Pineapple, a sweet and refreshing fruit with a subtle sour twist, is known by three different names in Vietnam: Dứa, Thơm, and Khóm. While these names are often used interchangeably, they are not always correct. The names are specific to different regions and also refer to slightly different varieties of the same fruit species.
In Northern Vietnam, ‘Dứa’ is the common term, while in Central Vietnam, it is known as ‘Thơm’. In the South, however, a clear distinction is made between ‘Thơm’ and ‘Khóm’, which belong to the same species, Ananas comosus, but are considered different cultivars with distinct characteristics.
1. Dứa, Thơm, and Khóm: Regional Names or Different Fruits?
While ‘Dứa’, ‘Thơm’, and ‘Khóm’ are used interchangeably across Vietnam, they are not always accurate. In folk language:
In Northern Vietnam, all three names refer to the same fruit.
In Central Vietnam, they use ‘Thơm’ for this fruit.
Southern Vietnam makes a clear distinction between ‘Thơm’ and ‘Khóm’, considering them two different cultivars of the same species, Ananas comosus. These cultivars differ in size, eye characteristics, leaf structure, and taste.
2. Distinguishing Features of Dứa, Thơm, and Khóm
Given the above, we should differentiate ‘Khóm’ from ‘Thơm’ (or the various types of ‘Dứa’).
– ‘Thơm’ fruits are generally larger than ‘Khóm’. ‘Thơm’ typically weighs between 1.5 to 2 kilograms per fruit, sometimes even reaching 3 kilograms. ‘Khóm’, on the other hand, rarely exceeds 1 kilogram.
Examine the eyes of the fruit:
– ‘Thơm’ has larger eyes with shallow eye sockets, and the eyes are spaced further apart.
– ‘Khóm’ has smaller, protruding eyes with deeper eye sockets, and the eyes are closer together.
Compare their leaves:
– ‘Thơm’ leaves are dark green, long, and thick, with little to no tiny spines.
– ‘Khóm’ leaves are also dark green but feature a high density of spines along the edges. The leaves are narrower, stiffer, and have white veins running parallel on the underside.
Despite the different names and slight variations in appearance, they all belong to the same plant species, Ananas comosus (L.) Merr. This species includes over 100 varieties. In Vietnam, there are three main groups: Queen (thơm nữ hoàng), Red Spanish (thơm Tây Ban Nha), and Smooth Cayenne (thơm Cayenne).
In botanical classification, the level below species is called a cultivar (or varietas in Latin, abbreviated as var.). Within the species Ananas comosus, there are multiple cultivars. In Northern and Central Vietnam, these cultivars are not distinguished, and they are all referred to as ‘Dứa’ or ‘Thơm’. However, in Southern Vietnam, ‘Thơm’ and ‘Khóm’ are considered two different cultivars or varieties. ‘Thơm’ (Smooth Cayenne) is characterized by larger fruits (around 3 kg), spineless leaves, sparsely spaced eyes, and a mild sweetness, while ‘Khóm’ (Queen and Red Spanish) has smaller fruits (up to 1 kg), leaves with spines, closely spaced eyes, and a more intense sweetness.
In Central Vietnam, the predominant cultivar is Smooth Cayenne, while in Northern Vietnam, there are multiple cultivars of ‘Dứa’, such as ‘Dứa mật’ (Ananas comosus sousvar – Singapor spanish) and ‘Dứa ta’ (Ananas comosus var spanish or Ananas comosus sousvar – red spanish).
