Do you know what fruit is in the bag?? We recently were fortunate to cook with these spectacular exotic fruit to make a very traditional Vietnamese dish. But before we reveal the fruit and dish, we just thought it would be fun to have a little contest to see who and how many can identify this amazing fruit. Plus we have some great giveaways for the winner. See the canvas bag with the beautifully intricate henna peacock design? My sister, Niki at Mission La Pham Nikita created these reusable grocery bags by hand silk screening her henna peacock onto the bags and gave an extra one to us.
We're so nice we're even going to give you a few hints. This fruit comes from the a family of fruits that are the largest in the world, some weighing over 1000 lbs. This fruit, by far, contains the highest content of beta-carotene (Vitamin A) of any fruit or vegetable. If you get pricked by the spiky thorns, you'll have bad luck for 7 yrs--just kidding!
This is what it looks like inside...isn't this beautiful? This fruit is primarily grown in Southeast Asia and is used in far ranging countries of India, China, Japan, Thailand, Malaysia, Laos and of course Vietnam. We'll accept the English name of this fruit as well as any of its name in the countries listed above.
Correct comments will be entered in a random drawing to receive the 100% recycled cotton ultra cool henna peacock bag by Mission La Pham Nikita, which can also be purchased from her site so check it out.
Even if you don't know--take a guess...you don't have to be correct to win. For those with wrong answers we're offering a consolation prize--a Vietnamese coffee filter! We'll run this giveaway until Friday to give everyone a chance to do your research!
**update 12/12/09: the answer is Gac Fruit! Check out how we used it to make Xoi Gac - Red Sticky Rice.
Anyone can join or only US residents? It's Gac or Baby Jackfruit. Never seen anything like this before. The color is beautiful.
ReplyDeleteI was going to say it's another variety of durian, or something in the durian family. If it's indeed jackfruit, I didn't actually know it has thorn on the outside!
ReplyDeleteIt's Gac! :) And I am guessing you cooked a sticky rice dish with it! LOL!
ReplyDeleteIt's gac! And you're making xoi gac with it! Out of all the xoi dishes, I think xoi gac has got to be my favorite dish. Can't wait to see how you do it!
ReplyDeleteIt can't be durian because durian is white on the inside... and if it were, I'd be able to smell it from here. It must be jackfruit. I've never eaten it, but seen it in the markets.
ReplyDeleteA variety of jackfruit. It's very pretty!
ReplyDeleteIt is called a JACKFRUIT..........
ReplyDeleteI believe it is a Jackfruit.
ReplyDeleteI would have guessed a variety of durian, but I have only seen it on food and travel tv... I found your site thru la fleur au cacao- and now am genuinely curious about Vietnamese cooking. I'm in Wisconsin, and not much access to Vietnamese culture. I'm going to have to scour our Asian markets so I can do some experimenting!
ReplyDeletehmm, some kind of jackfruit?
ReplyDeleteYeah, it's a gac! You're going to make xoi gac aren't you? Yum.
ReplyDeleteTrai gac!
ReplyDeleteIt's a Monordica!
ReplyDeleteI don't have any idea. Most people said Gac and I am with them ;p
ReplyDeleteI'm super impressed that you guys got a hold of this fruit! It's gac, as everyone prior chimed in. Looks so exotic and gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteIt's a Peach! HAHA I thought it was jackfruit but wasn't sure. What does it taste like? Sweet, sour,bitter? Looks like cherry flesh or a fruit version of purple uni.
ReplyDeleteBaby Jackfruit, Spiny Bitter Gourd, Sweet Gourd, or Cochinchin Gourd (( or Jac Fruit )) ???
ReplyDeleteIts Gac.
ReplyDeleteMonordica
ReplyDeleteThat's what my mad googling skillz says.
Gac
ReplyDeleteHey I found your blog through HoustonWok -- you guys have a beautiful partnership going on here! Your pictures and stories are awesome and I am happy to have found your site. As for the fruit? I have no CLUE as to what that is...but it looks delicious and I wish I could taste it! Pleasure to meet you and I look forward to reading more about your blog :)!
ReplyDeleteThis is a trái gấc that can be used to make delicious xôi gấc. My grandma used to have this planted in our backyard.
ReplyDeleteWow, this fruit is sooooo interesting, I have never seen anything like that before, and the color of flesh doesn't even match the skin, I would expect them to be white. So no, I don't know what this fruit is. Maybe a new hybrid???
ReplyDeletelook there's even a wiki page:
ReplyDeletehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gac
I think the last time I ate the real deal was in vietnam. A lot of the places around me just use food dye...=(
Linda Q
Durian. Very smelly.
ReplyDeleteI think it is a dragon fruit,looks yummy
ReplyDeleteLooks like Gac to me. Never tasted it or seen it in person. Durian is White and Dragon Fruit is Pink and Green (I think). Gorgeous tote!
ReplyDeletei have never seen this fruit in my life! but since everyone said "gac" i will go ahead and make that my final answer. hehe.
ReplyDeletenice meeting you hong! your website is awesome and may actually get me to cook some vietnamese without relying on my momma.
ReplyDeleteGac Fruit. I never eat or seen this fruit before. Looks good. I really enjoy coming to your website.
ReplyDeletequả Gấc ^^
ReplyDeleteIn english: Baby Jackfruit, Spiny Bitter Gourd, Sweet Gourd, or Cochinchin (from Wikipedia =D)
I know the fruit as gac. We usually see it coloring sticky rice in delis (xoi gac). I think the english term for it is baby jackfruit, but they're not related?
ReplyDeleteHmm a Gac Fruit, it looks darn dangerous, lob one of these at somebody and tell them catch. The insides look absolutely succulant.
ReplyDeleteWithout looking at others' answers, I'd guess this fruit would be related to jackfruit (big ol' heavy fruits hint gave me that).
ReplyDeleteI think it looks like gac. never had it looks good though
ReplyDeleteLooks like Gac....would love to try it!
ReplyDeletei'll go with the "gac" guess, but i have to say i've never seen anything like that before in my life!
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry... I love a good "guess and give" as much as the next girl, but that's making me a little worried about become the next Alien host! =:O
ReplyDeleteIt has to be gac as a lot of people said, it's gorgeous!
ReplyDeletedragonfruit?
ReplyDeleteit's trai' gac. Vietnamese folks use the natural color from this fruit to make xoi gac :-)
ReplyDelete-Zoe
Is it an achacha fruit?
ReplyDeleteI think it's Gac fruit. My mom's favourite! I love it when she makes xoi gac! Yummy!
ReplyDeleteI think the fruits are 'Momordica Cochinchinensis" or "Monordicas" or... "Gac"
ReplyDeleteGấc! My favorite in xôi!
ReplyDeleteNo idea, but it is beautiful. Does it taste as good as it looks?
ReplyDelete*** drool ***
ReplyDeletequả gấc !
ReplyDeleteDefinitely quả Gấc, how could I ever forget. I did not like it when my mom made/bought xôi gấc when I was growing up. A few years back, a friend gave me the Gấc powder that she had bought during her trip to Hà Nội and that brought back...bad memories and I just...threw the Gấc powder away, even though she had given me the instructions how to make xôi Gấc :lol:
ReplyDelete