Delicious dishes from star fruit

The tamarind tree is a woody tree, has a long life span, and is green all year round, so it is often planted for shade on both sides of roads, in yards, schools, etc. Not only creating a landscape, the tamarind tree also brings a stable income to many families.

Now is the main harvest season of star fruit.

Tuan Di village, Trung Trac commune (Van Lam) is the "capital" of Hung Yen with over 1,000 trees. Tuan Di dracontomelon not only serves the needs of the people in the province but also follows traders to many provinces and cities such as Hanoi , Hai Phong, Quang Ninh..., becoming a "foreign" gift to some countries such as Korea, China...

Mr. Chu Van Cuong's family in Tuan Di village owns nearly 30 tamarind trees that yield regular harvests every year. Mr. Cuong said: Each tree yields 1-5 quintals of fruit, with a selling price of 10,000 - 15,000 VND/kg. In addition to economic benefits , tamarind trees are also prioritized by people as intercropping to create shade for the dong trees below.

According to Oriental medicine, star fruit has a cooling effect, helps to clear heat, quench thirst, treat coughs, reduce phlegm and improve digestion. Not only is it a medicinal fruit, but star fruit is also the “soul” of many dishes in summer meals.

We can mention boiled water spinach with pickled star fruit, a rustic but rich dish. A few star fruit are boiled with water spinach, then crushed. The water from boiled water spinach when crushed star fruit comes out. easy to eat and anti-boring on hot days.

Pickled plums are also a familiar side dish. Fresh plums are peeled, crushed or left whole, soaked in good fish sauce, garlic, and chili. After a few days, they can be used. The harmonious sour, salty, and spicy flavors go well with rice.

Pickled plum with fish sauce, garlic, chili...

The most famous dish made from star fruit is duck stewed with star fruit. The duck is marinated with spices, stir-fried, then stewed with green star fruit, taro, lemongrass, etc. until tender. The stewed water is thick and rich, the sourness of the star fruit brings out the sweetness of the meat, and is delicious when served with noodles or rice.

Not only in meals, star fruit is also the main ingredient to make attractive snacks such as dried apricots and pickled star fruit. These days, Quyen Luu processing facility, Phuong Nam commune ( Hung Yen city) is busy making dried apricots stir-fried with ginger and pickled star fruit. Every step from peeling, pricking the fruit, marinating to processing and packaging ensures food safety and hygiene. The fresh scent of star fruit and the spicy scent of ginger spread throughout the space. On average, each crop, the facility processes about 15 tons of finished products, with a selling price of 100,000 - 110,000 VND/kg.

Processing apricot jam products at Quyen Luu facility, Phuong Nam commune (Hung Yen city)

Mr. Vu Van Quyen, the owner of the facility, said: The most important thing in making dried apricots is to marinate and process the right ratio of sugar - water - apricots. This step must be done by an experienced person to ensure the flavor.

In Tran Cao town (Phu Cu), Phuong Thao facility is also in the peak processing season. Ms. Duong Thi Phuong, the facility owner, shared: To keep the characteristic sour and aromatic taste, the preparation and marinating stages must be done cleanly, with the ingredients balanced harmoniously.

Hung Yen’s processed products from star fruit such as dried apricots and ginger-fried star fruit have been recognized as typical rural industrial products for many years. In particular, the product “Fresh and crispy star fruit” of Quyen Luu facility has been granted a 3-star OCOP product certificate by the Provincial People’s Committee since 2019.

On a hot summer day, enjoying a glass of cool, sweet and sour pickled plums with a spicy ginger flavor is a rustic yet unforgettable experience. Pickled plum season usually lasts just over a month, so many housewives take advantage of the opportunity to buy fresh pickled plums, process them, and freeze them for use throughout the year.

Many people process fresh star fruit, vacuum-pack it, and freeze it for year-round use.

From a rustic dish on the family dinner table to a popular specialty on the market, the star fruit has been contributing to enriching Hung Yen cuisine.