Fruits of Viet Nam: Star Apple (Vú Sữa)

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Overview

Star apple is a fruit commonly grown in orchards of central and southern parts of Viet Nam, the most famous are located in Can Tho Province in the Mekong Delta. The Vietnamese name is Vu Sua (milk from the breast). No better word can describe ...

Description

Star apple is a fruit commonly grown in orchards of central and southern parts of Viet Nam, the most famous are located in Can Tho Province in the Mekong Delta. The Vietnamese name is Vu Sua (milk from the breast). No better word can describe the appearance of this fruit than this name. The shape of the star apple and the flesh match the name, due to its juice which is fragrantly sweet and milky white like breast milk. The fruit is round, has smooth peel that is either green or violet. The inside is shaped like a star, which is the reason to call Vu Sua also “Star Apple”.

To eat: there are many ways to enjoy the fruit. The simple way would be to peel the fruit with a sharp knife; this may cause the precious juice inside to be wasted. It is better to cut the fruit into two parts and use spoon to scoop out the pulp carefully. Another way to eat the fruit, applied by orchard owners, is to eat the whole fruit. They first squeeze the tough fruit until it becomes tender so that the juice mixes with the meat and then drill a small hole at the top of the fruit, lift it to their mouths, lean their heads backward, and drink the flow of the fragrant juice.