Fruits - Trai Cay
Tropical Vietnamese fruits come in a wide variety of textures, colours, and flavours. They are often sweet and naturally bright in appearance. Many of these fruits did not originate in Vietnam, but instead, were introduced there by migrants and visitors. Today, most of these fruits are imported to Canada and are available almost all year round in many of the larger Asian supermarkets. A walk through the Western Chinatown of Toronto will give you a feel of shopping in tropical Vietnam as vendors call to your attention to advertise their fresh and ripe produce, even in the middle of winter!
Longan - Nhan
Longan is a very popular and widely available fruit. The sizes of the longan very much resemble the sizes of grapes, except they tend to be rounder. And like grapes, they also come in bunches. The skin is brittle and can easily be bitten into. Inside the skin is a layer of translucent white meat, which covers a relatively large pit. When eaten, the skin and pit are discarded.
Lychee - Vai
The lychee is a cousin of the longan. Except for the colours of the skins, they are very alike in appearance as well as anatomy. The lychee is red and is often larger than the logan. It too has a white layer of translucent meat and pit. When eaten one after another, one can definitely distinguish the different tastes of the longan and the lychee.
Persimmon - Hong
Think firmer and sweeter tomatoes. That's basically what persimmons resemble. The shape and size are almost identical to tomatoes, but the texture is firmer - even when ripe - and the taste is pure sweetness. They range from light yellow-orange to dark red-orange in colour.
Custard Apple - Man Cau
These fruits have thick scaly skin that is very easy to peel off. Despite its appearance, the meat under the skin of the custard apple is white and very juicy. The custard apple is filled with many black seeds. When eating this fruit, be sure not to bite too hard into it, as to avoid accidently biting a seed. Like the longan, the seeds of the custard apple are to be discarded.
Jackfruit - Mit
Jackfruits come in many shapes and sizes. Some species can grow up to 90 cm long and weigh as much as over 30 kilograms. Merchants often sell these fruits in slices of quarters and halves. Although its skin is green and covered in hexagonal spines, when displayed in the stores, it's often seen as yellow pulp sitting on a thick layer of white and green skin. Inside the yellow pulp is a large black pit. These pits are often discarded but some people enjoy boiling them to eat.
Mango - Xoai
Mangoes, when ripe, are red or yellow on the outside and is yellow on the inside. They are very sweet, juciy, and aromatic! The meat is soft when ripe. To eat a mango cleanly, the skin should be carefully removed with a knife or peeler. Then cut the meat into slices to enjoy. Again, the pit must be discarded.
Mangoes can also be enjoyed before they are ripe. Green mango slices are usually eaten with salt and chili dips. This is often done while enjoying an alcoholic beverage.
Rambutan - Chom Chom
Rambutans are green when they're young and red when they're ripe. When walking in an Asian supermarket, rambutans are very easy to spot due to their bright appearance. The skin of the rambutan is covered with 'hairs' that are 2-3 cm long. Underneath the skin is a layer of white and tender meat, that gives a cool sweet taste when bitten into. When eating rambutans, peel away the skin with your nail to avoid its bitter tasete, and carefully bite the meat off of the pit in the centre.
Durian - Sau Rieng
Durian is a very special fruit. In fact, it is known as the King of fruits. Preceded by its reputation as being "smelly", durian is either loved by fans or feared by, well, pretty much everyone else. If its odor doesn't set off one's nasal alarms, one would find that the pulp is actually very sweet and the texture is soft and creamy. And once you fall in love with the King, the relationship is long term and ever-lasting!
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