Originally a wild fruit and specialty of the Northwest mountainous region, the mac kham fruit (also known as forest tamarind or mountain gooseberry) has recently become a sensation, sought after by many people who are willing to pay high prices to buy and enjoy this fruit.
The Mac Kham tree is commonly found growing in the mountainous forests of Northwest Vietnam.
The mac kham fruit is known by the Nung and Tay ethnic groups in the mountainous provinces, and it also has another more familiar name: wild tamarind. Mac kham usually grows naturally in the hilly and mountainous areas of northern provinces such as Lang Son, Cao Bang , and Ha Giang, and typically begins its season in September and October each year.
The macadamia fruit is round, light green, with a hard shell and six segments inside, each with very faint grooves. When ripe, the fruit is quite crunchy. Initially, it has a sour and astringent taste, but after eating it for a while, it gradually becomes sweet and refreshing.
The mac kham fruit is considered a gift from nature, carrying the flavor of the mountains and forests, a harmonious blend of sour, sweet, astringent, and bitter tastes. The unique thing about this fruit is that after eating just a few, everything else tastes better, from a glass of water to a cup of tea, becoming sweeter and more pleasant.
Fresh macadamia nuts
Originating from social media posts, the mac kham fruit, once a wild fruit of little value to people in mountainous provinces, has suddenly become a special gift that many people are searching for online.
Ms. Thu Nga, a small trader in Khai Quang ward, Vinh Yen city, specializing in importing and selling specialty fruits from the Northwest region, said: “Currently, mac kham fruit is in season and is very popular. In the past week, I have imported an average of 100 kg of mac kham from Cao Bang every day to sell. With a selling price of 60,000 VND/kg, the goods sell out as soon as they arrive, and customers even have to place orders the day before.”
Ms. Tram Anh, a supplier of wild macadamia nuts in Vinh Yen city, shared: "Macadamia nuts have always been imported to traditional medicine shops to be used as a medicinal ingredient, but mainly in dried form, which is quite expensive."
Besides selling fresh star fruit, I also sell sweet and sour pickled star fruit, which is very popular. The pre-pickled star fruit is more expensive because it takes more time to prepare, costing around 40,000 VND per 500-gram box. Not including fresh fruit, just from selling the pre-pickled star fruit, my family sells about 20 kg of fruit in one batch each day.”
Sweet and sour marinated mắc kham is a favorite among many people.
Curious about the mac kham fruit that's trending on social media, Ms. Nguyen Thi Dung from Lien Bao ward, Vinh Yen city, ordered 2 kg of mac kham online to try. Ms. Dung shared: “The first time I ate mac kham, I found it very interesting, so I went online to see how people prepared it. After washing the fruit, crushing it, removing the seeds, and mixing it with salt and chili, I couldn't stop eating it. Mac kham has a sour and astringent taste, but it doesn't cause stomach upset, and after eating it, there's a sweet aftertaste. I also heard that this fruit is a good medicine for health, so I like eating it even more.”
According to traditional medicine, the star fruit (Mắc kham) is widely used in remedies and is known more as a medicinal herb than a snack fruit. The fruit contains a very high amount of vitamin C, which has cooling and anti-inflammatory effects. In addition, people in mountainous regions often pickle star fruit like candied plums to suck on, which is very effective in treating coughs.
Regarding how to preserve the macadamia nut, according to the seller, if kept in the refrigerator's crisper compartment, it can be eaten for several days. If you want to keep it longer, store it in the freezer; when you want to eat it, just take it out to thaw, and it will still be as crispy and delicious as fresh fruit.
Canned preserved amaranth, when purchased and stored in the refrigerator, can be used for up to a week. Therefore, during amaranth season, many people often order a few kilograms or even a whole ten kilograms of amaranth to use gradually.
Text and photos: Thao My
Source
Comment (0)