Jackfruit Salad in Central Vietnam

Jackfruit salad is a common dish of the people in Central Vietnam and it has now changed a little to become an unforgettable specialty. Traditionally, jackfruit salad consisted of jackfruit, peanuts and basil. Now however, several ingredients such as pork, shrimp and tofu have been added to increase its flavour.

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Simple and easy to make, jackfruit salad requires much attention to ingredient processing. Firstly, the jackfruit should be of good quality and still young as ripe jackfruit may lose its buttery taste.
 

From green jackfruit, people in Central Vietnam can make a lot of dishes,
including jackfruit salad. Photo: Nguyen Luan/VNP

Jackfruit salad is served with a spicy dressing of fish sauce and chili. Photo: Nguyen Luan/VNP

Jackfruit should be processed carefully to avoid sticky latex or browning. Photo: Nguyen Luan/VNP


Some ingredients to make jackfruit salad. Photo: Nguyen Luan/VNP


A dish of jackfruit salad decorated with the image of Ha Long Bay. Photo: Nguyen Luan/VNP

The outer skin has to be removed. Jackfruit should be peeled in cold salted water to preserve its colour and prevent the sticky latex from oozing out. After cutting off the inedible middle bits, flesh and fibre should be rinsed in water, then boiled, and shredded.

Before mixing jackfruit salad with shrimp and pork, the ingredients are well done by being boiled or stir-fried.

The most important stage is to mix the jackfruit, shrimp and pork, with fish sauce, sugar, lime juice, fragrant knotweed, basil, chili and spices. The salad is topped with ground pepper and crushed peanuts. The salad will taste best when served with toasted crispy rice crackers. The flavours of all ingredients form a great harmony for the dish.

Expatriates always long to eat the traditional food of their hometown and jackfruit salad is definitely a must-eat dish for people coming back home./.

Story: Son Nghia – Photos: Nguyen Luan