5th: Star Apple (milk from the breast)

Cut this tennis ball-sized fruit in half horizontally and you’ll see why it’s called that. The segments form a star-like structure. However, its Vietnamese name is much more precise: milk from the breast. Kind of weird, I know… However, here’s the color and texture of the juice you should expect. The Vietnamese really just cut a hole and sucked the nectar out!

Don’t worry, you can cut it in half and use a spoon, or cut the fruit into pieces and enjoy it like a mini watermelon. The interesting thing lies in both the taste and the texture. It has a sweet taste, thick juice, and a milky white color that makes you feel motherly love.

Vietnamese legend has it that at witchcraft hour, you can see the ghost of a nursing mother wandering around its trees. Spooky huh? So it’s better to let someone else harvest them and buy a full bag from the street market when in season in the late autumn and early winter months.

It is very recognizable with its round, mostly purple skin. Although some are green, this does not mean they are unripe. Give it a gentle squeeze before enjoying the breast milk to release all the sweetness and bring a wet tissue as your fingers are sure to get sticky after eating!

Health Information

Star apple helps you lose weight, is rich in antioxidants and vitamin C, and helps build strong bones.

Season

You only get it from October to December.

Street prices

About 30,000-40,000 VND/kg.

Where does it grow?

As a tropical fruit, it prefers the southern climate of Vietnam. The most famous varieties come from the Mekong Delta: Can Tho and Vinh Kim commune, Tien Giang province.

4th place: Rambutan

Cute Vietnamese name, right? It’s even cuter when you know what it means: tangled hair! However, there is also a smaller variety with shorter hair called rambutan longan in Vietnamese and has a slightly sweeter taste. It’s one of the strange fruits in Vietnam that a lot of people like.

A rambutan the size of a golf ball is a relative of lychee, just to give you an idea of ​​the texture, which is, however, a bit more jelly-like than its sibling’s texture. There’s also more meat. You may come across some samples of the fruit with a sour taste, but rambutan is generally sweet and extremely easy to eat. Moreover, it is also a convenient fruit!

You can use your fingers to open and peel the skin, but the best way to do that is to cut the skin in half and pull out one hemisphere while holding the other. Now you can put them all in your mouth without your fingers getting stuck. However, there is a seed – don’t choke, please!

They are often sold on branches that add to their mass when they grow on branches. You’ll find them fresh from June to September on any street market. Alternatively, stop by one of the many vendors who roam the cities on their bicycles. However, these suppliers tend to raise their prices some above the market price as you will probably never see them again. Time to bargain!

Health Information

Rambutan are great for weight loss, good for your skin and hair, and high in vitamin C. They also boost your immune system, prevent cancer, and—drum roll—is said to improve sperm quality. ! Whatever that means…

Season

Rambutan is a summer fruit, ripe in the rainy season. Harvest from May to September.

Street prices

About 15,000-30,000 VND/kg depends on season.

Where does it grow?

The most famous production is in Binh Hoa Phuoc village in South Vinh Long. Yes, this is the Mekong Delta again. The area around Phan Thiet on the South Central Coast is also famous for its delicious rambutan.

3rd place: Mango

Okay, this doesn’t come as a surprise. But aren’t the imported mangoes you buy in supermarkets in colder parts of the world not even as delicious as those in tropical countries? Vietnam is no exception.

On the street, almost everyone will see green, unripe mangoes cut into sticks and sold with salt and chili, so much so that many tourists returning home have exclaimed that mangoes in Vietnam are so sour, they don’t taste good! They couldn’t be more wrong.

The land of Vietnam is fertile, so mangoes give many extraordinary fruits. You can’t wait for them to ripen. So the Vietnamese have found ways to process them while they are still green. Don’t, honestly DON’T miss Vietnamese mango salad with fresh shrimp! It epitomizes the genius of Southeast Asian cuisine (you’ll find similar creations in Thailand, for example).

