WanderFood Wednesday: Gac Fruit from Vietnam
Don’t let this weird looking fruit throw you off. The gac fruit, found in Southeast Asia, is admittedly pretty ugly but it IS high in lycopene, beta carotene, vitamin c and Omega 6 and 9 fatty acids. Actually about 70 times the lycopene you’d find in a tomato, 20 times the amount of beta carotene than carrots and 40 times the vitamin c than in oranges. Kind of a superfruit…
I don’t think I’d ever come across one of these until earlier this year when our group received a tour of the local market before our cooking class in Hanoi. Our guide stopped by a roadside vendor and took a moment to slice one in half.
These have a short season, usually early in the year, around Tet, and are a delicacy for families around this time.
Sadly, I didn’t get to try this, but it should be noted that the only edible portion is the slimy part surrounding the large seeds inside. The seeds can then be roasted, almost like a chestnut.
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Interesting fruit! Can’t say it looks appetizing, but it would be fun to find out how it tastes.
Wow! How interesting! I’ve never seen this fruit before.
It looks like something out of Dr. Seuss. 
Gotta love the fact that the only edible part can be described as “slimy”...
What cool fruit! I’ve never seen one, but I’ve heard of them. Will have to find one some day!
I love interesting looking fruit like this. But, sadly, when I’ve tasted these kinds of things, the taste is sort of “interesting” too. Maybe this one would be different. . . .
how cool is that?? i would be interested in tasting it, too! that is a LOT of growing space for not much fruit.
Funky fruit are the most fun to try! I just tasted the odd-looking and stinky Durain fruit in Thailand. I gotta say, though, the appearance of the gac fruit might be hard to get past at first.
Man that looks delicious.. why is that the things that look the most delicous aren’t good for you? have you noticed that on your travels around the world?
so does it taste like carrots or oranges or a cross between the two?
Gac fruit – a New Super Fruits
http://www.foxnews.com/health/2011/02/22/gac-strange-powerful-fruit/#ixzz1KeM8qnZK
http://www.gacvietnam.com.vn