Wild olive specialty

The mountains and forests of Tuyen Quang are in season for canarium fruit. This fruit appears in the simple family meals of the highlanders in delicious, rustic dishes such as canarium sticky rice, or canarium stewed with meat or fish.

Fish stewed with tamarind.

In the culinary culture of the highland people, sourness is one of the favorite flavors in cooking. The sourness of the canarium fruit, with its slightly astringent and intensely sweet aftertaste, makes it a preferred ingredient in dishes. In particular, the sourness of the canarium fruit effectively neutralizes fishy odors, which is why highland people often cook fish with it.

For braised fish with canarium fruit, choose long, slender fruits, wash them thoroughly, and then crush them. This allows the pulp inside the fruit to easily infuse into the fish during cooking. The fish should be simmered over low heat for about an hour, until the fish meat is firm, the bones and canarium fruit soften, and the sourness of the canarium fruit blends with the sweet and fatty flavor of the fish. Remove the pot from the heat, let it cool, and then braise it a second time for a truly delicious and authentic braised fish dish. The canarium fruit eliminates the fishy smell, while the protein from the fish neutralizes the astringent taste of the canarium fruit – a perfect culinary combination.