Soursop
Soursop has a sweet and sour taste, and embodies a selection of nutrients that have been repurposed in a number of Vietnamese medicines. Soursop is an extremely healthy Vietnamese fruit that is known to strengthen the immune system and help prevent certain types of cancer.
Sweetsop
Sweetsop, otherwise referred to as ‘custard apple’, is originally from South America but is also grown in Vietnam. It has bumpy green skin, white flesh, and hard black pips inside. The taste is sweet and floral, and is a good source of both vitamin C and B – a true Vietnamese fruit in the flesh.
Longan
Longan has a shiny, soft round brown peel that removes almost like a mix of an egg shell and onion peel. Inside, is a fleshy pulp that’s succulent, sweet, and aromatic. This is one of Vietnam’s sweetest tropical fruits to try.
Persimmon
Persimmon can be eaten fresh, dried, raw, or cooked. The flesh of a persimmon is similar to a tomato but the texture’s unique. Inside, you’ll find a fruit that’s just waiting to be devoured. Promoting many health benefits, this is a great addition to any Vietnamese vegetarian diet or vegan lifestyle.
Rambutan
Rambutans come in red, yellow, or a yellow-ish orange. They have outer spines that look like a mess of hair. Under the outer shell, you will find a white thick fruit that’s a little sour in taste but which has a delicious fragrance. This is one of Vietnam’s favourite fruits – a must-have on any list like this.
Jackfruit
Jackfruit has a spiky crust and a large shape, ultimately a very intimidating fruit. Inside, the sweet taste and smell are an easy sweet tooth appetite crusher. Yellow knots occupy the insides which require removing and due to their size, this usually means having a towel or glove to help out. Jackfruits, like other Vietnamese forest fruits, have disease-preventing benefits and pack a nutritional punch.
In the years to come, we hope to have more Vietnamese fruit coming into Canada and to our Toronto restaurant at TorontoPHO. Until then, this is our tribute to our most favourite and popular fruits from our cultural home in Vietnam.
