In Central Vietnam, there is a beautiful folk song which says:
“Ai về nhắn với nậu nguồn
Mít non gửi xuống cá chuồn gửi lên”
The folk song can be translated into English as below:
“Anyone return to hometown, send my message to my partner
Send young green jackfruit, I will send back flying fish”
Young green jackfruit and flying fish are two specialty food of Central Vietnam. Jackfruit trees are abundant in many provinces in Central Vietnam (Quang Ngai). Ripe jackfruits are a favorite food which can be eaten raw or used to cook a wide range of desserts such as Vietnamese sweet soups. Young green jackfruit is used to cook Soup with young green jackfruit, wild betel, and wild shrimp, Braised young green jackfruit with wild shrimp, Braised young green jackfruit with flying fish. Young green jackfruit salad (Gỏi mít non, Goi mit non) is one of the most famous dish from this young fruit. It has become more and more popular in other provinces of the country. From a rural dish, Goi mit non is on menu of Vietnamese restaurant from cheap to expensive thanks to its great taste.
To make this salad, choose green jackfruit which is not too young but not too old. A suitable young green jackfruit has crunchy, buttery, sweet-tasty, mild flavor and meat-like texture. If the fruit is too old it is not crunchy but tender. Peel the young green jackfruit in water mixed with some salt using a sharp knife to make sure the white color of the jackfruit flesh is kept and reduce its mucous membranes. Cut into pieces, remove the core of the young green jackfruit. Boil, drain off the pieces and cut them into juliennes.
In the past, because of the difficult life and lack of foods, they usually mix young green jackfruit juliennes with pork skin or tofu pudding to make delicious salads and eat for meals. They have created the Young green jackfruit salad with pork and shrimp recipe which can win the hearts of all ages. Mix young green jackfruit juliennes with peeled boiled shrimp, pork belly slices and a dressing made from fish sauce, sugar, lime juice. The salad is topped with chopped herbs and toasted peanuts. It is better to eat the salad with Vietnamese rice cracker (Bánh tráng).
If you have a chance to visit Vietnam, do not miss this refreshing and healthy salad. It is worth your try.
You might like this:
