How to distinguish Vietnamese vegetables and fruits from Chinese goods during Tet

Distinguishing between vegetables and tubers

Carrot

*Vietnamese carrotshas pulp, leaf stalks are often intact, sometimes roots still surround the tuber. The tuber is small, light yellow, uneven in size, not smooth. *Chinese carrots are fleshless, deep orange, bright. Large, smooth, and fairly even. Leaves are usually trimmed or cut cleanly.

Tomato

*Vietnamese tomatoes will have small oval-shaped fruits, many have small, pointed knobs or the tomatoes will have flat, round, and deformed shapes; the outer skin is not shiny, may have dark spots or uneven color; tomatoes are picked ripe from the tree so they usually have stems. * Chinese tomatoes are usually round, have shiny, smooth skin and look very eye-catching; because they are fertilized with growth hormones, the tomatoes are usually very large, even, and often stemless.

Cabbage

*Da Lat cabbage is smaller in size, with long, slender ears, curly heads, thick leaf sheaths and bright white color; feels firm in the hand, leaves are tightly rolled. When stir-fried or boiled, Da Lat cabbage cooks quickly, does not release much water; when eaten, it has a slightly sweet, refreshing taste.*Chinese cabbage is larger in size, rounder in shape, thin leaves with dark green color; the tips of the buds are curved inward and not curly, the leaves are not tightly wrapped together; when cooked, it usually takes a long time to cook, releases a lot of water, does not taste sweet, has a smell, and is slightly bitter.

Pumpkin

* Vietnamese pumpkins come in many varieties, including round pumpkins, gourd pumpkins, and oval pumpkins; they are usually small in size but heavy and firm; the pumpkin skin is rough and often misshapen; when cut in half, the pumpkin has a solid, bright yellow flesh. * Chinese pumpkins are usually twice the size of Vietnamese pumpkins, long in shape, with a smooth, shiny skin; they are large in size but feel light when held, and the flesh is hollow and mushy and dark yellow in color.

Garlic

*Vietnamese garlic bulbs are much smaller, the outer skin is not white, green or dark and the bulbs are uneven; the garlic cloves are bunched together, the skin is difficult to peel; it has a characteristic spicy, aromatic and strong taste. *Chinese garlic is white and very large, smooth and shiny, the size is usually even; when peeling off the outer skin, you will see that the garlic cloves are not bunched together; when eaten, it has a slightly pungent taste but no aroma.

Potato

*Dalat potatoes have medium tubers, usually oval or round, with little uniformity; the skin is thinner so it is easily scratched, the tubers have smaller eyes; the inside of the flesh is opaque white. *Chinese potatoes have larger, longer tubers, with high uniformity; the skin is thick, with tiny dots, the tubers have larger eyes; the inside of the flesh is whiter.

Ginger

* Vietnamese ginger has a small stem, many branches, rough and lighter skin, dark color, lots of dirt around, very difficult to peel; harder to break, the core has many round veins, bright yellow color; has a strong, characteristic spicy flavor. * Chinese ginger has a large size, round stem, looks more plump than Vietnamese ginger; clean and smooth skin, easy to peel; easy to break in half, smooth break, no round veins, easy to see ginger core has light yellow color, very few veins, fibers.

Dried onion

*Vietnamese dried onions: Usually have several cloves per bulb, fragrant, thick skin.* Chinese dried onions: Large bulb, usually only has 1 clove, light red color, not fragrant, thin skin.

Distinguishing between fruits

• Pomegranate

• * Vietnamese pomegranates come in many different shapes, from round to misshapen, even square; the fruit is smaller, the skin is rough or blotchy. The skin is usually green, gradually turning red when ripe; there are many seeds, the seeds are lighter in color, juicy, and have a cool, refreshing taste. * Chinese pomegranates are quite round, even, and beautiful, larger in size, the outer skin is smooth and plump; the skin is usually pinkish-white; the seeds are bright red, eye-catching, and the seeds are even.

  Pink

• * Vietnamese persimmons have round, flat, smooth fruit (like chicken eggs), the stem has many black spots, no grooves; the skin is pale in color and has bruises; the fruit is small and uneven in color. * Chinese persimmons have round, flat, slightly square fruit, with four grooves; the size is large and even; the skin is shiny, bright red or orange; the persimmons have no scratches.

  Grape

• * Ninh Thuan red grapes are spherical, about the size of a thumb or a little larger, with a diameter of 1-1.5cm; due to natural ripening, the color of the whole bunch is often not the same, there may be fruits with green corners, light red to dark red; have a sweet taste, mixed with a little bit of sourness * Chinese grapes are usually 2-2.5 times larger (diameter from 2-2.4cm), the color of the whole bunch, the whole rack is almost the same, ripened by chemicals; no sour taste, no strong sweet taste, when eaten in the throat often feels dry

  Tangerine

  * Vietnamese tangerines have very thin skin, often have dark spots, are yellowish; small, uneven; have a light, sour taste, and a natural aroma. * Chinese tangerines have thicker skin, brighter, more glossy, and more eye-catching colors; are flat, uniform in size, not crushed, have a strong sweet taste, and even have a bitter taste and a pungent smell from chemicals. When peeled, the tips of the segments are often dry, spongy, and not juicy.

  Label

  * Hung Yen longan has large fruit, thorny skin, looks thick. The yellow color is darker, fresh longer because it is picked and transported, consumed immediately; the pulp is thick and dry, the seeds are small but juicy. The taste is sweet like rock sugar. The bottom of the fruit has two tightly packed pulp compartments (quite different from other longans). * Chinese longan has large fruit, thinner skin, and leaves are also larger and thicker than Hung Yen longan leaves; preservatives are often used, so the fruit is clean, pale in color, the skin is thinner, and quickly turns black and rotten.

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