Chooi Moi, also known as Chồi Mồi, is a woody plant that can grow over 10 meters tall, with extensive branching. Its oval leaves are smooth on top and covered with fine hairs underneath. When young, the leaves have a slightly bitter and tangy taste, often used in salads, boiled dishes, or stir-fried with other wild vegetables.
The fruit of the Chooi Moi grows in clusters, starting green when unripe, turning reddish when nearly ripe, and deep black when fully ripe, with a sweet and refreshing flavor. From March to June, the tree blooms, but the peak fruiting season is in July. Though smaller than a chopstick, the vibrant clusters of Chooi Moi fruit are irresistible, offering a memorable sweet and tangy taste.
Chooi Moi is widely distributed across Vietnam. In the Southern and Central regions, it grows along riverbanks and rice fields. In the North, it thrives in the mountainous areas of the Northwest, such as Yen Bai, Son La, and Hoa Binh. There are several varieties, including common Chooi Moi, purple Chooi Moi, shrub Chooi Moi, indented-vein Chooi Moi, and sour Chooi Moi, with the common variety being the most prevalent.
For children in the Seven Mountains region, the rainy season is a time for snacking on various forest fruits. Among these, Chooi Moi is a simple yet beloved treat. Adults climb trees to harvest the fruit for the children, who eagerly await the ripe red clusters. Paired with a bowl of salted chili, Chooi Moi becomes a snack bursting with sour, spicy, salty, and sweet flavors.
The flavor of Chooi Moi fruit is uniquely rustic: slightly sour, mildly sweet, and unlike any other fruit. Many enjoy eating entire clusters to savor the harmonious blend of flavors from multiple fruits. For families in the foothills, Chooi Moi was once a cherished childhood treat, simple yet filled with warmth and nostalgia.
Every part of the Chooi Moi plant is usable. Young leaves are eaten raw, boiled, or stir-fried; unripe fruits enhance salads; ripe fruits add sourness to soups; and fully ripe fruits are enjoyed as snacks. Locals also use ripe fruits to make jams, wine, or herbal drinks.
In Thailand, the ripe fruit’s pulp is processed into antioxidant-rich soluble herbal powder. Locally, Chooi Moi leaves are used in traditional medicine, mashed and applied to relieve joint pain.
Today, Chooi Moi is rarer than before due to agricultural expansion. Finding its leaves or fruits has become challenging, with traders often pre-ordering and sourcing them from mountainous regions.
Chooi Moi is more than just a wild fruit; it’s a piece of collective memory. It evokes childhood flavors for mountain children and serves as a leisurely snack for adults on rainy afternoons. Amidst modern treats, its rustic charm remains precious, reminding us of simpler times when people lived closely with nature, cherishing its humble gifts.
From a wild plant, Chooi Moi has become a specialty of the Seven Mountains region. Though rarer today, its distinctive sweet and sour flavor, culinary uses, and medicinal value have secured its place in the lives of mountain communities.
For visitors, a trip to An Giang and the Seven Mountains offers more than scenic beauty and cultural richness—it’s a chance to taste unique forest fruits like Chooi Moi. This experience highlights the diversity of local cuisine and leaves a lasting impression of the region’s serene, bountiful landscapes in the Mekong Delta.
