With Tet approaching, Vietnamese families traditionally prepare a “five fruits” offering, or “Mam Ngu Qua,” along with other Tet goods for their ancestral altars. These beautifully arranged bowls of fruit include a variety of interesting and uniquely shaped Vietnam-grown delights.
The five fruits are thought to symbolize the five elements: metal, wood, water, fire, and soil. Alternatively, they may represent the family’s hard work and serve as an offering of thanks to their ancestors. Regardless of the interpretation, you will see many fruits during the Tet New Year celebrations.
If you have read our previous of top 15 weirdest food to try in Vietnam so here are a few unique Vietnamese fruits that you might not recognize from your local grocery store…
Let take a look at our top weird fruits to try in Vietnam
Sầu riêng – Durian
Top weird and wonderful fruit in Vietnam
Durian is a unique and thorny fruit native to Southeast Asia, particularly Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia. Despite its similar appearance across these countries, the taste of durian varies depending on its origin. However, one characteristic remains consistent: its incredibly strong smell.
In Vietnam, durian is quite popular. However, in the North, it’s relatively expensive. This is because durian can’t be cultivated in the northern regions; it only thrives in the southern climate. Additionally, transporting and preserving this fruit adds to the cost.
Cóc – Ambarella
Top weird and wonderful fruit in Vietnam
The ambarella fruit or Trái cóc in Vietnamese is a popular tropical fruit in Vietnam. It has a green, oval shape and is known for its crunchy texture and tangy, slightly sour taste.
Ambarella is widely grown in the southern regions of Vietnam, where it thrives in the warm climate. The fruit is often enjoyed fresh, and its unique flavor makes it a favorite snack among locals. Additionally, ambarella is used in various Vietnamese dishes, including pickles and salads.
Cam – Green Orange
Top weird and wonderful fruit in Vietnam
If you’re searching for the familiar orange in a Vietnamese supermarket, you might be surprised to find that in Vietnam, oranges have a green hue.
Vietnamese oranges are celebrated for their distinctive flavor, vibrant appearance, and nutritional benefits. They have a green skin with a hint of yellow. The skin is thick, rough, and quite difficult to peel. To enjoy the orange, you need to cut it into segments or halve it to squeeze out the juice. Vietnamese oranges typically have seeds, although Ha Giang oranges can be seedless. When ripe, the pulp is thick and yellow with a mild aroma, offering a taste that ranges from sour to sweet, depending on the fruit’s ripeness.
The harvest season for Vietnamese oranges varies by variety. Oranges from Ha Giang and Tuyen Quang are typically available during the winter months near Tet (December to February), while southern Vietnamese oranges are available year-round. Prices also vary by variety, generally ranging from 40,000 to 75,000 VND per kilogram.
Chùm ruộc
Top weird and wonderful fruit in Vietnam
The star gooseberry, also known as “chum ruoc” in Vietnamese, is a popular tropical fruit in Vietnam. It thrives in the southern regions, where the climate is ideal for its growth. The fruit is small, round, and divided into six segments, with a light green surface and a diameter of about 2-2.5 cm. Each fruit contains a single seed and has a crisp texture with a distinctive sour taste that tingles the mouth.
Star gooseberries are typically harvested from June to August and are enjoyed fresh. They are also used in various local dishes and beverages. The fruit is known for its juicy and fragrant qualities, making it a favorite among locals.
Vú sữa
Top weird and wonderful fruit in Vietnam
The star apple, commonly grown in the orchards of central and southern Vietnam, is particularly famous in Can Tho Province in the Mekong Delta. This round fruit, often green or violet with a smooth texture, reveals a fragrant white flesh when cut open, resembling a star—hence its name. The Vietnamese name for the fruit, Vu Sua (meaning “milk from the breast”), refers to its milky sweet juice.
Star apples can be enjoyed in various ways. One simple method is to peel the fruit with a sharp knife and take bites, being careful not to swallow the seeds. However, this method can result in losing much of its sweet juice. A less messy approach is to cut the fruit into two halves and use a spoon to scoop out the pulp, preserving its precious juice.
In the orchards, growers often eat the fruit whole by first squeezing it until it becomes tender, allowing the juice to mix with the flesh. They then create a small hole at the top of the fruit and drink the mixture of meat and sweet juice.
Mít – Jackfruit
Top weird and wonderful fruit in Vietnam
Why is jackfruit special? Typically, a ripe jackfruit weighs between 2 to 3 kilograms. Farmers commonly press the fruit with their fingers to determine if it is soft enough for harvesting. When young, its skin is green, but as it ripens, the thorny skin changes color from green to yellow, and finally to dark brown.
To eat jackfruit, also known as “mit,” people cut it horizontally into two halves, then slice each piece from top to bottom. Using their hands, they separate each segment from the fruit, remove the seeds, and then enjoy the tasty flesh. Jackfruit has a lot of latex, even when ripe. Typically, after being cut from the tree, Vietnamese people insert a stake into its stem for a few days to reduce the latex content.
Sơ ri
Top weird and wonderful fruit in Vietnam
Acerola, known as sơ ri or xê-ri in Vietnamese, is a small fruit also recognized globally as the Barbados cherry. When fully ripe, this fruit boasts bright red skin and a sweet yet tart flavor. It is typically round or oblong in shape.
In Vietnam, acerola is primarily harvested during the summer months. Locals often consume it fresh to maximize its nutritional benefits or use it in juices and smoothies.
Bon bon
Top weird and wonderful fruit in Vietnam
Langsat, also known as bòn bon, is a small tropical fruit native to Southeast Asia, particularly popular in Vietnam, Malaysia, and India.
