Delicious braised palm fruit and sticky rice with palm fruit from Western Nghe An.

(Baonghean.vn) - Palm fruit is considered a delicious and distinctive product of many regions, including the mountainous districts of Nghe An province. Currently, many palm groves in Quy Chau district have begun to ripen, and people are harvesting and selling them at a price of 20,000 VND/kg.

Palm fruit ripening season in Quy Chau. Photo: Be Vinh

Ms. Nguyen Thi Nhan, from Block 2, Tan Lac town (Quy Chau district), said that although she wasn't born and raised here, she really likes the exotic flowers and fruits in the mountainous area, especially the stewed palm fruit. Every year, at the beginning of winter and leading up to Tet (Lunar New Year), she regularly buys stewed palm fruit from the women and girls, which sells for 20-25 thousand dong per kilogram, for her whole family to enjoy.

Ms. Vi Thi Zen from Ke Bon village, Chau Hanh commune, also said: "I've been familiar with this dish since I was a child, so every week when the palm fruit ripens, I buy about 2kg for the whole family to eat."

Harvesting palm fruit is difficult, but cooking it also requires skill. When buying fresh palm fruit, boil it in water at about 70 degrees Celsius for even cooking; boiling it in very hot or lukewarm water will not cook it properly.

Many people go to buy braised palm fruit in Quy Chau town for 20,000-25,000 VND. Photo: Bé Vinh

Currently, palm fruit is ripening and harvesting is underway. According to experienced palm harvesters, palm trees that are not regularly pruned, especially those growing wild in the forest, usually produce delicious, creamy fruit that is favored by many.

The price for fresh fish from professional pickers is 12-15 thousand VND/kg. After being stewed and processed, it is sold for 16-20 thousand VND/kg.

The palm season also creates jobs and income for many palm vendors, earning them several hundred thousand dong per day.

The palm fruit ripening season begins in mid-September of the lunar calendar and lasts until January of the following year. The palm trees bear ripe, fragrant, and delicious fruit. Therefore, many households with palm groves near their homes will wait until the end of the season to harvest and sell the best-tasting palm fruit.

Sticky rice with palm fruit is a dish loved by many. Photo: Bé Vinh

In other regions, palm fruit is often prepared in dishes such as fish stew (like with the fruit of the Terminalia catappa tree), pickled, while the Thai ethnic group in the highlands of Nghe An province usually eats it with sticky rice. The palm oil seeps into the sticky rice, creating a beautiful color, and the aroma of the sticky rice and palm fruit creates a rich fragrance.

Baby Vinh