, fuller nuts.
Where is it grown?
In Ben Tre (now Vinh Long) in the Mekong Delta, home of the geographical indication for green Siamese drinking coconut, certificate no. 00063 of 2018.
Is there a press-button version of polished coconut?
No. Polished coconut is either plain or fitted with the ring-pull cap. The press-to-open straw point is an option for trimmed and diamond-cut coconut.
How is the price quoted?
In the quotation only, per carton, for your cut, count and route.
Cartons, pallets and container loading are in young coconut cartons, cold chain and container loading. Full specifications are on the young coconut page and the pages for trimmed and diamond-cut coconut and easy-open coconut. For a price, use the young coconut quotation form.
Last reviewed 12 November 2026 by VIET FARM EXPORT COMPANY LIMITED, Ho Chi Minh City. Figures come from our young coconut specifications; they are indicative and confirmed with each quotation.