When ripe and light yellow in color, Vietnamese mangoes are sweet and full-bodied. The texture of the ideal mango is just a little hard when biting and the flavor is so intense that you don’t want to stop eating them!

As tempting as an American football-sized mango is, it’s better to choose smaller but fragrant fruit. When in the market, hold them in hand to check if they are a bit soft. If so, and if they’re not too green, you’ve likely found one ready to eat.

Since they have a large hole, use a knife to cut a slice on each side of it. You can then make them into sticks or blocks (the trick here is not to cut through the skin).

Health Information

Mangoes help prevent cancer, lower cholesterol, benefit skin, eyes and strengthen the immune system.

Season

Mangoes grow from October to July, but are best in the early summer months.

Street prices

About 10,000-15,000 VND/fruit.

Where does it grow?

Again, in the Mekong Delta. There are many varieties, of which the most famous is Hoa Loc sand mango of the commune formerly called that, in Tien Giang province.

2nd: Langsat (Bon Bon)

Unlike other fruits (think: dragon fruit), langsat is not world famous nor attractive at first sight. They look like small potatoes. However, we have ranked them second best. Why? Open one and you’ll know!

Another member of the same family as rambutan, the flesh of this small fruit is as big as a quail egg, clear and soft, with many seed-bearing segments. You can completely chew and swallow the smaller seeds to avoid spitting out every two seconds. It won’t spoil the taste, promise!

What flavor is that? Sweet and succulent as its Vietnamese name (cows) notices, with a subtle sourness reminiscent of a grapefruit. It is also called earth strawberry In the North, but not as good as strawberry (strawberry), like the more succulent lychee, has a richer flavor.

You won’t be able to avoid using your hands to peel them off, which will make them sticky, and washing your hands only a few times will help. Better don’t let it touch your clothes!

Again, you will usually buy them at the local market.

Health Information

Langsat helps to lose weight, prevent cancer and improve digestion. They are also a source of carbohydrates. Not that you will actually do it, but rather: dry the shell and burn it to repel mosquitoes!

Season

Harvest time is late summer, from July to October.

Street prices

About 40,000 VND per kilogram.

Where does it grow?

Belongs to Quang Nam province, the South Central Coast region, is also the hometown of Hoi An.

1st: Mangosteen – The most delicious strange fruits in Vietnam.

Please sir, this is the most delicious fruit in Vietnam and probably in the world. Back in the old feudal days, it was famous as a noble fruit in Vietnam and offered to royal families — and for a reason!

It does not show its greatness at first glance. You must cut it along the equator of its dark red crust to reveal a divided, milky-white core. It is said that the more segments of the mangosteen, the less seeds, the better. And what a taste!

The perfect balance of sweet and sour meat surprises you first, then delights. Imagine biting into a strawberry, a peach, and a tangerine at the same time. Its juices give it an unmatched freshness that makes you want to drink more.

However, you will have to enjoy within the borders of the country, as there are import and export restrictions on mangosteen.

And there’s another flip side to it: as the Vietnamese say, buying mangosteen is like buying a lottery ticket—you can never be sure what you’ll get. Usually, more than half of the fruits purchased are thrown away as you should not eat them as they are interspersed with yellow or purple threads. But that certainly won’t stop you from taking advantage of your opportunities.

Mangosteen is very popular in Vietnam and can be found almost anywhere, from the grocery store around the corner to the big street markets or street vendors on bicycles. Note that, perhaps due to their royal past, mangosteen is a bit more expensive than other fruits.

Health Information

Mangosteen is rich in antioxidants and vitamin C, lowers cholesterol, is anti-inflammatory and has anti-aging effects.

Season

Mangosteen season is short, only about two to three months from May to August.

Price

About 60,000-70,000 VND/kg.

Where does it grow?

Lai Thieu mangosteen from a small town in the northern province of Binh Duong Ho Chi Minh City is said to be the best of the best.