Visit Phu Quoc Travel Guide

Island Harvest

Products of Nature

Famous for and blessed with abundant export quality seafood, Phu Quoc also produces world-class fish sauce and pepper that's become a thriving industry.
In more recent years other cottage industries have also popped up producing many products locally such as sim berry, rice & herb wine, honey, draught beer, organic salads and vegetables just to name a few.
The top products of the Island are certainly Seafood, Fish Sauce and Pepper. all of which hopefully you will try at some point during your Island experience!

Phu Quoc Fish Sauce

It took me a long time to come to grips with it, usually flaunted under my nose and just the smell alone, there was no way I was going to taste this stuff.
One day though I took the plunge without the thought of a sniff. You know what it was amazing and from that day on fish sauce become a part of my daily diet!
The French champagne of fish sauces – it’s intense, it’s rich, and comes from perhaps the most famous region in the world for fish sauce, yes I am talking about Phu Quoc Island!
Success of its world-class quality is partly due to the local seawater, which is rich in plankton and nutrients that nourish the growth of the anchovies, the main ingredient of the sauce.

Phu Quoc fish sauce is made from these freshly caught anchovies then fermented in wooden barrels for 1 year while blended with salt to develop intense aromatic flavors, before being filtered and bottled for distribution.

What makes it so good?

Phu Quoc fish sauce is famous for good reason, these are not ordinary anchovies, they are fat and full of absolute goodness.
It's not just about the Fish Sauce but what you mix with it, for example throw in some fresh chili with a splash of sugar syrup and wow your sense will awaken to something really special!
This is what makes Fish Sauce such a unique product, for my tastes give it a try with just about any dish but of course alongside seafood it’s a marriage made in heaven!

OUR PICK: Nước Mắm Hưng Thành is the tried and tested absolute knockout!

Phu Quoc Pepper

Often described as the “king of spices,” it shares second place on most dinner tables with its big brother, salt, but in this part of the world it comes first!
Producing over 1,000 tons of quality black pepper each year, you’ll find pepper plantations around most parts of Phu Quoc Island all well worth a visit, this stuff is No.1 export quality and great to take home for your own table or to share with your friends and family.
When peppercorns are ripe, they are collected and divided into 3 kinds:
Black pepper (most common), White pepper and Red pepper.
After they are picked, the peppercorns are set for drying in the sun, then once dried, they are packaged and ready to go!

What makes it so good?

When we think of condiments, Salt certainly is the one that comes to mind, but it's underrated sibling especially in these parts is the real KING of SPICES!
Because the PEPPER here is so delicious, over the years i find it i use it on a daily basis especially along side Fish Sauce rather than using Salt with the PEPPER.
In general speak, not much grows really well on this Island due to the nature of it's "red" soil, that is except for the PEPPER which thrives and Phu Quoc Pepper is especially famous for its heat, pungency and strong aroma.

OUR PICK: The Red Peppercorns are my own favorite and have a "flavor kick" you will never forget, don't go home without some!

Local Fishing life

Historically fishing was the first industry to develop in Phu Quoc with waters surrounding the Island fertile and abound with marine life that is until tourism arrived!
One of the biggest fishing ports is in An Thoi in the south of the Island with hundreds of boats coming and going each day, however fishing fleets are located all around the Island.
Most common fish species here are Tuna, Barracuda, Needlefish, Mackerel, Sea Bream and of course Anchovies and Squid.
Over the years due to over fishing in some parts, fish particularly don't have much of a chance to reach adult size, even after only a few days of storms when the fishermen cannot venture out you find bigger fish available in the market!