Jackfruit is a fruit tree widely grown throughout our country. Both ripe and young jackfruit can be processed into many delicious dishes. The tasty dishes prepared from jackfruit are also very easy to make, including young jackfruit braised with sarsaparilla and coconut water, which is delicious when eaten with hot rice—a rustic yet flavorful and unique dish also known as “mit kho tau” (caramelized jackfruit).

In the countryside, almost every household grows many jackfruit trees around their gardens. Every year, local people start preparing dishes from the time the fruit is still young until it is fully ripe. For some reason, they still love soup dishes made from jackfruit, such as young jackfruit soup with piper lolot leaves, stir-fried jackfruit with shrimp, jackfruit salad, jackfruit braised with fish, “nhut” jackfruit… and perhaps the most “favored” is “mit kho tau.”

This rustic dish was invented by the locals, who tried preparing and eating it, found it delicious, and spread it by word of mouth to neighboring regions. Jackfruit braised with sarsaparilla is truly an interesting and extremely novel experience for Vietnamese meals.

Young jackfruit braised with sarsaparilla is delicious, nutritious, and affordable, suitable for both regular and vegetarian diets. With easily found ingredients and simple preparation, it is guaranteed to be a favorite dish for the whole family, known by many for its unique taste, tenderness, and… charm that further stimulates the palate.

To make braised jackfruit, one must have young green jackfruit with soft seeds and fine texture. Fresh jackfruit picked from the tree must be prepared immediately to be delicious. Young jackfruit has a lot of sap, so the fruit should be peeled under running water to prevent the resin from sticking to hands and clothes.

After being peeled, the young jackfruit is cut lengthwise into several pieces and soaked in water with a bit of salt for about 10 minutes, rinsed with cold water, and then sliced into sections about 3-4 cm thick.

Heat oil in a pan and sauté garlic until fragrant, then add the jackfruit and fry until golden on both sides; remove and place in a bamboo basket to drain the oil. Arrange the fried jackfruit in a pot. Pour in fresh coconut water until just covered, along with sarsaparilla seasoning, soy sauce, salt, and MSG… to taste. Simmer over low heat until the coconut water reduces, and the jackfruit is tender with a dark brown color. Adjust the seasoning to taste.

Besides the very special sweetness from the pungent sarsaparilla aroma that “refreshes” the dish and creates its characteristic flavor, it becomes a choice that satisfies the “preference” of each individual’s taste and “senses,” combining to form an attractive, fragrant dish suitable for changing the family’s appetite.

The ingredients are freshly picked from the home garden amidst the countryside atmosphere, mixed with the scents of young rice seedlings, rice fragrance, straw, and the gentle aroma of jasmine, daisies, and pomelo flowers… all blending together into a very special rustic flavor that is hard to match.

The sweet and fragrant dish, imbued with culinary essence, lingers on the tip of the tongue, bringing a unique attraction to the family when experiencing exquisite delicacies that make the family atmosphere even warmer. The sweet and nutty taste of the jackfruit, blended with the characteristic aroma of sarsaparilla and coconut water, makes it a real “rice-consumer.”

It can be said that jackfruit braised with sarsaparilla and coconut water has become a unique “brand,” with a strange allure that makes visiting guests curious to discover it. Upon tasting, they find it truly delicious and flavorful, satisfying their curiosity and making it a dish that even if eaten only once, is enough to remember for a lifetime…

Vinh Long Newspaper