In Vietnam, langsat is cherished for its translucent, juicy segments that provide a sweet and slightly tart flavor. The fruit is round and oval-shaped, typically found in clusters, with a thin, yellowish skin that peels away easily.
Langsat is in season from July to October, and is enjoyed fresh or incorporated into desserts by Vietnamese people.
Na
Top weird and wonderful fruit in Vietnam
The custard apple, known as “mãng cầu” in Vietnam, is a heart-shaped fruit with a bumpy green exterior and creamy white flesh dotted with black seeds. It is one of the five fruits traditionally included in the five-fruit tray during the Tet holiday in Southern Vietnam.
Custard apples are celebrated for their sweet, slightly tart flavor, which combines hints of banana, pineapple, and peach. They have a rich texture and are best enjoyed when fully ripe.
This fruit comes in various types, including the popular “mãng cầu Xiêm” (soursop) and “mãng cầu ta” (sugar apple), and is primarily available from June to September.
In Vietnam, custard apples are typically eaten fresh. The flesh is scooped out and enjoyed directly, often served chilled as a refreshing dessert. This fruit is particularly favored in the northern provinces, where it thrives in the local growing conditions.
Dừa Nước
Top weird and wonderful fruit in Vietnam
Nipa palm, locally known as dừa nước, is a fruit-bearing palm native to the coastal and mangrove regions of Vietnam and other parts of Southeast Asia. The clusters of nipa palm fruits are large, with individual fruits featuring a tough, brownish exterior.
While the fruits are not consumed fresh, they are highly valued for their sweet sap, which can be fermented to produce a traditional alcoholic beverage, among other uses.
The extraction and fermentation of this sap are deeply embedded in the coastal Vietnamese culture, particularly in the Mekong Delta, where these palms grow abundantly.
Khế – Starfruit
Top weird and wonderful fruit in Vietnam
Starfruit (khế), also known as carambola, is a fruit with a star-shaped cross-section. Its skin ranges from light to bright green, and its flesh is crisp and juicy, offering a balance between sweet and sour flavors.
Native to Southeast Asia, including Vietnam, starfruit is available year-round in the Mekong Delta and Central Vietnam.
You can find starfruit in local markets primarily from summer to fall. It is a versatile ingredient in Vietnamese cuisine, enjoyed both as a refreshing snack and incorporated into salads, cooked dishes, desserts, and drinks.
Gấc
Top weird and wonderful fruit in Vietnam
Gac fruit has been consumed in Vietnam for thousands of years for its nutritional and medicinal properties. In the West, it is now gaining popularity as a superfood due to its high antioxidant and vitamin content. It is also known as Baby Jackfruit, Spiny Bitter Gourd, Sweet Gourd, or Cochinchin Gourd in English.
The fruit is less abundant than others because it has a relatively short harvest season, peaking in December and January. Gac is typically served at ceremonial or festive occasions in Vietnam, such as the Vietnamese New Year and weddings. It is most commonly prepared as a dish called xôi gấc, where the flesh and seeds are cooked with glutinous rice. Recently, the fruit has started being marketed outside of Asia as dietary supplements.
Hồng xiêm ( Sapoche ) – Sapodilla
Top weird and wonderful fruit in Vietnam
Sapodilla, known locally as “hồng xiêm” in Vietnam, is a round fruit with a brown, rough exterior. Celebrated for its sweet, malty flavor and grainy texture, the pale yellow flesh inside contains several black seeds.
The peak season for sapodilla in Vietnam spans from February to April. Originating from North Vietnam, this fruit offers a unique blend of flavors reminiscent of apple, banana, peach, and a hint of pear.
Locals typically enjoy sapodilla fresh, cutting it open and scooping out the flesh while avoiding the seeds. It’s also a popular ingredient in smoothies and desserts, valued for its natural sweetness.
Chôm Chôm
Top weird and wonderful fruit in Vietnam
Rambutan, known locally as chôm chôm, is a tropical fruit native to Southeast Asia, including Vietnam. This fruit is characterized by its hairy shell, which houses a juicy, translucent flesh wrapped around a large seed.
The taste is sweet with a slight acidity, often likened to grapes or lychees. In Vietnam, rambutans are primarily harvested during the summer months.
There are several varieties of rambutan in the country, with the most popular being the red-skinned and yellow-skinned types. Rambutans thrive in the southern regions of Vietnam, particularly in the Mekong Delta.
Rambutan trees are commonly found in Vietnamese backyards and orchards. Locals enjoy eating them fresh, adding them to fruit salads, or incorporating them into drinks.
Nhãn
Top weird and wonderful fruit in Vietnam
Longan, known as “nhãn” in Vietnam, is a small, round fruit with translucent white flesh and a central black seed, encased in a thin, brown shell. Native to Southeast Asia, longan is savored across Vietnam for its sweet, musky flavor.
This fruit is primarily enjoyed during its peak season, which spans from late summer to early autumn. Vietnam is home to several varieties of longan, including the popular Nhãn Lồng, Nhãn Đường Phèn, and Nhãn Tiêu Da Bò.
In Vietnam, longans are typically eaten fresh; the shell is easily removed to reveal the juicy flesh inside. They are also frequently used in desserts and beverages.
Are you ready to try our weird and wonderful fruit in Vietnam
If you are traveling in Vietnam make sure don’t missed to try those selected fruits that we have shared with you or if you are in Ho Chi Minh city you can join one of our Ho Chi Minh city cycling tour which bring you to try some of the fruits that we have mention on the list aboves
