Fruits of Vietnam VYEA Vietnamese Cuisine Class 2010

1. Fruits of VietnamVYEA Vietnamese Cuisine Class 2010 July 26, 2010

2. Guava (ổi) Usually 4 to 12 cm long and are round or oval shape depending on the species. The outer skin may be rough, often with a bitter taste, or soft and sweet. The skin is usually green before maturity, but becomes yellow, maroon, or green when ripe. Guava fruit generally have a pronounced and typical fragrance, similar to lemon rind but less sharp. Guava pulp may be sweet or sour, off-white ("white" guavas) to deep pink ("red" guavas), with the seeds in the central pulp of variable number and hardness. It is also very popular as a juice. Durian (sầu riêng) The fruit can grow as large as 12 in. long and 6 in. in diameter, and weighs 2 - 7 lbs. Its shape ranges from oblong to round, the colour of its husk green to brown, and its flesh pale yellow to red, depending on the species. The edible flesh emits a distinctive odor, strong and penetrating even when the husk is intact.

3. Persimmon (hồng) Persimmons are a heart-shaped fruit that is eaten fresh or dried, raw or cooked. When eaten fresh, the skin is usually cut/peeled off and the fruit is often cut into quarters or eaten whole like an apple. The flesh ranges from firm to mushy and the texture is unique. The flesh is very sweet and when firm possesses an apple-like crunch. In Vietnam, persimmons can also be prepared using traditional hand-drying techniques, outdoors for two to three weeks. The fruit is then further dried by exposure to heat over several days before being shipped to market. In Vietnam it is called hồng khô. It is eaten as a snack or dessert and used for other culinary purposes. Pitaya, Dragon Fruit (thanh long) To prepare a pitaya for consumption, the fruit is cut open to expose the flesh. The fruit's texture is sometimes likened to that of the kiwifruit due to the presence of black crunchy seeds. The flesh, which is eaten raw, is mildly sweet and low in calories. The seeds are eaten together with the flesh, have a nutty taste and are rich in lipids. 3

4. Mangosteen (măng cụt) The tree grows from 20–80 ft. tall. The rind (exocarp) of the edible fruit is deep reddish purple when ripe. The fragrant edible flesh can be described as sweet and tangy, citrusy with peach flavor and texture. The edible endocarp of the mangosteen has the same shape and size as a tangerine 4–6 centimeters in diameter, but is white. The circle of wedge-shaped arils contains 4–8 segments. Jackfruit (mít) The flesh of the jackfruit is starchy, fibrous and is a source of dietary fiber. The flavour is similar to a tart banana. It can be eaten unripe (young) when cooked, or ripe uncooked. The seeds may be boiled or baked like beans. The leaves are used as a wrapping for steamed idlis. Young jackfruit has a mild flavour and distinctive texture. 4

5. Lychee (vải) The fruit has a pleasant floral taste and is very sweet and is grown on a medium-sized evergreen tree, reaching 10–20 m tall, bearing many small fleshy fruits that are up to 2.0 in. long and 1.6 in. wide. The outside of the fruit is covered by a pink-red, roughly-textured rind that is inedible but easily removed to expose a layer of sweet, translucent white flesh. Longan (long nhãn) The fruit is edible, extremely sweet, juicy and succulent when eaten fresh. It is also often used in East Asian soups, snacks, desserts, and sweet-and-sour foods, either fresh or dried, sometimes canned with syrup in supermarkets. 5

6. Pomelo (bưởi) The pomelo is a citrus fruit native to Southeast Asia. It is usually pale green to yellow when ripe, with sweet white (or, more rarely, pink or red) flesh and very thick pudgy rind. It is the largest citrus fruit, 15–25 cm in diameter, and usually weighing 1–2 kg. The pomelo tastes like a sweet, mild grapefruit, though is much larger in size. It has very little, or none, of the common grapefruit's bitterness, but the enveloping membranous material around the segments is bitter, considered inedible, and thus usually discarded. Rambutan (chôm chôm) The rambutan is closely related to several other edible tropical fruits including the Lychee, Longan, and Mamoncillo. The leathery skin is reddish and covered with fleshy pliable spines. The outer skin is peeled exposing the fleshy fruit inside which is then eaten. It is sweet, sour and slightly grape like and gummy to the taste. The fruit flesh is translucent, whitish or very pale pink, with a sweet, mildly acidic flavour. The single seed is glossy brown with a white basal scar. 6

7. Star fruit, Carambolas (khế) Best consumed when ripe, when they are yellow with a light shade of green. It will also have brown ridges at the five edges and feel firm. An overripe fruit will be yellow with brown spots. The entire fruit is edible, including the slightly waxy skin. It is sweet without being overwhelming and extremely juicy. The taste is difficult to compare, but it has been likened to a mix of papaya, orange and grapefruit all at once. It could also be described as an overly tart and juicy apple. Soursop, Guanábana (mãng cầu Xiêm) Its flavor is described as a combination of strawberry and pineapple with sour citrus flavor notes contrasting with an underlying creamy flavor reminiscent of coconut or banana. The flesh of the fruit consists of an edible white pulp and a core of indigestible black seeds. The sweet pulp is used to make juice as well as candies. 7

8. Acerola (xê-ri) The fruit is a bright red drupe 1–3 cm in diameter and is very similar to a cherry. Drupes are in pairs or groups of three, and each contains three triangular seeds. The drupes are juicy and very high in vitamin C and other nutrients. They are divided into three obscure lobes and are usually acid to subacid, giving them a sour taste, but may be sweet if grown well. Sweetsop, Sugar Apple (na) The fruit is usually round, slightly pine cone-like, 6–10 cm diameter, with a scaly or lumpy skin. The fruit flesh is sweet, white to light yellow, and resembles and tastes like custard. The edible portion coats the seeds generously; a bit like the gooey portion of a tomato seed. It has a very distinct, sweet-smelling fragrance. It is slightly grainy, a bit slippery, very sweet and very soft. The blackish-brown seeds are scattered through the fruit flesh and are long, hard, and shiny. 8